For Blood and Money: Billionaires, Biotech, and the Quest for a Blockbuster Drug
Audible Logo Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
$0.00
  • Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
  • One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
  • You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
  • $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $29.95
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

For Blood and Money: Billionaires, Biotech, and the Quest for a Blockbuster Drug Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Nathan Vardi (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 486 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Biomedical Engineering
See all formats and editions

A gripping business narrative and scientific thriller about what it takes to bring a wonder drug to market—and save countless lives.

For Blood and Money tells the little-known story of how an upstart biotechnology company created a one-in-a-million cancer drug and how the core team—denied their share of the profits—went and did it again. In this epic saga of money and science, veteran financial journalist Nathan Vardi explains how the invention of two of the biggest cancer drugs in history became (for their backers) two of the greatest Wall Street bets of all time.

In the multibillion-dollar business of biotech, where pharmaceutical companies, the government, hedge funds, and venture capitalists have spent billions on funding, experimentation, and treatments, a single molecule can stop cancer in its tracks—and make the people who find that rare molecule astonishingly rich. For Blood and Money follows a small team at a biotech start-up in California, who have found one of these rare molecules. Their compound, known as a BTK inhibitor, seems to work on a vicious type of leukemia. When patients start rising from their hospice beds, the team knows they’re onto something big.

What follows is a story of genius, pathos, and drama, in which vivid characters navigate a world of corporate intrigue and ambiguous morality. Vardi’s narrative immerses listeners in the recent explosion of biotech start-ups. He describes the scientists, doctors, and investors who are risking everything to develop new, life-saving treatments, and introduces suffering patients for whom the stakes are life-or-death. A gripping nonfiction listen, For Blood and Money illustrates why it’s so hard to bring new drugs to market, explains why they are so expensive, and examines how profit-driven venture capitalists are shaping the future of medicine.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 33 minutes
  2. Author
    Nathan Vardi
  3. Narrator
    Rob Shapiro
  4. Audible release date
    January 10, 2023
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Audible Studios
  7. ASIN
    B0BRYJVS23
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
Next page

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $7.49 after you buy the Kindle book.

Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 33 minutes
Author Nathan Vardi
Narrator Rob Shapiro
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 10, 2023
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0BRYJVS23
Best Sellers Rank #14,815 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Biomedical Engineering
#6 in Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Industry (Books)
#35 in Medicine & Health Care Industry

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
486 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Scott Costa
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Insight Into the Trials and Tribulations of a Start Up Biotech Company
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
Having worked in the Biotech industry for over 20 years and actually having PCYC as a client, I can tell you that what is in this book is spot on. I actually learned more than I thought I knew about this company and indsustry as a whole. Fascinating work by Nathan Vardi. Well done!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Charlie
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting Inside Look
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book tells the fascinating story behind the development of two life-saving cancer drugs. The story is filled with a colorful cast of characters- hard-driving, ambitious, and fearless. Fortunes are made and lost. The writing is excellent and I was engaged from start to finish. It was refreshing to read about the benefits of these people's efforts and learn about the life-changing effects new drugs can have.

This book also highlights the inefficiencies with the FDA and government regulators. It is an unfortunate reflection on our current culture that both political parties routinely demonize this life-saving industry. For anyone who sneers at this industry, I'd recommend to either stop taking their products (you or loved ones) or go try to develop these drugs on your own. Contrary to popular sentiment, these medications do not magically arrive in nature, with the only question being for bureaucrats to decide how to best distribute them; thousands of hours and billions of dollars are required. Highly recommend!
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
T. Ryan
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting for those in the biotech industry
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Interesting story, well written with a flair for the dramatic. Still, I suspect the events might not be of much interest to a general audience.

Primarily from the point of view of a few main characters who are portrayed in a favorable light. The events might look a lot different from other players' perspectives. The cast of characters is large, and keeping the names straight was a challenge.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Betts
5.0 out of 5 stars the inside story of “Big Pharma”
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
Should be read by anyone who wants to understand the inside story of how Big Pharma really operates. Really fascinating.
Helpful
 Report
JJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great read, and really had me engaged from the first page. It's nice to know the backstory of some of these major players. I was curious about the Dark Knight, aka the truffle pig, WR. This story went into Hamdy and his team, who did great work under pressure and seemed like unsung heroes. I've followed them and have a great interest in what they are doing now. Thank you for sharing !
Helpful
 Report
Colt
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read. Incredible human realism on an important industry.
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
A great human look into the characters, incentives, and other market factors into the biotech industry. It's an important read to understand how our drugs come into market.
Helpful
 Report
Matthew Christoph
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book was extremely well researched and read like a Michael Lewis-type exploration of cancer drug development, greed and exploration. Highly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Urban Tarzan
5.0 out of 5 stars Know what you own
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
It has become my new Bible as made hand over fist in money with ADC stocks. The book follows the team that is now Vincerex. I bought the book for my wife, who is making big money investing in Vincerex. I have to credit Stocktwits trading forum for recommending the book. If your new to investing in ADC stocks this is your Bible.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Natasha
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in Brazil on March 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
For anyone that works in pharma business it is a must read. I never thought that work could shift into suco an interesting story. Worth every minute.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book.
Reviewed in Canada on March 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
I've worked in pharma/biotech for over 30 years, so I have an interest in great stories about the industry. This book did not disappoint! From big egos, innovative science and the people behind it, this book gives a glimpse into this high risk/high reward business. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know how fledgling, small biotech companies try and develop molecules into the medicines that can transform the lives of patients and investors willing to risk it all.
Report
Isabella Rose Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars A great mix of science and life stories
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
As a researcher in pharmaceuticals, I loved that Vardi managed to explain all the factors that impact the discovery and development of drugs. Going from the scientific hypotheses, to recruiting patients, dealing with governance, funding, FDA, investors, and personal life events. We often have the impression that drug discovery is merely a process, and that people just need to go "from left to right" to get the approval of a new drug but it is clearly not, and the author succedeed in explaining how this field works. Brilliant.
Report
Marco
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing story and writing
Reviewed in Italy on June 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Incredible story and very well written, perfect to understand the basics of the Biotech world.
Report
Anonym
5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and educational "page turner"
Reviewed in Germany on February 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
One rarely comes accross a book on science and its translation into the market place that is, not only "interesting" but at the same time a page-turner, that keeps you up at night because you want to know the next twist in the story. Better than fiction!
Hubert from Germany
Report