Big Pharma

The enormous opioid lawsuits across the nation are affecting pain science too.

Legal evidence is needed to pin addiction and death on opioid manufacturers, but the science suggests that a large and ready supply of legal prescription painkillers led to many addictions.

It seems that overall drug spending is still on the rise because of the skyrocketing price of new, brand-name drugs.

Out of public view, corporations are cutting deals that give consumers little choice but to buy brand-name drugs—and sometimes pay more at the pharmacy counter than they would for generics.

Drugmakers are increasingly agreeing to refund money if patients don't respond to medications as expected.

The pharmaceutical world is rife with rebates and side deals—all designed to elbow ahead of the competition. But apparently the price of convenience comes at a steep mark-up.

Endo Pharmaceuticals appears to be preparing its opposition to the FDA's request.

The ad was for a drug that targeted constipation in just the kind of patient some say should never have been prescribed opioids in the first place.

A handful of insurance companies have begun programs that connect their members with social workers.

The director of a new documentary about America's prescription drug epidemic talks Big Pharma and opens up about personal struggles with pill addiction.

But the people won't, as the push for pharma reform mounts.

Even our most personal health conditions are part of a vast but hidden market for our medical data. Don't we deserve to know about it?

An early look at a Pacific Standard story that's currently only available to subscribers.

Big Pharma’s focus on blockbuster cancer drugs squeezes out research into potential treatments that are more affordable. Says one researcher: "What is scientific and sexy is driven by what can be monetized."

The 1,000-page psychiatrists' Big Book will redefine addiction. Critics are already demanding a boycott.