150 Milligrams (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story takes place at the university hospital in Brest, a major city in Brittany, northern France. The hospital setting is central to the narrative, as it is where Dr. Frachon conducts her clinical observations and builds her case against the controversial drug.

• brest
• hospital
• france
• university hospital
• location

The events occur during the late 2000s, specifically during the emergence of public health concerns about a controversial drug. This timeframe aligns with the real Mediator scandal in France, when clinicians were gathering epidemiological evidence to link the medication to heart damage.

• 2000s
• time period
• late 2000s
• medicator scandal

The central theme is whistleblowing, a dedicated physician challenges a powerful pharmaceutical narrative, risking professional and personal fallout to expose safety issues. The film explores integrity, courage, and the high cost of speaking truth to power.

• whistleblowing
• integrity
• courage
• truth
• theme

Dr. Irène Frachon is a determined pulmonologist and the film's protagonist. She is persistent, principled, and willing to confront powerful pharmaceutical interests to protect patients after discovering a disturbing connection between a state-approved medication and heart valve damage.

• irene frachon
• doctor
• pulmonologist
• whistleblower
• protagonist

Dr. Antoine Le Bihan is a research scientist who collaborates with Dr. Frachon. He helps translate clinical observations into epidemiological data, playing a key role in building the evidence base needed to prove the drug's dangers while navigating scientific challenges.

• antoine le bihan
• scientist
• researcher
• epidemiology

Corinne Zacharria is a patient whose condition contributes to the early pattern that prompts the medical investigation. Her case personifies the human impact behind the pharmacovigilance debates, showing the tragic consequences of the drug on real people.

• corinne zacharria
• patient
• heart condition
• victim

Anne Jouan is a Le Figaro journalist who helps bring the findings to the public eye. She works to expose the truth while balancing investigative scrutiny with sensitivity to the scandal's consequences for victims and their families.

• anne jouan
• journalist
• media
• le figaro
• exposure

Catherine Haynes is an epidemiologist collaborating with the medical team. She plays a crucial role in constructing the epidemiological study needed to prove the drug's safety concerns, using data to establish the link between the medication and heart damage.

• catherine haynes
• epidemiologist
• data
• study
• evidence

The film portrays the friction between regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical interests. It highlights how policy, evidence, and corporate influence shape public health decisions, showing the struggle of researchers pushing for accountability against industry pressure.

• regulation
• industry
• pharmaceutical
• conflict
• government

Epidemiological work and patient safety take prominence as the medical team links the drug to harm and seeks to prevent further deaths. The focus is on protecting communities through data-driven action and rigorous scientific investigation.

• public health
• epidemiology
• patient safety
• prevention

Credible science and rigorous study underpin the struggle for transparency. The narrative underscores the responsibility of researchers to publish findings that inform and safeguard patients, emphasizing that truth emerges from dedicated scientific inquiry.

• science
• research
• truth
• transparency
• study

The film has a tense and serious tone, dealing with the tragic consequences of corporate negligence. While the protagonist achieves some justice by exposing the truth, the revelation of hundreds of deaths and the difficult fight leave a tempered, bittersweet sense of victory.

• tone
• bittersweet
• tense
• serious
• emotional

Yes, the film is based on the real Mediator scandal in France. The medication Mediator was a drug prescribed for diabetes that caused serious heart valve damage, leading to hundreds of deaths before being withdrawn from the market.

• true story
• mediator
• scandal
• real events
• france