Bob Stevens, program co-chair for the Rotary Club of Goleta, welcomed award-winning journalist Kathleen Sharp, who gave a riveting presentation revealing her research for her recent book, Blood Feud.
The book exposes what happens when two drug giants fight over a $100 billion biotech industry, and two ordinary men who tried to stop them become the heroes.
Sharp explained how a drug such as Procrit is a brand of blood-boosters that has been on the market since 1989 and was ranked one of Medicare’s top reimbursed drugs, costing the federal government (that’s us) more than $60 million.
But Procrit was shown in studies to trigger heart attacks, tumor growth and even death. In June 2011, the Food and Drug Administration finally urged doctors to stop prescribing it.
Her book Blood Feud, which she thoroughly researched, is wildly successful, according to th Boston Globe, and is a blockbuster of a story, especially today with Medicare potentially on the chopping block.
Sharp’s presentation is an example of the professional, interesting and informative speakers invited to speak at the Rotary Club of Goleta dinner meetings the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Elephant Bar Restaurant, 524 Firestone Road in Goleta. The general public is invited to attend meetings. Come and enjoy meeting men and women in Rotary Fellowship.
For more information, contact President Paul Clayton at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or membership chair Frances Gilliland at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
— Lynn Cederquist is publicity chairwoman of the Rotary Club of Goleta.
