David Bianculli

So there was tremendous excitement about the possibility of a drug, first of all, that you could just swallow and that might help multiple myeloma patients. So they did this study and they found these were patients who were high risk. and really running out of options.

So there was tremendous excitement about the possibility of a drug, first of all, that you could just swallow and that might help multiple myeloma patients. So they did this study and they found these were patients who were high risk. and really running out of options.

So there was tremendous excitement about the possibility of a drug, first of all, that you could just swallow and that might help multiple myeloma patients. So they did this study and they found these were patients who were high risk. and really running out of options.

And one-third of them showed declines in cancer in their blood work, which was something that doctors in the specialty had never seen before. It was an incredible response.

And one-third of them showed declines in cancer in their blood work, which was something that doctors in the specialty had never seen before. It was an incredible response.

And one-third of them showed declines in cancer in their blood work, which was something that doctors in the specialty had never seen before. It was an incredible response.

Yeah, so Celgene was a small, struggling company in northern New Jersey who was studying thalidomide with the idea that it would be a treatment for AIDS patients who were getting it in the black market from places like Brazil and using it to treat a condition associated with AIDS where patients would lose a tremendous amount of weight, a dangerous amount of weight.

Yeah, so Celgene was a small, struggling company in northern New Jersey who was studying thalidomide with the idea that it would be a treatment for AIDS patients who were getting it in the black market from places like Brazil and using it to treat a condition associated with AIDS where patients would lose a tremendous amount of weight, a dangerous amount of weight.

Yeah, so Celgene was a small, struggling company in northern New Jersey who was studying thalidomide with the idea that it would be a treatment for AIDS patients who were getting it in the black market from places like Brazil and using it to treat a condition associated with AIDS where patients would lose a tremendous amount of weight, a dangerous amount of weight.

And they thought that there'd be a market for that. They, interestingly enough, to get FDA approval, the FDA approved it for a complication of leprosy. Doctors all over the world have been using it for leprosy patients to treat this condition that often causes painful skin lesions and other things.

And they thought that there'd be a market for that. They, interestingly enough, to get FDA approval, the FDA approved it for a complication of leprosy. Doctors all over the world have been using it for leprosy patients to treat this condition that often causes painful skin lesions and other things.

And they thought that there'd be a market for that. They, interestingly enough, to get FDA approval, the FDA approved it for a complication of leprosy. Doctors all over the world have been using it for leprosy patients to treat this condition that often causes painful skin lesions and other things.

But, you know, there's only, you know, in the United States at the time, you know, hundreds of leprosy patients, a tiny, tiny market. But when the Arkansas results came in, the people at Celgene immediately realized that this was a cancer drug, and that was a game changer for the company.

But, you know, there's only, you know, in the United States at the time, you know, hundreds of leprosy patients, a tiny, tiny market. But when the Arkansas results came in, the people at Celgene immediately realized that this was a cancer drug, and that was a game changer for the company.

But, you know, there's only, you know, in the United States at the time, you know, hundreds of leprosy patients, a tiny, tiny market. But when the Arkansas results came in, the people at Celgene immediately realized that this was a cancer drug, and that was a game changer for the company.

Yeah. So when the drug was initially approved, and again, technically for leprosy, but once it's approved, doctors are free to prescribe it off-label, they call it, for other indications. And the CEO at the time was speaking at an investor conference and said, you know, look, we kept the price low because that's what you do if you don't want protesters at your door.

Yeah. So when the drug was initially approved, and again, technically for leprosy, but once it's approved, doctors are free to prescribe it off-label, they call it, for other indications. And the CEO at the time was speaking at an investor conference and said, you know, look, we kept the price low because that's what you do if you don't want protesters at your door.

Yeah. So when the drug was initially approved, and again, technically for leprosy, but once it's approved, doctors are free to prescribe it off-label, they call it, for other indications. And the CEO at the time was speaking at an investor conference and said, you know, look, we kept the price low because that's what you do if you don't want protesters at your door.

In other words, the AIDS community was very active. They would protest if there were developments that they thought ran contrary to the interests of the AIDS community. So they were concerned about that. And he said to the investors at the time, we have a lot of room for growth now.

In other words, the AIDS community was very active. They would protest if there were developments that they thought ran contrary to the interests of the AIDS community. So they were concerned about that. And he said to the investors at the time, we have a lot of room for growth now.