by Barry Werth
of Vertex, 49, 116–17, 127, 133–35, 157–62, 203–4, 205, 226, 277, 280, 358, 376, 387
Vancouver AIDS conference, 36, 230
Van Goor, Fred, 118–21, 125, 127, 141–43, 300, 337, 344, 371
Vasella, Daniel, 56–58
VCH-222, see VX-222
Vertex Pharmaceuticals:
acquisitions by, 66–69, 73, 75, 78–81, 84–86, 127, 197, 199–200, 220, 287–88, 299, 354, 385
alleged federal violations of, 369–71
business plan and model of, 194, 204, 217, 259–60, 316–17
China and, 169–70, 173–74, 291, 327
commercialization of, 51, 196–98, 207, 209–11, 217–19, 221–22, 277
corporate and scientific culture of, 18, 39–42, 116–17, 133, 135, 159, 161–62, 198, 205, 211, 219, 282, 290–91, 293–94, 323, 333, 335, 337–38, 354, 356, 361, 368, 374, 376, 380, 386
creativity of, 57, 70, 161–62, 260, 281, 333, 385, 387
credibility of, 56, 332, 365
disclosure meetings of, 130–31, 247–49, 295
disorganization of, 27
employee turnover at, 184–85, 200, 241, 334–38, 370, 379, 386
externalities of, 157
as feared and fearless, 110
finances of, 1–2, 7, 11–14, 23, 26–27, 36, 40–44, 46–47, 49–52, 56, 58–60, 65–66, 68, 73–75, 77, 82–88, 90, 96–99, 101–2, 106, 108–11, 114, 127, 129–31, 137, 139–42, 145–46, 149, 158, 162, 168, 171–72, 175–78, 185–87, 189, 191, 194, 198–99, 207, 211–12, 217, 222–23, 225, 237–38, 240, 245–47, 249–50, 259, 262, 276, 280–83, 287, 290–91, 297–301, 307–15, 318, 324–25, 327–33, 339–47, 350–65, 368–70, 372, 376, 378, 380–82, 386, 388
future of, 249, 259, 314–15, 321–23, 385–88
honors of, 320–21
image, identity, and reputation of, 11, 30, 41, 49–50, 133, 160, 243, 275, 278–80, 365, 369
launch of, 1, 5, 7
lawsuits of, 48, 75–76, 101
layoffs at, 88–91, 94–96
mission of, 41, 117, 133, 146, 196–97, 205, 281, 286
mock AdComms and, 227, 228, 230, 243-44, 255–56
morale at, 335, 356, 379
as operating company, 218–19, 281, 379
partnerships of, 12–13, 18, 25–27, 31–32, 44, 47–49, 51–53, 56–59, 61–66, 68, 72, 75–78, 82–83, 85, 87–88, 97–99, 101–2, 105–8, 111, 114, 142, 144–45, 149, 169–70, 172–73, 177–78, 186, 193, 206, 215–16, 239, 299–300, 326, 336, 347, 370, 375, 378, 380
physical expansions of, 58, 85, 87–88, 240, 320
portfolio process of, 90–95, 97–101, 105
project councils of, 18–19, 25, 27–28
reorganizations of, 59–60, 64–65, 333–37
reporting structure of, 59, 64–65, 71, 122, 144, 201, 207, 333–34
rivalries of, 1, 7, 14, 16, 19, 101, 110, 207, 249, 260–62, 276, 278, 282, 286, 291–92, 307, 316, 347–48
secrecy of, 25–26, 30
slogans of, 160, 279
strategy-opportunity balance of, 314–15, 317
succession at, 122–23, 143–44, 146, 164–65, 188–90, 195–98, 205, 331, 338–39, 357–61, 363
as takeover target, 56–57, 197, 216–17, 247, 331–33, 355, 357, 374
as unique and exceptional, 53–54, 90, 196–97, 281, 316, 374
vision of, 6, 57, 86, 108, 117, 135, 160, 201, 215, 259, 277, 321–23, 377
Werth’s access to, 6, 386–87
“Vertex Pharmaceuticals” (Porges), 97
Vertex swoosh, 131, 136, 139, 144–46, 151, 180, 248–49, 281, 283, 296
Vertex Vision Process, 117, 387
Viagra, 46, 65, 246, 315
Victrelis (boceprevir):
AdComm and, 264–68, 273, 275–76, 299
approvals of, 266–68, 283, 299, 341–42
comparisons between Incivek and, 260, 282–84, 288, 307, 315–16
