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36 BioPharm International ® Emerging Therapies 2022 eBook www.biopharminternational.com and neuroinf lammation. Pfizer feels these hold spe- cial promise for new innovative therapies." All of the fields mentioned previously are newly emerging and require technical bravery alongside special care. The book Loonshots mainspring meta- phor borrows from material science concerning phase transition as applied to both creative (artistic) and ex- ecution (soldier) teams (2). Within that framework, the author, by examining a multitude of examples, asserts that structure may matter more than culture. Transplanting this to Pfizer's orchard, Schoenbeck has successfully practiced a version of companion plant- ing, where seedlings of different crops are carefully placed in proximity to lower certain technical or re- source barriers, while simultaneously raising pollina- tion and nutrient availability. Reduced footprint along these guidelines is seen as a feature, not a bug. The concept itself sprouted within the garden walls of the Mesopotamian proto palaces, where, "The oldest writ- ten evidence of medicinal plants' usage for preparation of drugs has been found on a Sumerian clay slab from Nagpur, approximately 5000 years old. It comprised 12 recipes for drug preparation referring to over 250 various plants, some of them alkaloid such as poppy, henbane, and mandrake" (6). These alkaloid drugs were far from mild, and great care was taken not only in their application, but also in raising their yield, by careful germination and cultivation techniques. So, the essential oil for the ES&I group stems from the orchard structure itself, enabling them to iden- tify and nurture pharmaceutical creativity well be- fore first f lorescence. These orchard rules follow a pattern laid out in the book Creativity Inc., by Ed Cat- mull, who founded Pixar in 1986 with John Lasseter and Steve Jobs (1). Their philosophies, or planting scheme, defied convention and protected the creative process by institutionalizing concepts such as "the cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them" and, "It's not the manager's job to prevent risk, it's the manager's job to make it safe for others to take them." This is a pragmatic view of what enhances the cre- ative process, in line with that practiced by Schoen- beck. One of the strongest but subtle suggestions, being "don't assume that general agreement will lead to change it takes substantial energy to move a group, even when all are on board" (1). This is certainly a pre- cept worth following up on when dealing with large organizations such as big pharmaceutical companies. Catmull, however, is not above advice on pruning to promote optimal health. His sect ions on recogn izing "you a re not your idea" point to the constant need for reality checks, and his postmortems are as important as any other section in the book. Pfizer's ES&I team, who by their outward facing role interact with anyone perform- ing interesting material, pharmaceutical, or man- ufacturing science, have perhaps taken to heart the inner core message of this book, that, "The compa- nies communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure; everybody should be able to talk with anybody." Last year by any measure was a bumper crop for the ES&I team, and indeed they currently top a patient group survey (7) for best rep- utation. Even amidst a widespread drought, Pfizer's orchard remains well irrigated. References 1. E. Catmull and A. Wallace, Creativity, Inc: Overcom- ing the Unseen Forces T hat Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (Random House, Apr. 8, 2014). 2. S. Bachall, Loonshots: Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and and Transform Industries (St. Martin's Press, Mar. 19, 2019). 3. Pfizer, "Pfizer Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2021 Results," Press Release, Feb. 8, 2022. 4. M. Matej, "P f izer's Tota l Number of Employees 2006–2021," Statista, Mar. 2, 2022. 5. C. Spivey, "How Pfizer Views Partnering and Invest- ing for Emerging Therapies," Pharmaceutical Tech- nology Drug Solutions Podcast, Sept. 6, 2022. 6. K . Ke l ly, Hi stor y of M edic ine (Ne w York: Fac t s on file, 2009). 7. Datawrapper, Respondent Cancer Patient Groups, 2021: Familiarity, and Partnerships, witih Pharm Companies. ■ Avid Bioservices ............................................................................................13 Curia ..................................................................................................................5 Distek...............................................................................................................29 Entegris .............................................................................................................9 G-Con ..............................................................................................................17 LabVantage ....................................................................................................21 Sartorius............................................................................. Opposite Cover, 3 Ad Index COMPANY PAGE