DigeeBooks

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty is a book by Patrick Radden Keefe that tells the story of the Sackler family, the founders of Purdue Pharma, and their role in the opioid crisis. The book was published in 2021 and has been widely praised for its in-depth reporting and its ability to weave together the personal stories of the Sacklers with the larger social and political context of the opioid crisis.

Keefe begins the book by introducing the Sackler family, a wealthy and influential clan that made its fortune in the pharmaceutical industry. He then traces the development of OxyContin, a powerful opioid painkiller that was introduced in 1996 and quickly became one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States. Keefe argues that the Sacklers were aware of the risks of OxyContin, but they marketed the drug aggressively anyway, leading to a wave of addiction and overdose deaths.

Keefe also explores the Sacklers' efforts to suppress research that linked OxyContin to addiction and death. He shows how the family used its wealth and influence to silence critics and to keep the truth about OxyContin from the public. Keefe also reveals the Sacklers' close ties to the FDA, which allowed them to push OxyContin through the approval process despite concerns about its safety.

Empire of Pain is a powerful and disturbing book that sheds new light on the opioid crisis. Keefe's reporting is impeccable, and he tells a story that is both tragic and infuriating. The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the role that the Sacklers played in this crisis, and it is a call to action for all of us to demand accountability from those who profit from human suffering.