Free Ogrodnik Interior 2.0c by Gary

the signals that the human body constantly sends out. Small, seemingly insignificant movements that occur during conversation told a story of their own. Intentional movements like waving hands while talking were of little interest to him. They were too easily fabricated; he was interested in unintentional twitches and micro expressions. These were the indicators that betrayed the speaker, the signs that told their own tale irrespective of what words were spoken.
     
    “I’m sorry to hear about your father. I remember his visit well; he was a smart man with a keen mind. He expressed an interest in one of our drugs, Isotin. As you may or may not know, Isotin has been in the news recently in anticipation of its approval from Health Canada.“
    “Isotin. Isn’t that the new cancer super drug?”
    “Super drug? Yes, I believe that’s what the media has labeled it. Assuming all goes well in the approval process, I expect it will usher in an entirely new class of drugs.”
    “How so, Dr. Banik?” Elliot had already researched a good deal about the new drug and its potential, but he wanted to get Dr. Banik’s take on it. He could tell immediately that Banik was extremely proud of his accomplishment and wanted to give him an audience to see what else he might say.
    “We’ve developed an offshoot of immunotherapy that can be modified to treat any type of cancer. Our labs have overcome the hurdles that have prevented all previous attempts to do this. The market, of course, is huge. We will launch our treatment for prostate and breast cancers initially and chip away at other cancers over time.“
    “Impressive.”
    “Yes, we are very proud. There are currently over six million people in North America alone with cancer. The cost of traditional cancer treatment is staggering. The cost of hospitalization and the strain it puts on the entire medical system are enormous, not to mention the pain and anguish for the patients and their families. The treatment will be expensive, but we have to recoup the billions we’ve put into research and development.”
    “Amazing. What specifically did my father want to know about Isotin?”
    “He was interested to know how it worked, at a biological level, and how it was being tested. I explained that to him and referred him to the clinical trials manager to gain an understanding on how it is tested.”
    “Can I ask who is performing the clinical testing?”
    “Certainly. We’re using a CRO, Milton-Hadfield, for all of our trials. I’ll extend the same offer to you as I did to your father and give you direct access to their director of clinical testing. He will be much better at answering detailed questions than I.”
    “CRO?” Elliot asked although he was quite familiar with the term as his wife’s job was in the same industry before her death.
    “Sorry about the acronym. It stands for Clinical Research Organization. There are hundreds of CROs around the world performing all levels of clinical research for pharmaceutical companies like ours.”
    “Thank you. Did Dad say why he was so interested in Isotin?”
    “I asked him that question myself. Being in the medical field, he told me that he had heard rumors about irregularities in the manner that it was being tested, particularly in the pre-clinical trials phase. He wouldn’t say any more than that. I’ll tell you exactly what I told him. Biovonix has nothing to hide. Our books, so to speak, are open, and if testing results have been skewed, we would like to be the first to know. After all, our reputation is on the line. My own clinical trials manager approached the university that performed the testing and found that the rumors were baseless.”
    “That’s good to know,” Elliot said without much conviction. “I looked at the Biovonix stock price yesterday and see that there’s already been a substantial run-up in its price in anticipation of its approval. Is it fair to say that Biovonix’s future hinges on the success or