How does a mere molecule—a chemical structure—become a drug? And, how do we know that it works safely? In a one-trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry with high-stakes profits and perils, battles are raging every day to successfully bring a molecule to its birth: an FDA-approved medicine. In Race for a Remedy, internationally renowned expert in cancer treatment and drug development Makhdum Ahmed, MD, takes readers behind the scenes of the fascinating and intense world of cancer drug development.

Praise for Race for a Remedy:

In the last twenty years, there has been an explosion of progress in the management of cancer. In Race for a Remedy, Makhdum Ahmed provides a front-row seat to witness the birth of several revolutionary cancer therapies. From the physicians, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies who have helped transform this once dreaded constellation of diseases, a clear picture of hope emerges. For the patients whose lives are turned upside down with the words ’you have cancer,’ Dr. Ahmed demonstrates the passion with which science is racing for their remedy.

— Jeff Sharman, director of research at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and medical director of hematology research for the US Oncology Network

With passion, thoughtfulness, and an uncommon sympathy for patients, doctors, and scientists alike, Ahmed delivers a brisk, well-ordered inside account of the world of cancer research. Bringing a novel drug to market isn’t merely a race but a 100-mile steeplechase lasting decades and involving countless lives. Ahmed puts himself – and readers – in the middle of the action, providing hope, clarity, and wisdom throughout.

— Barry Werth, author of The Billion Dollar Molecule and The Antidote

We are in a golden age of novel cancer therapies. Race for a Remedy focuses on some of the most important new treatments and brings to life the unseen people whose drive and passion to improve the outcomes for patients helps make this happen. Very well-written and a compelling narrative.

— Simon Rule, Executive Medical Director, Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca

Using vivid examples and clarifying anecdotes, Makhdum Ahmed uses his unique insights as a pharmaceutical executive-physician-scientist to untangle the convoluted journey a drug must make from bench to bedside. Both timely and much-needed, Race for a Remedy surprises because it is also a thoroughly enjoyable read.

— Azra Raza, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and author of The First Cell

We are entering a remarkable era of medicine, where profound advances in biology are finding expression in the care and treatment of patients. In Race for a Remedy, Dr. Ahmed, an unusually thoughtful physician-scientist and impassioned cancer drug-developer, offers us a rare, first-hand view from inside the arena. With remarkable clarity, he captures the complexity and nuance involved in creating and evaluating new medicines, eloquently integrating his appreciation for medical history, his understanding of emerging technologies, and his heartfelt empathy for cancer patients. The story, at once elevating and grounded, captures the promise of the moment, the excitement of science, the menace of cancer, the anguish of patients and families, and the determination of researchers to make a difference.

— David A. Shaywitz, veteran drug developer, instructor at Harvard Medical School, and contributor at Astounding Healthtech Column at Timmerman Report and WSJ

Ahmed has intertwined his own personal health journey with the stories of how novel therapies have changed outcomes of certain blood cancers in the last 15 years. They show us how the art of science has contributed to advancing this field.

— Saad Usmani, Chief of Myeloma Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York