Last time I wrote in this space, we were recovering from the after-effects of Megastorm Sandy. Things got better pretty quickly in my area, but there are still sections of the Jersey shore and elsewhere that are devastated.

But that’s old news! We’re a few weeks into a brand-new year (Gregorian calendar edition), so it’s time for my personal pharma-resolutions for 2013!

• Don’t use “patent cliff,” “fiscal cliff,” or any other “cliff” phrase unless hanging from one and trying to attract immediate assistance.
• Don’t get freaked out by rumors of more major pharmas splitting their innovative and generics (or non-pharma) businesses into separate companies.
• Don’t get freaked out by rumors of more major pharmas merging to “find synergies” and otherwise hide moribund R&D pipelines.
• Don’t have “I told you so” schadenfreude when a pie-in-the-sky Phase III trial goes down in flames and analysts express surprise.
• Don’t roll eyes when someone confuses outsourcing with offshoring.
• Don’t be blindsided by some significant M&A activity in the CMC services sector.
• Don’t be afraid to ask seemingly dumb questions.
• Don’t be shy about inviting more great speakers and panelists for this year’s Contracting & Outsourcing conference. (Speaking of: It’s Sept. 19-20! Call me!)
• Don’t say, “Here we go again,” when a major pharma restructures its R&D operations.
• Don’t get worked up by Marcia Angell’s wackadoodle remarks about drug development costs.
• Don’t be surprised.

Gil Roth
Editor • groth@rodmanmedia.com / twitter.com/contractpharma

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Rodman Publishing Now Rodman Media

Rodman Publishing Corp., parent company of Contract Pharma LLC and publisher of market-leading trade magazines such as Contract Pharma, Happi, Medical Product Outsourcing, Nutraceuticals World and Nonwovens Industry, has changed its name to Rodman Media Corp. The change, effective Jan. 1, 2013, better reflects the company’s business model, according to company president Rodman J. Zilenziger, Jr.

“For well over 30 years we have been known as Rodman Publishing Corp. The new name conveys the fact that we offer readers and partners solutions that go beyond traditional magazines,” explained Mr. Zilenziger. “We also have live events, websites and offer direct marketing programs.”

He noted that Rodman Media’s mission to deliver news and insightful analysis to a diverse set of industries will remain the same.

Effective January 1, the company’s email address will be [first initial last name]@rodmanmedia.com. (So I’m now groth@rodmanmedia.com, not gil@rodpub.com.) Please update your address book to reflect this change. Rodman Media’s phone and fax numbers and mailing address remain unchanged.

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What I’m Reading
Shortly before New Year’s Eve, I looked over the spreadsheet of Every Book I’ve Finished Since 1989 (I make no apologies) and realized I managed to finish 51 books in 2012. I can’t say I read them all as deeply as I’d have liked, so I’m trying to read more slowly and comprehensively in 2013. I pulled a dozen books from the shelves of my library and figure if I only get through those this year, it’ll still be a pretty good reading list. Consider it my Nerd Year’s Resolution!

Pharma
Is Big Pharma’s Drug Research Finally Speeding Up?
Matter Herper, Forbes — onforb.es/ZYe0rl
Comment: A writeup about Forbes’ first annual Healthcare Summit, featuring a panel in which Bernard Munos complained that management has stifled pharma R&D, followed by management telling him he’s wrong, because productivity is flat, not shrinking.

Non-Pharma
How the End Begins: The Road to a Nuclear World War III
Ron Rosenbaum — amzn.to/Yo3ONp
Comment: One of the finest literary journalists around reports on the clear and present nuclear dangers that we thought were behind us after the end of the Cold War.

Why don’t you tell us what you’re reading? Write us at groth@rodmanmedia.com, www.goodreads.com/groth, www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1775433 or www.facebook.com/ contractpharma — and the first respondent wins a prize!