The opioid crisis is one of the biggest health disasters in recent years in the United States. More and more movies and series are tackling this theme, often brilliantly.
Merchants of Pain, which arrived on Netflix with much fanfare, tackles the same problem. The first minutes suggest that David Yates’ new production will not focus on the Sackler family and OxyContin, but on another pharmaceutical company that the government accuses of being actively involved in this health crisis. Because many of them used dishonest methods to enrich themselves.
Inspired by a true story
If Merchants of Pain is inspired by a true story, the names have been changed. Lonafen, the ‘miracle’ drug marketed by Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, is actually called Subsys. But it’s the same product: fentanyl spray, sublingual, for faster penetration. As for the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Zanna, it is actually Insys Therapeutics. Its founder, John Kapoor (played onscreen by Andy Garcia), made headlines in 2017 when he was arrested and convicted of fraud.
The Netflix film is based on the book by journalist Evan Hughes A hard sell, which is the result of an investigation published in the New York Times. The author specifically explains how Kapoor hired several women in their 20s and 30s to go door-to-door.
Merchants of Pain shows quite well the techniques used to sell Subsys: persuading doctors to prescribe the drug in exchange for money and invitations to conferences, then encouraging them to offer the spray to non-cancer patients (although it was exclusively for him), etc. .sh.
If the characters played by Emily Blunt and Chris Evans didn’t really exist, they represent the hypocrisy of the system. Some of Insys’ employees actually tipped off the FBI, which allowed the company to be condemned and forced into bankruptcy.
As for her boss, John Kapoor, he was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in 2017, pending an appeal. The man is currently in a Minnesota prison, but will not serve the full sentence…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
