Arthur Sackler founded Creedmore Institute of Physio-biological studies. Here he conducted research on psychology. He obviously learned very much from this role, seeing as he embarked on a rather successful weekly medical publication, The Medical Tribune. It was recommended to physicians and had 1 million readers in 20 countries. Arthur had served on the board of directors of an advertising agency and with this knowledge and experience he helped Valium and librium the first drug to generate 100 million dollars in the 1960s. Arthur and his brothers also purchased a small medical patent company called Purdue Fredrick which was a medical marketing company. Arthur Sackler died in 1987 but his philosophy lived on with Richard, his brothers who own the patent for Oxycontin and Ms Contin which has made 35 billion since its release in 1996 and it generated 2 billion in 2004 at its peak.
Oxycontin began being overprescribed and in the late 90s and between 1999 and 2010 opioid deaths quadrupled. It was marketed as having a 1% chance of addiction at launch. Within four weeks of a longtime prescription you become physically addicted. Opioid withdrawals can cause cramps, diahrrea,vomiting, cold flashes… I’m sure you see where I’m getting with this. Oxycontin is also a gateway drug for Heroin and Fentanyl which at the peak of its crisis in August 2023 killed nearly 115,000 people. The Sackler family and their company had to pay 7.4 billion dollars and dissolve (their company). There’s a few lessons to be learned here: Always integrate backwards- Arthur began by writing medical journals, went on to own a hospital ( Creedmoor Psychiatric Center ) which later helped his family create a wonder drug. The bigger your stake in the supply chain the bigger the rewards are
