The Intelligence from The Economist

Out for blood: the Theranos trial

Sep 1, 2021
Join Tom Easton, The Economist's American business editor, as he unpacks the dramatic rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her dubious blood-testing startup, Theranos. Hal Hodson, the technology correspondent, discusses the global shift in primate research, highlighting the ethical dilemmas faced in the West versus practices in China. Discover how jury selections have become a battleground in Holmes' trial and dive into provocative themes of animal rights advocacy and its implications on future research.
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ANECDOTE

Holmes' Rise and Fall

  • Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos founder, was initially a media darling, likened to figures like Steve Jobs.
  • Her company, valued at $9 billion, claimed to revolutionize blood testing with just a finger prick.
INSIGHT

Unraveling the Deception

  • Theranos's downfall began with investigations by Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou.
  • The company faced scrutiny after Carreyrou revealed its technology did not work as claimed.
INSIGHT

Theranos's Initial Promise

  • Elizabeth Holmes, a Stanford dropout, founded Theranos with the goal of simplifying medical testing.
  • Her idea aimed to address long-standing challenges in healthcare administration.
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