No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson

Informative and well-researched book on case studies showcasing what happens when corporate greed outweighs care for humanity, although there are two small areas I think that the author has it a bit wrong. The first is that the acetaminophen poisoning event seemed a weak point in the book and most readers will likely believe that the blame for this incident can be reasonably be attributed mainly to the person responsible alone. Alongside prescribing medication to cancer patients that enhanced tumor growth, approving a metal-on-metal hip implant that exposed recipients to toxic ions and manipulating data on the asbestos contents of talc powder, this event is just not as strong of an example of corporate misdeeds and can devalue the premise a bit, although it’s an interesting inclusion. The second weakness - and this is a strong one - is that the author pulls his punches when it comes to competing pharmas, such as in the last chapter when he glazes the mRNA vaccines while trashing the Janssen shot despite evidence that not only did Pfizer hide adverse events from their vaccine trials from the FDA by downplaying AEs (see Maddie de Garay), but also that these products have severe problems as well, such as the published effect of converting anti-viral IgG1 and IgG3 to tolerogenic IgG4, plus extended antigen presentation in the lymph nodes which ultimately leads to the body having less response to covid spike protein. It is this reader’s opinion that this may have been an intentional decision to avoid the appearance of a broad anti-industry bias, and in this sense there is an argument to be made on the prudence of having a defined target and not spreading too much fire in other directions. But make no mistake, despite what this book may be claiming, J&J is not unique in any way in this regard. Bayer knowingly sold HIV-contaminated blood clotting products to Asia and Latin America, despite having a safer alternative available. Purdue knew opioids were addictive and marketed them for chronic pain anyway, with internal emails calling the unfortunate Appalachians and other small-town Americans addicted to their product “Pillbillys”. And in the Covid pandemic, companies like Pfizer and Moderna leveraged their considerable influence on the government and social media companies to censor the public and ensure a maximum propaganda campaign to create fertile soil for the adoption of experimental treatments that employed a mechanism of action that had never been deemed appropriately safe. However, despite this shortcoming, “No More Tears” is a deeply disturbing yet excellent read if you’re looking for a deep-dive on case studies of big pharma corruption and the bi-partisan government support that enables it.

This book was crazy and had a lot of really interesting cases that I had heard about, but never explored fully. I do feel like there was a disproportionate amount of time spent on some sections. I definitely need to do some more reading and follow up on source materials. It is wild to me that the FDA and major companies can get away with this many issues!!

I knew a great deal of this already, but the insider information is... enlightening, to say the bare minimum about amazing research, in-depth reporting, and--most of all, somehow, the cultivation of people who aren't total sociopaths who work at companies run by people who are. One last thought. I find it interesting/amusing/ironic/repugnant that we call leaders of drug cartels 'murderers'... but we call Alex Gorsky a 'businessman'. Most horrifying, I remember reading in Steven Brill's amazing expose on the travesty (still ongoing! READ about your prescriptions and those suggested for your family members) of Risperdal that when the horrors of the side effects came out--and J&J's Gorsky explained they were dealing with them via a line item devoted to 'lawsuits'... the overwhelming reaction of his peers was not fury, outrage, and disgust... but admiration. I knew there were a lot of sociopaths in the world, but they are really having a LONG moment.

Book is hard to put down; it's always a treat to have a crazy, scary story written by a really well-connected writer who can WRITE. The only bad thing is that once you start it, you can't put it down.

This book was an eye opener. I encourage anyone to purchase it.

A detailed well researched chronology of J&J, its mistakes, and leadership failures. Somehow gives the impression of an author who is angry and out to get not only this company but its peers and the FDA. Would very much like to see a rebuttal, to sort out facts and allegations.

The author is very dedicated to his message. He truly believes that there has been rampant dishonesty for profit at the expense of consumers. A strong motivation to be an informed consumer when taking drugs or having surgery.

Interesting. Enjoyed it

I really love this authors writing style and hope they continue to write more because I loved reading this book. The way it was written meant that it was quite hard for me to put down. It was incredibly informative and I have been telling everyone about it since I read it. A really engaging and at times mind-blowing read. I highly recommend.

Shocking. JNJ executives illustrating the saying that “it is hard to make someone understand something, if his salary depends on not understanding it”. Ultimately shows the need for much stronger regulatory and legal enforcement - otherwise every corporation, despite their brand reputation, will act like a Purdue Pharma.

Big pharma is out to get ya. Bohooo. As if any organización is made of Ângels, bells and whistles.

Speaks to the hellbent pursuit of profits by the company. In doing so they may have endangered the lives of their customers particularly as it pertains to the slow withdrawal of faulty products like their famous baby powder that was laced with impure talc. The book seeks to debunk the general view of the company as an ethical saint in the industry.

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