tPA for Stroke: The Story of a Controversial Drug - Tapa dura

"When science, medicine, politics, biotech, government, ego, the law, and public health all collide, the resulting marvelous thunder is this extraordinarily insightful book into the development of the only proven treatment for the number one combined killer and crippler - stroke. As told by those closest to the truth, this story is gripping yet painful, wonderful yet concerning, and reads like a fictional medical thriller yet is a historical documentary. Every person and family afflicted by stroke and even those worried about having a stroke must read this so they will know what reality is." --Steven R. Levine, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair, Neurology, and Associate Dean for Clinical Research & Faculty Development, The State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center - Brooklyn "A fascinating and well-written saga of a dispute that illustrates many of the weaknesses of the U.S. biotechnological and medical enterprise."--Robert Bazell, Chief Science and Health Correspondent, NBC News "Every important new drug deserves its own biography, and tPA for Stroke is a splendid bio, told in painstaking and eye-popping detail, of tissue plasminogen activator, one of the most powerful--and controversial--products of the biotech age. Justin Zivin and John Simmons succeed not only in recounting a stirring scientific odyssey of ingenuity and persistence; they explain why a successful new treatment for stroke is not more widely used against one of the most debilitating afflictions of humankind. A provocative book that will enlighten, and perhaps infuriate, researchers, doctors, and patients." --Stephen S. Hall, author of Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience "There is no comparison to this book, which will help increase awareness of stroke and stroke treatment. I thank the authors for their efforts." --Doody's "tPA for Strokes serves as a loud and effective wake-up call to the public to understand why they are still not likely to get effective stroke care unless they are fully informed. If they read this book, they will be informed consumers and will know the importance of recognizing stroke symptoms, acting immediately, and getting the stroke patient to an appropriate stroke center." -- James C. Grotta, M.D., World Neurology "This book is an interesting read for those of us who are stroke enthusiasts, and for those who are not; I recommend it wholeheartedly to both groups!" -- Arani Nitkunan, Department of Neurology, St George's Hospital, London, Advances in Clinical Neurosciences and Rehabilitation "The aim of the book, according to the authors, was to raise awareness of tPA and, at the end, one does feel convinced of its status as a revolutionary neurological drug. This book is an interesting read for those of us who are stroke enthusiasts, and for those who are not; I recommend it wholeheartedly to both groups!" -- Arani Nitkunan, Department of Neurology, St George's Hospital, London, Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation "Stroke physicians, whether specialist or in training, will be curious about reading this account of the story of tPA, as will those with an interest in medical history." --The Lancet Featured in Brain: A Journal of Neurology. "When science, medicine, politics, biotech, government, ego, the law, and public health all collide, the resulting marvelous thunder is this extraordinarily insightful book into the development of the only proven treatment for the number one combined killer and crippler - stroke. As told by those closest to the truth, this story is gripping yet painful, wonderful yet concerning, and reads like a fictional medical thriller yet is a historical documentary. Every person and family afflicted by stroke and even those worried about having a stroke must read this so they will know what reality is." --Steven R. Levine, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair, Neurology, and Associate Dean for Clinical Research & Faculty Development, The State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center - Brooklyn "A fascinating and well-written saga of a dispute that illustrates many of the weaknesses of the U.S. biotechnological and medical enterprise."--Robert Bazell, Chief Science and Health Correspondent, NBC News "Every important new drug deserves its own biography, and tPA for Stroke is a splendid bio, told in painstaking and eye-popping detail, of tissue plasminogen activator, one of the most powerful--and controversial--products of the biotech age. Justin Zivin and John Simmons succeed not only in recounting a stirring scientific odyssey of ingenuity and persistence; they explain why a successful new treatment for stroke is not more widely used against one of the most debilitating afflictions of humankind. A provocative book that will enlighten, and perhaps infuriate, researchers, doctors, and patients." --Stephen S. Hall, author of Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience "There is no comparison to this book, which will help increase awareness of stroke and stroke treatment. I thank the authors for their efforts." --Doody's "tPA for Strokes serves as a loud and effective wake-up call to the public to understand why they are still not likely to get effective stroke care unless they are fully informed. If they read this book, they will be informed consumers and will know the importance of recognizing stroke symptoms, acting immediately, and getting the stroke patient to an appropriate stroke center." -- James C. Grotta, M.D., World Neurology "This book is an interesting read for those of us who are stroke enthusiasts, and for those who are not; I recommend it wholeheartedly to both groups!" -- Arani Nitkunan, Department of Neurology, St George's Hospital, London, Advances in Clinical Neurosciences and Rehabilitation "The aim of the book, according to the authors, was to raise awareness of tPA and, at the end, one does feel convinced of its status as a revolutionary neurological drug. This book is an interesting read for those of us who are stroke enthusiasts, and for those who are not; I recommend it wholeheartedly to both groups!" -- Arani Nitkunan, Department of Neurology, St George's Hospital, London, Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation "Stroke physicians, whether specialist or in training, will be curious about reading this account of the story of tPA, as will those with an interest in medical history." --The Lancet Featured in Brain: A Journal of Neurology.

Each year, nearly 700,000 people in the United States will have a stroke. A drug known as tPA can drastically reduce the long-term disability associated with stroke if it is administered within the first three hours after the event occurs. Many of those who are lucky enough to be treated with tPA have made full recoveries―to the extent that one can hardly believe they suffered a "real" stroke. Others still do not receive the drug; many suffer permanent disabilities, and many die.

Authors Zivin and Simmons argue that most Americans have never heard of tPA. Why would such an effective pharmaceutical, one that has a remarkable rate of success with the third leading killer of Americans, be so disregarded? tPA for Stroke: The Story of a Controversial Drug explains the drug's beginnings within pharmaceutical giant Genentech, and its eventual marginalization due to a convergence of unfortunate political, fiscal, and medical circumstances. Readers will learn about an extraordinary treatment for acute stroke that they may then seek if a stroke occurs and anyone interested in the unique process of drug development, marketing, and promotion, told from an insider's perspective, will have an interest intPA for Stroke.