Netflix's "Pain Hustlers" Based on Real Illegal Pharma Drama, Leads to Fall of Fictional Firm Zanna and Its Representatives
Netflix original "Pain Hustlers" features Chris Evans and Emily Blunt in a comedic yet damning portrayal of Big Pharma's unethical practices, inspired by the real-life scandal of Insys Therapeutics and its fentanyl-based drug, Subsys.
- Netflix's film 'Pain Hustlers' dramatizes the infamous pharmaceutical scandal involving the company Insys Therapeutics and its fentanyl-based drug, Subsys. The film presents this story through a fictional firm called Zanna and its characters played by Chris Evans and Emily Blunt.
- The film's main character is Liza Drake, portrayed by Emily Blunt. Liza is a single mother lured into the world of pharma sales by Pete Brenner, played by Chris Evans. She agrees to push Zanna's fentanyl-based product, Lonafen, unaware of the drug's addictive and deadly nature.
- Both Zanna and the real-life company Insys used bribery and misrepresentations to push their fentanyl-based drugs, which led to widespread addiction and overdoses. This eventually brought them under federal scrutiny.
- After a realization about the dire consequences of her job, Liza exposes the company's illegal activities. Although they are all sentenced to jail and Zanna goes bankrupt, Liza's sentence is only 15 months due to her cooperation.
- The inspiration behind Zanna's founder Jack Neel, played by Andy Garcia, is Insys founder John Kapoor. In reality, Kapoor was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison in 2020 for his role in the racketeering scheme but was released after serving only two years.
Women's Health 
Men's Health 
