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Product details of "The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup" by Evan Hughes:

- Title: The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup

- Publisher: Pan Macmillan

- Language: English

- Paperback: 288 pages

- ISBN-10: 1035009706

- ISBN-13: 978-1035009701

- Reading age: 18 years and up

- Item Weight: 350 g

- Dimensions: 15.3 x 2.2 x 23.3 cm

**Description:**

"The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup" by Evan Hughes is an inside story that delves into the world of entrepreneurial upstarts who made millions by selling painkillers. However, their scheme eventually unraveled, leading to a landmark criminal trial that put them at the center of controversy.

The story revolves around John Kapoor, a successful figure in the pharmaceutical industry. Kapoor founded Insys Therapeutics in the early 2000s, during the boom time for painkillers. He developed a novel formulation of fentanyl, the most potent opioid on the market. Kapoor, known for his business acumen, was determined to make the most of his innovation.

To achieve this, he surrounded himself with an ambitious group of young lieutenants, including a head of sales who was a persuasive genius but unstable as a leader. They were willing to do whatever it took to close sales, even recruiting an exotic dancer who was ready to go to great lengths. Their target was eccentric and questionable doctors who were open to their methods. Employees at the company's headquarters played their part by deceiving insurance companies.

The drug they marketed was initially approved only for cancer patients in dire condition, but Insys's leadership pushed for wider use. This turned Insys into a sensation on Wall Street. However, several insiders eventually reached their breaking point and blew the whistle, setting off a massive investigation.

"The Hard Sell" provides a revealing look at the pharmaceutical industry's playbook. Evan Hughes, a National Magazine Award-finalist, had unprecedented access to insiders involved in the Insys saga, including top executives, foot soldiers, patients, staff from clinics, and Boston investigators. The investigation treated the case as a drug-trafficking conspiracy, leading to a dramatic courtroom battle that broke new ground in the government's efforts to hold the drug industry accountable for the spread of addictive opioids

Through colorful characters and suspenseful storytelling, this book offers a detailed look not only at the Insys case but also at how opioids are sold from the moment they enter the national healthcare system, particularly in the doctor's office.