PBD Podcast History of Big Pharma & OxyContin | Gerald Posner | PBD Podcast | 663
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Oct 9, 2025 Gerald Posner, an investigative journalist and bestselling author, dives deep into the controversial ties between Big Pharma and the government. He reveals how the FDA enabled the aggressive marketing of OxyContin, driven by misleading labels. Posner also discusses the political influence of pharma lobbying and the dark history of opioid addiction patterns. Beyond pharma, he explores Vatican financial secrets and the implications of gender care drugs. This thought-provoking conversation sheds light on significant issues affecting society today.
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How Big Pharma Emerged Rapidly
- The modern pharmaceutical industry grew from small chemical firms into a multibillion-dollar sector in about a century.
- Major drug companies emerged by repurposing and mass-marketing stimulants and painkillers rather than purely noble discovery.
Pharma Roots In Battlefield Medicine
- Posner traces pharma origins to morphine demand in war and early companies like Pfizer and Eli Lilly.
- He notes early firms started by solving battlefield pain needs then scaled into modern pharma.
The Off-Label Loophole
- FDA approval is narrow but doctors can legally prescribe drugs off-label indefinitely.
- Off-label prescribing makes FDA approval less restrictive in practice and fuels expanded uses of drugs.
