He is. . . Ian C. Read, the Chairman of Pfizer -- still the world's largest drug company by global revenue. Well, that's a return to old-school power-alley politics, sez me.
You may recall that I was suggesting a more measured, even "Zen-like" approach -- to handling India's threats of compulsory licenses -- for various Merck, Pfizer and BMS essential, life saving medicines -- each of which, at present, are completely out of reach financially for 99.9998 per cent of the ordinary people of India. Yet those same smart, hard working people of India are (to at least some extent) making these same medicines in-country for the pharma majors (and to a much greater extent, for the global generic manufacturers).
Friday's election of Mr. Read likely ends any chance of a Zen solution -- at least globally, out of PhRMA. Here is the Friday release -- and a bit:
. . . .Ian C. Read, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, Inc, was elected chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) today at the trade association’s annual meeting. Also elected were Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman, president and CEO of Merck & Co, Inc., as chairman-elect of the PhRMA Board of Directors, and George A. Scangos, Ph.D., CEO of Biogen Idec, as Board treasurer. . . .
Mr. Read is the Chairman and CEO of Pfizer. He began his career with Pfizer in 1978 as an operational auditor. . . .
While Mr. Read is a capable, results-oriented executive -- he was, is and forever will be an old school "command, control and micro-manage" leader.
And permit me a moment's personal pettiness, here -- he is a very unpleasant sort, in-person, in any negotiations of meaningful moment. In short, he's (sorta') a. . . jerk.
Thus, I think the likely next window of opportunity for an India-palatable compromise (on drug IP rights -- for essential medicines) to be put forth by PhRMA. . . will be when Mr. Frazier ascends to Mr. Read's seat -- in about two years' time, all in. Of course, Ian could surprise me. But I am pretty sure he won't.
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