Book talk on "Pharmanomics: How Big Pharma Destroys Global Health" with Nick Dearden
Bush House North East Wing, Strand Campus, London
Please join the Department of International Development for a book talk with Nick Dearden about his new book, "Pharmanomics: How Big Pharma Destroys Global Health".
About the book
Big Pharma is more interested in profit than health. This was made clear as governments rushed to produce vaccines during the Covid pandemic. Behind the much-trumpeted scientific breakthroughs, major companies found new ways of gouging billions from governments in the West while abandoning the Global South. But this is only the latest episode in a long history of financialising medicine—from Purdue’s rapacious marketing of highly addictive OxyContin through Martin Shkreli’s hiking the price of a lifesaving drug to the 4.5 million South Africans needlessly deprived of HIV/AIDS medication.
Since the 1990s, Big Pharma has gone out of its way to protect its property through the patent system. As a result, the business has focused not on researching new medicines but on building monopolies. This system has helped restructure our economy away from invention and production in order to benefit financial markets. It has fundamentally reshaped the relationship between richer and poorer countries, as the access to new medicines and the permission to manufacture them is ruthlessly policed. In response, Dearden offers a pathway to a fairer, safer system for all.
About the author
Nick Dearden
Nick Dearden is the director of Global Justice Now. He has been a campaigner against corporate globalisation and for global economic justice for over 20 years, including with War on Want, Amnesty International and Jubilee Debt Campaign. He has been a leading voice in the campaign for a People's Vaccine and a key organiser against neoliberal trade deals including the now abandoned EU/US trade deal (TTIP). He regularly contributes political analysis to publications including The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Open Democracy, Red Pepper and Soundings journal.
About the discussant
Juan Grigera
Dr Juan Grigera is a Senior Lecturer in International Development. He completed his PhD at the University of Buenos Aires with support from CONICET (Argentina). He completed a MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics. He is also an affiliate of the King's Brazil Institute. Juan authored the book, 'The diffusion of Artificial Intelligence' (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming). Currently, he is also an active member of the editorial board of Historical Materialism (London) and Cuadernos de Economía Crítica (Argentina).
About the Interrogating Development Seminar Series
The 'Interrogating Development' seminar series is organised by the Department of International Development at King's College London. The series examines some of the most pressing issues of development facing global society today, with the authors of new books presenting cutting-edge research on a variety of topics related to development.
The talk will be followed by a wine reception. The event is open to everyone.
At this event
Senior Lecturer in International Development
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