from the Philippines and, thankfully, harmless to humans.
Huang sent an e-mail with a flourish of his hand and spun on his chair to face Dolan. He flashed a boyish grin. "Herr Direktor."
"Chris, I took a spin through the preclinical reports you got me from the last Lentidra trial. I'm still having trouble reconciling the figures with the results. I'd like to take a look at the raw data."
"Again? We've gone around on this a few times now."
"And every time I found inconsistencies in what you submitted to me. I'd like all the raw data so I can rerun them myself. Top to bottom."
Huang blew out his cheeks. "Well, we're focused on Xedral now, right? We've got a functional model, and we're readying to hit market."
"Xedral's more or less autopiloting to Phase Is next week." Dolan set his fists on his hips, Superman style. "My work there is done."
"So don't we need you to move on? Lentidra didn't pan out."
"Exactly. But, you see, everything I oversaw on Lentidra did bear results--"
"In a petri dish."
"Which is why I want every piece of data since my vector crawled out of my petri dish and into your monkeys."
Huang laughed. "Fair enough. It's a ton, though. I'll need some time to pull it together."
"What's the challenge? Attach it to an e-mail and click 'send.'"
Huang jigged the chair back and forth so it gave off little squeaks. "Look, the board's been clear where we need to be putting our focus. Don't you think--"
"The board doesn't want to burn resources chasing a failed model for the sake of the senior scientist's ego. I get it."
A tension-releasing laugh. "You said it, not me."
"But you've got to remember, this company's based on vision, not just corporate expediency. The upside to Lentidra--permanent transgene integration--is huge. It's worth devoting a small percentage of our resources to backtracking and troubleshooting. I hate to sound like a commercial, but if I get a handle on the problem, I think I could engineer an alternate Lentidra design that would offer us the best of both worlds--the stability and safeness of Xedral with long-term genetic expression. If we nail it, who knows what the other applications will be?"
"Okay. I'm with you. I'll help. But we're all working late. And early." A gesture at the computer-screen clock. "We've still got limited time, and time--as our CEO is so good to remind me in our now daily meetings--is our most valuable capital. Based on what I'm getting from upstairs, obsolete vectors are not where our aim is right now. Our aim is the IPO. As soon as we get through the next few weeks, I'll dig out all the old data. Then we'll start breaking it down together in our copious spare time." Huang offered a hand and a smile. "Deal?"
Dolan did a quick translation: In his zeal to serve the board, Huang had put all his focus into Xedral, leaving the other data in sloppy condition. Though Dolan couldn't relate to Huang's lack of curiosity, he'd found it all too common in corporate researchers.
Dolan returned the handshake but not the grin. When he turned, Grizabella extended her hand through the bars and slapped him a solemn five. He passed through the automated glass sliding doors into the hall, Dean Kagan's pious oil portrait beaming down at him.
Chapter 16
Maintaining a disciplined stillness at the head of a preposterously long conference table, Dean Kagan held his executives' pained attention a moment longer. The tip of his tongue poked into view, wetting his lips. "Permit me to list the excuses so we can skip the whining phase this morning. Consumers are pissed off about climbing prices. The AARP is on the warpath and has allies on the Hill. Canada's undercutting our supply and pricing. The pipeline's not what it was. Twenty-eight states and counting have passed legislation to regulate drug pricing. I know. Your job is not to reiterate the obvious but to come up with creative solutions. I'd like each and every one of you to hear me on this point." A creaky shift forward and then
Huang sent an e-mail with a flourish of his hand and spun on his chair to face Dolan. He flashed a boyish grin. "Herr Direktor."
"Chris, I took a spin through the preclinical reports you got me from the last Lentidra trial. I'm still having trouble reconciling the figures with the results. I'd like to take a look at the raw data."
"Again? We've gone around on this a few times now."
"And every time I found inconsistencies in what you submitted to me. I'd like all the raw data so I can rerun them myself. Top to bottom."
Huang blew out his cheeks. "Well, we're focused on Xedral now, right? We've got a functional model, and we're readying to hit market."
"Xedral's more or less autopiloting to Phase Is next week." Dolan set his fists on his hips, Superman style. "My work there is done."
"So don't we need you to move on? Lentidra didn't pan out."
"Exactly. But, you see, everything I oversaw on Lentidra did bear results--"
"In a petri dish."
"Which is why I want every piece of data since my vector crawled out of my petri dish and into your monkeys."
Huang laughed. "Fair enough. It's a ton, though. I'll need some time to pull it together."
"What's the challenge? Attach it to an e-mail and click 'send.'"
Huang jigged the chair back and forth so it gave off little squeaks. "Look, the board's been clear where we need to be putting our focus. Don't you think--"
"The board doesn't want to burn resources chasing a failed model for the sake of the senior scientist's ego. I get it."
A tension-releasing laugh. "You said it, not me."
"But you've got to remember, this company's based on vision, not just corporate expediency. The upside to Lentidra--permanent transgene integration--is huge. It's worth devoting a small percentage of our resources to backtracking and troubleshooting. I hate to sound like a commercial, but if I get a handle on the problem, I think I could engineer an alternate Lentidra design that would offer us the best of both worlds--the stability and safeness of Xedral with long-term genetic expression. If we nail it, who knows what the other applications will be?"
"Okay. I'm with you. I'll help. But we're all working late. And early." A gesture at the computer-screen clock. "We've still got limited time, and time--as our CEO is so good to remind me in our now daily meetings--is our most valuable capital. Based on what I'm getting from upstairs, obsolete vectors are not where our aim is right now. Our aim is the IPO. As soon as we get through the next few weeks, I'll dig out all the old data. Then we'll start breaking it down together in our copious spare time." Huang offered a hand and a smile. "Deal?"
Dolan did a quick translation: In his zeal to serve the board, Huang had put all his focus into Xedral, leaving the other data in sloppy condition. Though Dolan couldn't relate to Huang's lack of curiosity, he'd found it all too common in corporate researchers.
Dolan returned the handshake but not the grin. When he turned, Grizabella extended her hand through the bars and slapped him a solemn five. He passed through the automated glass sliding doors into the hall, Dean Kagan's pious oil portrait beaming down at him.
Chapter 16
Maintaining a disciplined stillness at the head of a preposterously long conference table, Dean Kagan held his executives' pained attention a moment longer. The tip of his tongue poked into view, wetting his lips. "Permit me to list the excuses so we can skip the whining phase this morning. Consumers are pissed off about climbing prices. The AARP is on the warpath and has allies on the Hill. Canada's undercutting our supply and pricing. The pipeline's not what it was. Twenty-eight states and counting have passed legislation to regulate drug pricing. I know. Your job is not to reiterate the obvious but to come up with creative solutions. I'd like each and every one of you to hear me on this point." A creaky shift forward and then
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