AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ESPERION THERAPEUTICS

Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Esperion Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of lipid management drugs to lower cholesterol, has announced a major cost reduction program to reduce costs by $80 million annualized in 2021 and 2022.

The cost-cutting effort will impact 170 to 190 employees or approximately 40% of Esperion's workforce. The company will pick up the slack by expanding its marketing strategy to include more directed digital outreach,

According to the company's recently hired CEO, Sheldon Koenig, “In-person access to health care providers has been negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The firm will focus on “an optimized blend of focused outreach including a streamlined salesforce, directed to targeted cardiologists and primary care physicians, and a suite of digital initiatives.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ZIOPHARM ONCOLOGY

Charlestown, Massachusetts-based Ziopharm Oncology, a bioengineering company specializing in immuno-oncology medicines to activate the immune system to target multiple cancers, has announced a major restructuring and cost reduction program to "extend the cash runway into the first half of 2023."

The restructuring program will impact 50% of the company's personnel or approximately 60 employees.

According to the recently hired Kevin Boyle, Ziopharm's new CEO, “We appreciate the many contributions the impacted employees made to Ziopharm and we commit to supporting these valued colleagues during this transition. We believe today’s strategic decision was necessary to create an organization structured and staffed for success and focused on the goal of generating clinical data in our promising TCR-T Library program. I am confident in the ability of our highly talented team to execute our strategy.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? VACCINE USE AS A BUSINESS DECISION

We are seeing significant pressure on individuals and organizations to conform to the political dictates of the day.

Some organizations are threatening to fire or otherwise penalize individuals who do not have proof of vaccination.

The constitutionality of a government mandate or the legality of any organization demanding you place your life in jeopardy from medication side effects as a condition of employment is questionable. Especially when the medicine has a conditional or emergency use government permit.

While the scientific evidence of efficiency and efficacy may be contradictory, there is a prudent path for individuals. Discuss the matter with your personal physician who knows your condition, medications, and can consider the side effects and make an informed recommendation.

It is your life. The risk you are willing to assume is the key to decision-making. Much like accepting the risk of crossing a street, driving, or flying. If you are in a high-risk cohort, the decision becomes easier as your choices are well-defined.

Disease rates are meaningless as they vary with the number of tests administered and how the statistics are massaged. Hospitalizations and death rates are interesting, but unless they are stratified by age and condition, they may not be informative.

Vaccine Efficacy is how the vaccine behaves in controlled trials and is the percentage reduction of a disease in a group of individuals

Vaccine Effectiveness is how the vaccine behaves in the real world where factors beyond those found in controlled trials such as underlying chronic illness, age, other medications taken, storage of vaccines, and more can alter the effectiveness in widespread uncontrolled usage.

Wishing you good health, the primary key to fully enjoying life.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?