David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Enjoyed talking with @jlussenhop.bsky.social, the host of ProPublica’s new podcast “Paper Trail,’ about my reporting on how a 25-cent pill became a $100 billion drug, and my experience taking the pricey cancer medication. Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6D6u...open.spotify.comHow a 25-Cent Pill Became a Hundred-Billion-Dollar BusinessPaper Trail · Episode 16819
David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 25/04/2026The Purdue Pharma settlement somehow got even worse for victims. Tens of thousands of those who suffered from the company pushing OxyContin will get nothing. Meanwhile a company lawyer is billing at $2,935 an hour. www.propublica.org/article/purd...propublica.org“A Punch in the Gut”: After Years of Waiting, Many Opioid Victims Will Be Shut Out of Purdue SettlementNearly 140,000 people filed claims against the company for the harm they said its drugs caused. Fewer than half of them will get any compensation. 02311
David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 05/06/2025Yes. There is rightfully a lot of excitement around CAR-T, but we have a ways to go before we know if this will be a cure and for which group of patients. 000
David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 08/05/2025I have written many healthcare stories, but never before have I written about my own health. I decided to do so after learning one of my drugs costs nearly $1,000 a pill and just 25 cents to make. What I found was an incredible story of discovery and exploitation. www.propublica.org/article/revl...propublica.orgThe Price of RemissionWhen I was diagnosed with cancer, I set out to understand why a single pill of Revlimid cost the same as a new iPhone. I’ve covered high drug prices as a reporter for years. What I discovered shocked ... 821607686
David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 24/03/2025The momentum from dramatic improvements in cancer treatment over the past two decades is now at risk www.statnews.com/2025/03/24/t...statnews.comCancer research, long protected, feels ‘devastating’ effects under TrumpCancer research has had bipartisan support. But Trump administration budget cuts and delays threaten to reverse progress of recent years, experts say. 5288117
David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 17/12/2024Who wins when a major opioid manufacturer settles federal claims of reckless behavior? The lawyers ($350 million) and company executives ($95 million in bonuses). Losers? Opioid victims (about $1,000 per victim). Read the details here - www.propublica.org/article/endo...propublica.orgEndo’s End Around: How One of the Nation’s Largest Opioid Makers Escaped a $7 Billion Federal PenaltyFor a decade, the Justice Department delayed a winning criminal case against Philadelphia-based Endo Health Solutions. That allowed the company to vastly expand its narcotics empire and execute a corp... 24119
David Armstrong @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social · 14/12/2024In wake of McKinsey's $650 million settlement with the government for its role advising opioid companies, read our story from nearly six years ago on how the company helped Purdue Pharma www.propublica.org/article/oxyc...propublica.orgOxyContin Maker Explored Expansion Into “Attractive” Anti-Addiction MarketSecret portions of a lawsuit allege that Purdue Pharma, controlled by the Sackler family, considered capitalizing on the addiction treatment boom — while going to extreme lengths to boost sales of its... 12310
