Drug Information Association (DIA) 2012 was filled with sharing and learning. The conference theme was “Collaborate To Innovate,” and Dean Kamen set the tone by sharing how he’s collaborated in prosthetic limb development and water purification. Dean left DIA with a friendly tweak and an implicit challenge. He shared that the Coca Cola Company, by distributing water purifiers to the over 1 billion people who are in need of clean water, might improve the health of more people than the sum total of all members of DIA. What a way to start the conference.
As people came to our booth, there was a pattern of questioning that emerged. It goes something like:
DIA Attendee: “Eli Lilly?! What are you selling?”
Lilly COI: “Uh, nothing”
DIA Attendee: “Well, what are you doing here then?”
Lilly COI: “We’re leading Open Innovation in Clinical Development and have some tools and projects we are putting in the open for free. We think it’s good.”
DIA Attendee: “That’s sounds interesting (pause, quizzical look). But isn’t Lilly a for profit company?”
Lilly COI: “Yup”
DIA Attendee: “Well, why are you – Lilly – doing this?”
