Category: Pharmaceuticals

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Show some resolve!

Whoops! I was so busy getting the Jan/Feb issue of my mag together that I almost missed my New Year’s Resolution of making sure I post at least one item every day!

Fortunately, I came across this neat writeup about companies that worked for/with Nazi Germany. “Enjoy”!
(And, yes, I do own a Hugo Boss suit, but it was in clearance, so I got to exert my Jewish stereotype on that one.)

My other resolution is to get back to only drinking water, black coffee or gin. I slipped up and had a Dr. Pepper a few days ago, and Amy broke out a bottle of wine Saturday night, but I’m sticking with it pretty well!

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Da boom

Yesterday was one of Those Days. I refer to them as “Blow Up The Outside World Days,” since I usually remark, “I will kill everyone on the planet,” at least three or four times.

They don’t happen very often; in this instance, it’s a function of getting our annual year-end issue ready for production. Last year’s book weighed in at 406 pages, and this year’s will be pretty close to that. My associate editor and I have to stay on top of 110 companies that are running profiles in first half of the issue, and the 450+ companies that are participating in the contract services directory. She’s been doing a great job on the profiles, but it can still be a monster to get this issue laid out, since the companies run alphabetically and a few companies — including one that begins with a “B” — is still on the fence about actually running a profile in this ish, about two weeks after the deadline.

I had a few ugly exchanges with people yesterday, and had to be the douchebag decision-maker. I also spent a lot of time muttering in a self-pitying sorta way. It’s not productive, but hey.

Anyway, the next two days are going to be spent laying out that directory, so don’t expect a lot of posting. I do have some Unrequired Reading together, so at least you VM junkies have something to look forward to!

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What am I, a farmer?

Last night, I was writing to a buddy about how tired I was from my autumn biz-travel schedule. I think I was attempting to elicit sympathy for going to Milan, Las Vegas and San Diego over the course of 6 weeks. “Boy, you think you’ve got it tough. . .”

In that spirit, I won’t even try to express any sort of discomfort over tonight’s gala in NYC. It’s a dinner/dance benefit event for Just One Break, an employment service for people with disabilities. Pfizer’s outgoing R&D chief is one of the honorees, and one of my pals at that company kindly invited me and my wife. (Thanks, Mak!)

I’m suspicious that this is just a plot by my (day job) readership to find out exactly what sorta woman would consent to spend the rest of her life married to me, so I’m thinking of asking Amy to wear a burka to the event.

I, meanwhile, am wrestling with the concept of “black tie optional.” I don’t think that covers leather chaps and a giant sombrero, so it looks like I’ll have to stop off at the dry cleaner and ransom my nice black suit.

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Missingthepoint.net

I was going through our office’s mail just now, so I could grab my industry-specific magazines before they get filed. I have to keep up with some of our competitors, like Genetic Engineering News and Pharmaceutical Processing. We’re all on each other’s mailing lists, usually under funny names and fake companies. I also keep an eye out for general business magazines that have pharma-specific editorial, to see how much they get wrong.

Today, I came across one of the great business magazines of all time: Messaging News, The Technology of Email and Instant Messaging.

I chuckled over the idea of a print magazine devoted to instant electronic communication, but I really laughed when I discovered that it comes out bi-monthly.

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Givin’ him the business

Last business-trip of the year, dear readers! I’m off to San Diego for the AAPS conference! I managed to get two suits, a second pair of shoes, and a third day’s business attire in my carryon case! Sure, they’ll be a bit compressed by the time I get to my hotel, but at least I won’t have to stand around at baggage claim!

Oh, and happy Veteran’s Day / Armistice Day!

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Penn Paul

Driving to Pennsylvania yesterday (for this news event), I was reminded of what it’s like to live in a swing state. In presidential elections, NJ’s firmly in the Democratic camp, so we tend not to get much (any) outdoor political advertising.

In fall of 2004, I drove on Rt. 95 into Philadelphia and was amazed by the sheer volume of election signs as I approached the city. My favorite enormous billboards were the ones that complained about the loss of our freedom of speech.

Now, the general election is more than a year away and the state’s primaries are six months off, but Pennsylvania reminded me of its swing state status almost instantly. Moments after I entered the state, I saw yard signs for Ron Paul. As I drove below overpasses, I looked up to see banners for the guy.

No other candidates had any presence, so I’m not sure if this means that Paul’s got an iron grip on the Rt. 78/22 corridor of Pennsylvania or if his supporters are jumping the gun by a few months.

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“Then the hostess’s dog attacked me, so I had to stab it.”

Evidently, the role of my GP is being played by Dr. Spaceman (“That’s spi-CHEM-in!”). While I was getting treated for a sinus infection earlier this week, my doctor looked over my file and asked, “We prescribed some Ambien for you on your last visit. How’s that working?”

I replied, “Pretty well, but sometimes it doesn’t do a thing, so I lie there unable to sleep and pissed off at Sanofi-Aventis.”

“Well, have you tried taking two at a time?” he asked.

“What? NO!” I replied.

He proceeded to tell me that taking two of the 6.25mg doses was “just like” taking one of the higher dose, 12.5mg.

Later, when he asked about drug allergies, I expected him to say, “What can you do? Medicine’s not a science!”

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The most depressing job ever

One of the features in the October ish of my magazine is an interview with Dr. Robert Maguire, chief of operations for Wyeth’s R&D efforts. I finished laying out the section this morning, because I was waiting for the company to send over Dr. Maguire’s bio.

For any of you who think your job is a downer, Dr. Maguire’s first career should shut you up. Prior to working in the pharma industry, he was trained as a pediatric oncologist.

Try to imagine your spouse/partner working in that field, and then try to imagine asking, “How was work today?”