Making Sense: Markets from Stories in New Breast Cancer Therapeutics

Breast cancer is a commonly diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of death for women worldwide. Advances in molecular engineering in the 1980s led to the development of innovative breast cancer therapeutics. Sophie Mützel's book "Making Sense" traces this emergence from the late 1980s to 2010, combining theories of economic and cultural sociology to show how stories are integral for the emergence of new markets and how life-prolonging innovations can be turned into market products.

Format: Hardback
Length: 230 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

Breast cancer, a highly prevalent and fatal disease among women globally, has garnered significant attention due to advancements in molecular engineering during the 1980s. These advancements fueled hopes that a non-toxic and non-invasive treatment for breast cancer could be developed. Researchers, biotech companies, and analysts worked diligently to unravel the complexities of product development, further fueling these aspirations. In her book, "Making Sense: The Emergence of Innovative Breast Cancer Therapeutics from the Late 1980s to 2010," Sophie Mützel delves into this transformative period, examining the narratives of the key actors involved. By integrating economic and cultural sociology theories, Mützel demonstrates how stories play a pivotal role in the emergence of new markets. She argues that stories about the future create a market of expectations even before any existing products exist, and they also help establish categories and definitions for these emerging markets and their offerings.

To illustrate these mechanisms, "Making Sense" employs a comprehensive range of sources, including thousands of press statements, media reports, scientific reports, and financial and industry analyses. Additionally, it utilizes qualitative and large-scale computational text analyses to provide a fresh perspective on how life-prolonging innovations can be transformed into market products. Through meticulous research and analysis, Mützel sheds light on the complex processes that shape the development and commercialization of breast cancer therapeutics, offering valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals alike.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503632554