Every medicine in your pharmacy has a human story behind it. Real people doing real work and living real lives.

We all have romantic ideas about scientists working late into the evening or doctors dropping everything to answer a phone call about a patient. You can almost envision the moment when one of those researchers finally solves an intellectual puzzle and leaps into action. Their eyes go from an empty stare to an alert laser-like focus. They sit a bit taller and start to read frantically. I am sure you’ve seen those movies too.

But is it real? Is that how it really happens?

That’s what we intend to explore in “Improbable Developments.”

Each month we will talk to someone who was or is in the trenches of biopharma R&D and let them tell their story. We’ll be talking about medicines you may know and some that never saw the light of day. We’ll talk to people involved at the bench in the earliest stages through to those who run the clinical trials and present the data to regulators around the world. We'll even be talking to patients who have joined the effort.

The science of drug discovery and development creates a rich landscape for all sorts of stories to unfold. The technical challenges, the urgency to help patients, career aspirations, the fight for resources, and many other factors all work together to produce a complex and enthralling human drama. In our monthly discussions, we will look at this from many different angles.

Through our discussions, we hope to give you a real appreciation for the types of people behind the medicines you take and the medical devices you may use. You’ll get to know each of them a little bit and start to understand what they have in common and how different and unique they really are.

We at Salem Oaks love to bring you these stories of people who are involved in the science, process, and profession of finding and developing new medicines. In our Emerging Researchers Series, we are even talking to people just entering the field and we hope you are enjoying their fresh energy and new ideas.

But we need to ask for your help in continuing to bring you this podcast. As creators, we are looking for patrons who want to help us cover our expenses to bring you this service. We have established an account on Patreon that you can use to become a member of Salem Oaks at the Acorn or Sapling levels. Members receive exclusive benefits that you can read about at www.patreon.com/salemoaks.

Thank You for your support. We truly appreciate it.