McKinsey, the FDA, and the Medical-Industrial Complex.

Mike Magee In today’s New York Times, Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins, and principal deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from 2009 to 2011, recounted global consulting firm McKinsey’s simultaneous working relations with the FDA and Purdue Pharma. The Congressional investigation currently underway […]

Dara’s “Hero Quest” – Should He Push For Universal Health Care?

Mike Magee Joseph Campbell, who died in 1987 at the age 83, was a professor of literature and comparative mythology at Sarah Lawrence College. His famous 1949 book, “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” made the case that, despite varying cultures and religions, the hero’s story of departure, initiation, and return, is remarkably consistent and […]

PBM’s – Their Origins and Parentage.

With the controversy swirling over insulin pricing, and sticker shock for seniors meeting deductibles on their Medicare Part D choices, it’s useful to shine a light on PBM’s – their origins and parentage. They would, of course, prefer to remain in the shadows, managing a vast array of legal kickbacks with others within the Medical-Industrial […]

Celebrating a “Lovely One” – Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson

Mike Magee Human goodness was on full display today in the form of Ketanji Brown Jackson. Our newest Associate Justice of the Supreme Court had endured nearly 24 hours of rigorous, and at times deeply offensive questioning, under the glare of TV lights, to make history. Justice Brown Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. on […]

“The Columbian Exchange” – A Term You Should Know.

Mike Magee As a Medical Historian at President’s College at the University of Hartford, I focus on a single topic each year, in search of unique hidden stories that reveal and enlighten. Each year is a separate and distinct journey, and the transition from one year to the next can be abrupt. For example, here […]