Nonfiction About Biotech Drama in Review

Summary: A fascinating insider look at cancer drug development, full of cool science and people drama!

There are few topics I enjoy reading about more than drama at a biotech company. Bad Blood, about the Theranos blood testing fraud, is still one of my all-time favorite reads. So, when I was offered a chance to review this story of a startup developing a cancer drug, I couldn’t say no. First this small company developed an incredible cancer treatment. Then, researchers who were crucial to the company’s success, but who were let go before receiving much compensation, went on to found another company and create another successful drug.

This story was everything I’d hoped for. It’s full of the high stakes, cool science, and fascinating people that make me love this kind of book. It read less like a thriller than Bad Blood and there was, fortunately, no fraud. Still, the author clearly showed how important this story was, both for cancer patients and the scientists involved. I couldn’t put it down!

I was surprised to find that the financial side of this story was also interesting to learn about. The author writes for Forbes and was able to make the business side of the story quite engaging. I liked getting a better understanding of how funding works for start-ups and venture capitalists. Watching big companies compete to acquire successful startups was compelling too. While this wasn’t identical in feel to Bad Blood, it had a lot of similar elements, so I’d definitely recommend this to any fellow fans.

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