Surrendipity & Innovation
Billions and billions of dollars have been spent in the pursuit of new drugs but vanishingly few useful drugs are actually being developed. Dr. Safi Bahcall, the president and C.E.O. of the biotechnology company Synta Pharmaceuticals, talks with Malcolm Gladwell about how mistakes lead to great scientific discoveries and how big drug companies hamper innovation.
About Dr. Safi R. Bahcall:
Dr. Safi R. Bahcall is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director at Synta Pharmaceuticals, a drug discovery and development company with three drugs entering clinical trials for cancer and autoimmune diseases. He is also an Advisor at SCIUS Capital Group, Investment Arm. Mr. Bahcall is a former McKinsey & Co. Consultant with more than 15 years experience.
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to extend and enhance the lives of patients with severe medical conditions, including cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. The company’s product pipeline primarily includes STA-4783, a Phase IIb clinical trial for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, as well as in Phase IIb clinical trial for the treatment of additional cancers. The company’s drug candidates also include, Apilimod (STA-5326), a Phase IIa clinical trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as sponsoring a Phase IIa clinical trial in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). In addition, the company develops STA-9090 and STA-9584, which are in preclinical development; and Oral CRAC ion channel inhibitor program that is in the lead optimization stage for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The company, formerly known as Neutra Pharmaceuticals Corp., was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Lexington, Massachusetts.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5217479926142422288
About Malcolm Gladwell:
Malcolm Gladwell specializes in surprises — counterintuitive truths discovered by clever researchers, obscure historians, and ordinary people observing the world. In his first year as a staff writer at the “New Yorker in 1996, he captivated readers with an article titled “The Tipping Point,” which grappled with a mysterious sudden drop in New York City crime, by applying the principles of epidemiology to policing. “The Tipping Point” ultimately became a book and has remained on the New York Times best-seller lists for years.
Meanwhile, Gladwell has gone on to explore similar mismatches — mammography and fighter jets (it’s all about seeing), pit bulls and racial profiling, Wayne Gretsky and Yo-Yo Ma — writing cross-disciplinary articles that illuminate hidden facts about group behavior, business and individual selves. Gladwell began 2007 with a controversial look at the Enron case, distinct from all the reportage that’s come before.
Tags: Biotech, Business, Innovation, Innovation, Lexington Massachusetts, Malcolm Gladwell, Mckinsey, Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pharmaceuticals, Phase Iia, Phase Iib, Product Pipeline, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scientific Discoveries, Synta Pharmaceuticals, Useful DrugsRelated posts
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