Bottle of Lies
by Katherine Eban · first published 2019
74% recommend21% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Rigorous, well-written investigation of fraud and weak FDA oversight in the generic drug supply chain, especially overseas manufacturing; suits anyone wanting to understand drug quality and regulation.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…plausible. To anyone who has the time, listen to this podcast. It was really educational and scary, pharmaceuticals fraud is no joke. *The interview discusses the material in Katherine Eban's book Bottle of Lies.
on “Face transplant recipient’s donor face now failing” ↗Unfortunately the pharmaceutical industry has become corrupt. I don't know about nationalizing it, but something has to be done to bring the industry to heel. Please read Bottle of Lies, Katherine Eban's incredible new book about deadly corruption that has ravaged the generic drug industry. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JG49BQW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...
on “Is it time to nationalise the pharmaceutical industry?” ↗As a contrast, and since you've mentioned Good Pharma, I suggest reading also "Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom" ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062338781/ ) This book discusses the supply line of generic drugs on US shelves today.
on “Gilead should ditch remdesivir and focus on its simpler and safer ancestor” ↗…consistency, so a lot of subpar medication manages to slip under the radar and into the US market. The situation is much more grim for non-US buyers, who often get products of significantly worse quality. 'Bottle of Lies' by Katherine Eban[1] provides a thorough and very unsettling exposé on the issue. [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/books/review/bottle-of-li...
on “Mailed asthma, cancer, erectile drugs are siezed the most, despite opioid claims” ↗If you're interested in the safety of generic drugs you should read "Bottle of Lies" by Katherine Eban. She presents a convincing argument that FDA regulators were/are unprepared for ensuring the safety of drugs from overseas manufacturers. For example, in the US, drug makers are subject…
on “Irregularities found during FDA inspection of Intas Pharmaceuticals” ↗The problem of fraud in the generic drug industry is the topic of the book "Bottle of Lies" by Katherine Eban[0]. She joined Peter Attia for a fantastic episode of his podcast[1]. It isn't often I burst out laughing while listening to a healthcare podcast, but I did several times with that…
on “Why There’s a Severe Shortage of Cancer Drugs” ↗Some non fiction books that thoroughly convinced me of their thesis with their rigor: 1. Bottle of Lies - Eban 2. Capital in the Twenty-First Century - Piketty. I will admit this was difficult to push through but by the end of it you really appreciate how he takes so many different angles to prove his…
on “Ask HN: What are the best Well-Written Books?” ↗…for the World's Deadliest Crooks by Geoff White Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality by Venki Ramakrishnan Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk's Twitter by Zoe Schiffer Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom by Katherine Eban AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor Hijacking…
on “Ask HN: Best non-fiction book you read in 2024?” ↗They were never really properly investigated. Eban's "Bottle of Lies" book is shocking: https://www.katherineeban.com/bottleoflies Peter Attia on Youtube also did an investigation on this. If you're lucky your drugs have the right amount of the active ingredient. If…
on “The FDA Hasn't Inspected This Drug Factory After 7 Recalls for the Same Flaw” ↗…to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence!” - Dijkstra [1] If you're interested in how this regulatory structure has failed to regulate international drug manufacturers, check out "Bottle of Lies" by Katherine Eban.
on “I think I'm done thinking about GenAI for now” ↗For more on this, I highly recommend Bottle of Lies by Katherine Eban. Fantastically written book that goes deep on this topic and will absolutely horrify you about everything related to the manufacture of generic drugs.
on “Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA's Gamble on America's Drugs” ↗…standards into their regulations, but it's meaningless without enforcement. This is funny because the USA itself doesn't do proper inspections. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Eban See the book "Bottle of Lies".
on “Nearly 20% of cancer drugs defective in four African nations” ↗…https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13153693-ghettoside - American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Bauer, Shane, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38561954-american-prison - Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom by Eban, Katherine, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42448266-bottle-of-lies - A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by Miller, T. Christian, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35805861-a-false-report…
on “Ask HN: Best books you've read in 2019?” ↗…https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13153693-ghettoside - American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Bauer, Shane, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38561954-american-prison - Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom by Eban, Katherine, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42448266-bottle-of-lies - A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by Miller, T. Christian, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35805861-a-false-report…
on “Ask HN: Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2019?” ↗If you haven't read it, I highly recommend the book 'Bottle of Lies' which was released a few months ago. It details systemic corruption in a number of generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. It also details how the FDA is struggling with monitoring overseas manufacturing.
on “Carcinogens Have Infiltrated the Generic Drug Supply in the U.S.” ↗