New leadership, continued vision

Welcome to the first issue of Pharmaceutical Commerce under new ownership. As announced, MJH Life Sciences acquired the multimedia platform in July, after 15 years of careful stewardship by founder Nick Basta. In handing over the keys, Nick mentioned in this space the unique educational role Pharmaceutical Commerce has served—bringing to light useful information on business-impacting practices within an industry that has experienced significant change. You’ve heard that latter part a lot in recent years, but certainly, today, with the influences of a global pandemic, along with sweeping social, cultural, and economic change, it’s not hyperbole. And equally so inside the industry when applied to the not-so-easy task of uncovering what’s truly “needle-moving”—the value from the noise—in a business with so many trigger points in the mix these days, from science and technology, to pricing and policy, to just scratch the surface.

That’s why Pharmaceutical Commerce is not a general studies educator. As we take the helm, much like our predecessor, we will seize on opportunities to educate and enlighten in areas such as pharmaceutical distribution and supply chain management, attempting to fill those knowledge gaps in process and strategy that can cloud the complex path from product packaging....to pharmacy/point of care....to patient. Look no further than our special coverage in this month’s issue on the pharma cold chain. While our cover story and contributed features are all closely linked around the evolving demands for safe storage and transport of temperature-sensitive vaccines and drugs, they all examine differing aspects of these journeys and potential solutions to address the many related challenges, which are magnified today amid pursuits for a COVID-19 vaccine and the steady emergence of cell and gene therapy.

We hope you find this issue a valuable resource as you tackle these challenges in your daily work, or, like many, watch in anticipation how perhaps healthcare’s most ambitious and complicated distribution effort ever will unfold.

As we continue and grow the vision of Pharmaceutical Commerce into the future, feel free to send me tips or ideas on topics worth exploring or ways we can enhance the coverage you’ve come to expect when opening these pages or visiting our website. Consider it an educational investment.

Mike Christel is Editorial Director of Pharmaceutical Commerce. He can be reached at [email protected]