Synopsis

In July of 1982, a forty-two-year-old inmate in a San Jose, California jail suffered a sudden paralysis, rendering him unable to move or speak. The symptoms, a cruel consequence of a flawed batch of synthetic heroin, mirrored those of Parkinson's disease, a debilitating neurological disorder typically affecting the elderly. *NOVA* investigates this case of a "designer" drug, exploring its potential to unlock significant advances in medical understanding.