FDA and, 264–67, 273, 275–76, 283
HCV and, 172, 200, 208, 212, 228–31, 238, 245, 260, 263–68, 273, 275–77, 282–88, 299, 307, 311, 315–16, 341–42, 354, 374
label of, 283, 285, 299
Merck-Roche partnership and, 284, 287–88
NDA and, 228–29, 231
patient advocates and, 266, 273, 275
prices and, 283–84, 286, 342
sales and, 277, 284–85, 288, 299, 307, 315–16, 342
side effects of, 267, 283
sustained viral response (SVR) rates of, 266, 282
Vioxx, 121–22, 228, 238, 245, 261, 279, 284
ViroChem, 199, 220, 299
Vision into Practice (VIP), 133–35, 157–59, 168
vorapaxar, 245
VX-148, 93
VX-175, see Lexiva
VX-222, 199, 215, 220, 262, 299–300, 325, 347, 355, 358, 362–63, 383
VX-328, 18–19
VX-330, 18–20, 25
VX-478, see Agenerase
VX-497, see merimepodib
VX-509, 317–18, 380
VX-661, 251, 363–64, 372, 381–82
VX-702, 92–93
VX-740, see pralnacasan
VX-745, 53, 55–56, 71–75, 87, 92, 277
VX-765, 92–93, 215–16
VX-770, see Kalydeco
VX-787, 380
VX-809 (lumacaftor):
CF and, 155, 177, 180–81, 183, 215, 251, 295–99, 301–2, 343, 364–65, 367–72, 380–81
combining Kalydeco and, 295–99, 301–2
in human testing, 180, 183, 215, 295–98, 302
VX-950, see Incivek
Waksal, Sam, 216
Wall Street Journal, 121–22, 179, 193
Warner-Lambert Company, 80, 195
Washington retroviral conference, 25–26, 30–31
Webvan, 55
Weet, Jack, 267
background of, 207–8, 227
CF and, 327, 336
EPO and, 208–9
Incivek and, 200, 207–8, 222–23, 227–29, 232–33, 238, 240, 243–44, 257–58, 265, 270, 272, 289, 336
NDAs and, 207, 222–23, 227–29, 232–33, 238, 244, 336
weight gain, weight loss, 248–49, 254, 364
Weisman, Robert, 360
Werber, Yaron, 222, 308, 332, 344
Williams, Brian, 263
Wilson, Keith, 29
Wokasch, Michael, 385
Wolfe, Tom, 6, 346
World War II, 3, 151–52
Wright, Christopher:
CF and, 295–96, 327, 367–68, 371
Mueller’s reorganizing and, 334, 336
WuXi PharmaTech, 173–74, 239
Wyeth, 195, 199–200
Wysenski, Nancy, 311, 322
CF and, 218, 295, 297, 361
Cozzolino’s resignation and, 241–42
earnings calls and, 339–41
Emmens’s relationship with, 210–11, 218, 370
HCV and, 213, 351–52, 357
Incivek and, 212–14, 217–18, 222, 228–29, 240–41, 264–65, 272, 285–87, 292, 339–42
management style and skills of, 210–11, 218–19, 224
Merck-Roche partnership and, 284
Merck’s AdComm presentation and, 265–66
NDA and, 228–29
relationship between board and, 211, 218
Xconomy, 193, 199, 220, 318, 360
XPrize Foundation, 153–55
yellow fever, 22
Zantac, 46
Zenobia (Emmens and Kephart), 187–88
Zuccotti Park, occupation of, 328
ZymoGenetics, 193
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Simon & Schuster hardcover edition February 2014
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Werth, Barry.
The antidote : inside the world of new pharma / Barry Werth. — First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
p. cm. Includes index.
1. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. 2. Drug Industry—United States. 3. Drug Industry—history—United States. 4. History, 20th Century—United States. 5. History, 21st Century—United States. 6. Technology, Pharmaceutical—United States. I. Title.
RA401.A3
338.4'76151—dc23
2013039646
ISBN 978-1-4516-5566-7
ISBN 978-1-4516-5569-8 (ebook)