When generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Hospira received an April 2010 warning letter from the FDA over quality compliance concerns at one of its largest plants, the company temporally shut down the plant to deal with the issues and start remediation. But the dominos continued to fall with Form FDA 483 Warning Letters ...

While all The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People listed by Stephen Covey remain relevant and timeless, the one which resonates with me most is the seventh — sharpen the saw. In the life sciences industry, Covey’s concept of continuous improvement is more than just a habit, but a way of life. This is especially true for those who work in pharma and biopharma manufacturing — striving to maintain high quality, be on time with delivery, increase productivity (often with fewer resources) and so on.

“Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Those are the iconic words of baseball legend, Lou Gehrig, given in a farewell speech at Yankees Stadium some 75 years ago. Although Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which ended his professional baseball career, he still considered himself lucky.

Last week, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) invited biotechnology, pharmaceutical, business development, life sciences and policy experts to submit topic proposals for sessions at the 2015 BIO International Convention.

Prior to 2011, Daiichi Sankyo, the second-largest pharmaceutical company in Japan, had very little oncology drug development experience, unless you include the 1977 launch of the anticancer drug, Krestin. Instead, the company, which is more than 100 years old, is probably best known for its expertise in cardiovascular (CV) disease, thanks in large part to the blockbuster success of Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) — an angiotensin II receptor antagonist that generates approximately $2.5 billion in annual sales globally.

When I sat down to speak with the subject of this month’s cover feature (page 24), Daiichi Sankyo’s Glenn Gormley, M.D., Ph.D., I revealed that my father, Dr. David L. Wright, M.D., Ph.D., was also a trained pediatrician (retired). Gormley told me his early work at the chemistry bench, developing drugs for children with leukemia, served as his motivation for going to medical school. “I wanted to follow the compounds into the clinic,” he said. Given that Gormley went on to become board certified in pediatrics and endocrinology, completed a post doc fellowship in oncology, and is presently working as the senior executive officer and global head of R&D at a company with one of the hottest oncology pipelines, some might argue he is living a purpose-driven life.

When I sat down to speak with Glenn Gormley, M.D., Ph.D., the focus of an upcoming featuring in Life Science Leader magazine, I revealed that my father, like Gormley, was also a trained pediatrician (retired). “In the spirit of sharing,” Gormley, the senior executive officer and global head of R&D at Daiichi Sankyo said, “I'll tell you, my kids are still figuring out those initials in my name as well." We know that successful drug discovery and development doesn’t require a person to be both a scientist and a physician. However, does it require a passionate and purposeful commitment — a calling if you will?

Although all of the interviews I’ve done over the years as Chief Editor of Life Science Leader magazine are special in their own ways, the truth is I do have a favorite, and would like to share what made it so. But first let me share some insights into many of the other interviews I have conducted over the years, as well as what I learned in the process. 

Commenting on his seemingly serendipitous scientific discoveries, Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” Though I agree with Pasteur’s 100+ year-old sentiment, in today’s hustle-and-bustle world, serendipity cannot reward a prepared mind if it is oblivious to its surroundings. However, situational awareness and a prepared mind are not enough for you to capitalize on opportunities presented by seemingly random interpersonal collisions. You need to be curious, willing to engage, and most importantly, not be in a hurry to rush your destiny.