Strange days

In the past two years the battle against a faceless, merciless pandemic has raged throughout the world. Although casualties have been huge, the collective spirit of the global community, in combination with the astonishing creation of a life-affirming vaccine, has demonstrated that the forces of good are in excellent health. Or, at least, that’s what we thought.

Not many would have predicted that an even bigger crisis – an entirely preventable catastrophe – would take the focus away from COVID-19. And, yet, in 2022 war rages pointlessly and depressingly across European soil, for reasons no one can quite fathom.

This time there doesn’t seem to be an injectable solution, however. Not even the life sciences community can produce a vaccine that could prevent war or develop antidotes to missiles, tanks and shells.

But, as with the coronavirus, pharma will mobilise in the face of this new, exponentially increasing and constantly morphing challenge. The movement of people, in their millions, requires effective treatment – as much mental as physical. The trauma of brutal attacks and the impact of their aftermath will require precisely the same organisation and engagement that industry has demonstrated so brilliantly since March 2020.

A small positive to emerge from the recent events is that the majority of the human race and those within the life sciences ecosystem will not simply stand by. Indeed, early indications suggest that those forces of good I mentioned earlier are much stronger than anyone gave them credit for.

Enjoy the magazine.