Daniel Simon leaves his job as a professor at a Midwestern medical school to work in the pharmaceutical industry because he wants to make a greater and more direct impact in his field. But he soon finds that in his new role, he must contend with petty crooks, fraudsters, and brilliant but money-hungry researchers. There's also the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which seeks to put a regulatory death to what could be lifesaving antibiotics. Whether he's working at a large company, small company or biotechnology company, he sees how they make decisions, conduct research, and earn revenue. Sometimes, he gets caught in turf battles and must deal with inflated egos. With a career and family to think about, Daniel works hard to bring new antibiotics to the market, but he becomes increasingly frustrated by the hurdles that must be overcome. He has his work cut out for him in The Drug Makers.