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Paris in May. D. Grey
Читать онлайн.Название Paris in May
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781646540501
Автор произведения D. Grey
Издательство Ingram
“Thank you, Jeff. You’ve given us much to consider. We hope to receive your formal report soon. Well, Jeff has set the bar fairly high,” Philip said jokingly. “What do we have from South America?”
“Those government types always seem to talk a lot, and if you let them impress you, they will. I come from the world of science, and most often we tend to get it right. A bar should be set by the accuracy of the data and not by political intrigue,” said Wayne Moore with a smile, aiming his comment toward the chairman and his good friend and colleague, Jeffery Huggins.
“So let’s see what we have from South America?” Dr. Moore continued. Wayne Moore was unusual for a corporate executive committee. His physical carriage did not fit the corporate boardroom stereotype. Tall with unusually long arms and legs, Dr. Moore ambulated like the joints that held him together were all moving in different directions, causing onlookers to think that at any moment, he might collapse into a heap on the floor. He smiled all the time. Some suggested he even smiled in his sleep. He had a pleasant word for everyone, and staff throughout his building loved his temperament. Though he never appeared serious or intense, he had an unusually sharp mind and held PhDs in Biochemistry and Pharmacology from Princeton and Harvard. A research record that would make most scientists blush brought him profound respect and praise. There was never a question of whether or not he should hold his position on the executive committee. Wayne was first a scientist who always followed the data and second an administrator whose job it was to help make things better.
“Of the most populous South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, the largest economy by far is Brazil. Its population is about half that of the United States. I think it is extremely attractive for a number of reasons, the first being intellectual property rights, which happen to be very weak. Some active pharmacological compounds could be rebranded and marketed on our terms. Conceivably, we could become competitive in numerous niches without a new product. Second is the fact that Brazil is an attractive country for research and development. Quality studies can be done because of the high enrollment rates in drug trials. Labor costs are low, allowing for much larger sample sizes and less dependency on statistical manipulation, giving us a much clearer picture of what effect a product is really having, and even though participation rates in product studies are much higher, clinical trials can be carried out with fewer regulations. All of this would make the time between development, efficacy studies, and manufacture much shorter. Additionally, because labor costs and corporate taxes are much lower, manufacturing costs would be cut in half. Everything about Brazil is attractive. And that, Mr. Chairman, is all I have, but more details will be forthcoming.”
“What is the current status of the antidepressant Lopresid?” asked Philip Hickman.
“The case of Lopresid is a difficult one. It has been on the market four years, and in that short time, we have recouped our costs. All sales after February will be profit. In its remaining years as a proprietary drug, we will make significant profits. On the other hand, we continue to get credible warnings that the drug has been associated with unacceptable numbers of suicides and unexplained deaths more often than chance would predict. I predict the warnings will soon turn into bad press. That we don’t want. Some data suggest the people adversely affected were not taking the prescribed dosages of Lopresid or were taking the medication inappropriately. I think we need to get ahead of this now. We need better research from the field, including reevaluating dosages and patient protocols to understand variables that affect its efficacy. Or we can take it off the market until we get a better handle on what’s going on. My tentative recommendation would be to take it off the market temporarily and rebrand it after we get the pharmacology worked out. Either way, I could use some help with the blowback. We need communications to start work on effectively interfacing with the public and the media now.”
“I trust that we will all receive a written report soon,” said Philip Hickman.
“And now, what’s happening in the Middle East, Dr. Abadi?” Amal Abadi was the only female and the only medical doctor on the executive committee. With black hair and average height, she never covered herself as she would in Iran. Her father had cornered the bicycle market during the Shah’s regime in Iran, and she had attended elite English-speaking schools in Britain and the United States. When she spoke, elements of her various cultural experiences were clear. Growing up in a male-dominated Iran, she took on the tone of her male relatives, who told her what to do and when to do it. Consequently her speech was clipped and directive with a slight air of certainty. Additionally, the few formative years spent in English boarding schools left her with a multitude of British idioms listeners often thought cute or exotic. Her American experience pushed her in the direction of practicality, efficiency, and a barely detectable self-serving arrogance. The uninformed listener almost always intuited that she was a person of some influence or importance. When the revolution came, she was enrolled at Radcliffe and later attended Emory University for medical school before a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Health. Recruited from the NIH, Dr. Abadi had risen through the Tremont Pharmaceutical ranks and for the last two years served on its executive committee.
“We all know, of course, that the watchword in the Middle East is stability, and to that extent, the most stable, most populous, and most promising country for Tremont is Saudi Arabia. It has the largest pharma market in the region and a growing population. In the last twenty years, the Saudis have experienced tremendous economic and industrial growth spurts. Simultaneous with that growth has been a dramatic increase in incidences of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and a host of ancillary medical problems. The government has made health care a high priority. I think Tremont could provide solutions for these burgeoning disorders.”
“Thank you, Dr. Amal. I’m sure the Saudis will be happy to meet with us to discuss how we might be of some help.”
“Is there new business that needs to be discussed at this meeting?” Philip paused and looked around the table. “If not, those of you who have updates on existing markets and need to meet with me should schedule meetings with my secretary, Rosemary. Those with emerging market concerns should ready reports for the entire executive committee as soon as possible. Thank you for your time. I know you’re all terribly busy.” And with that, the meeting was concluded. Philip Hickman went back to his office and filled the rest of the morning making calls to various strategic decision makers. The negotiations for potential partnerships were soon to begin. Three countries would be approached to see how the relationships could be mutually beneficial to the company and to the people of the host countries. He was about to embark on the most intense and demanding expansion effort of his already successful career in business. It would also cause hardship for his wife and children, as he would need to travel the world regularly. Nonetheless, the lure of establishing himself as a world-class business magnate was irresistible. His family would have to sacrifice in the short term for long-term security and comfort.
“Pardon me, boss,” said his secretary as she opened his office door. “Your two o’clock has arrived.”
Philip straightened his tie, put on his “captain of industry” face, and invited representatives from the National Security Apparatus into his office.
“This is Special Agent McKay, and I am Special Agent Sanchez.” The agents each shook Philip’s hand.
Philip immediately noticed little things about the two men that sent his mind racing. There was no time to dwell on the differences, but his eyes landed on the surface attributes like the surface tension of water causes a drop to rest on an absorbent material before it is drawn in. Sanchez had thick black stylishly cut hair on a frame of maybe five feet and ten inches. An average build with a dark suit tailored large enough to conceal a pistol made him look like a white-collar professional. When he spoke, he sounded as if he had spent time at boarding school and with deliberate, controlled decision makers. He was clearly not a field operative.
McKay