Life Science Leader magazine’s chief editor Rob Wright, and Outsourced Pharma and Clinical Leader chief editor Ed Miseta (part of the Life Science Connect group of publications), were recently granted a rare behind the scenes tour of three of Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) Research Laboratories (LRL) at the company’s global corporate headquarter in Indianapolis on October 2, 2013.

According to Frost & Sullivan’s global pharmaceutical contract manufacturing market research, large pharmaceutical companies increasingly consider outsourcing manufacturing to CMOs because of the uncomplicated, timely, and cost-effective services these companies provide. And while the debate rages as to how big the market will grow over the next three to five years, one thing is certain — life sciences companies don’t select a CMO in the hopes of increasing the number of products they can have recalled.

Welcome to Life Science Leader’s 3rd annual CMO Leadership Awards special supplement — recognizing excellence in pharmaceutical and biologic contract manufacturing. Unlike many other industry awards (e.g. Emmys, Oscars, Grammys), The CMO Leadership Awards are not a popularity contest nor are they determined by our writers and editors via a secret ballot (e.g. Motor Trend Car of the Year).

When I wrote the blog about Sarah Murnaghan’s recent double lung transplant surgery, I thought the article would strike a chord with folks. By Rob Wright

While some believe self-funded regulatory agencies to be a good thing, others feel it allows industry to have major leverage over FDA policy decision making.

Leonard Jacob M.D., Ph.D., a 35-year pharma industry veteran, believes that when assessing a company for growth, although the management team and financials are two common factors to consider, the most important is product opportunity.

I first met Mark Bamforth, the president and CEO of Gallus BioPharmaceuticals, at a conference shortly after he had acquired/founded his CMO in St. Louis. The company was so new many of the employees at the event didn’t even have business cards.

How would Google run a clinical trial? This was just one of the questions posed by Pfizer’s head of clinical innovation, Craig Lipset, to Google Venture’s general partner, Krishna Yeshwant, M.D. during the keynote fireside chat at the Conference Forum’s 3rd Annual Disruptive Innovations To Advance Clinical Trials Conference (Dpharm) in Boston, Sept. 19 to 20, 2013. By Rob Wright

Recently, Ten-year old Sarah Murnaghan, suffering from end-stage cystic fibrosis (CF), made national headlines when she received a double lung transplant. By Rob Wright