This is my long goodbye.
For two glorious years, I have had the privilege and good fortune to run this site. Now, though, the time has come to walk away. This was a difficult decision, but one that is rooted in the turmoil engulfing the newspaper business. Let me explain.
Three years ago, I suggested a site that could somehow become a go-to destination for news and discussion concerning the pharmaceutical industry. As someone who had covered pharma for a decade, but was itching to do something different, a web site represented not only a next step in gathering and disseminating information, but also an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and move on to another stage in my career.
Happily, the notion was backed by Jim Willse, the editor of The Star-Ledger of New Jersey, which owns Pharmalot and is the flagship in the Newhouse chain of newspapers. After the usual planning and tinkering, Pharmalot launched exactly two years ago. And since then, the site has become popular and well-known – as of last month, we notched about 11,000 unique daily visitors and some 330,000 monthly pageviews on a 30-day rolling basis. There were accolades from The Financial Times and the Association of Health Care Journalists. I was regularly asked to speak at dinners and conferences.
Meanwhile, as you know, the newspaper business has been declining rapidly and, last summer, the Ledger offered generous buyouts, sufficiently generous that I was tempted to consider the package. And for various personal reasons, that is what I have chosen to do. Yes, there were discussions to continue with Pharmalot – the Ledger, particularly Willse, recognizes the potential for the site and I thoroughly enjoy the work. The long hours and intense routine may be grueling, but Pharmalot has been an extremely challenging and satisfying preoccupation. In the end, though, we were unable to find a path forward.
And so, I am now moving on. But before I go, I want to thank each of you for stopping by. Without your interest, support and, in many cases, participation, Pharmalot would have not have worked as well as it has. Yes, my experience and instinct guided me in deciding how to do certain things, but without your input and feedback, Pharmalot would not have had the same appeal. That’s because this was not just another site for information or the equivalent of a morning newspaper, but also a place where people could meet to discuss and debate all sorts of issues concerning the pharmaceutical industry. In short, we developed a community together.
And what a community. Some of you angrily attacked pharma. Some of you vociferously defended it. So often, there were many different perspectives on any number of topics. Whatever the point of view, the discussions were extremely informative. Certainly, for me. Thanks to the thousands and thousands of comments posted here, I have learned a great deal about the business, science and policy issues that shape and confront this industry. Hopefully, many of you feel the same way. After all, no one has cornered the market on knowledge, try as we may.
There are too many of you to list by name, but really, you know who you are. I am truly grateful for the prodding, the praise, the criticism, the reminders, the ideas, the corrections, the tips, and, most of all, the encouragement. No matter what you wrote, the fact that you did so at all meant that Pharmalot mattered enough for you to take the time to reach out. Somehow, the site was working, something I could not have accomplished alone.
On that note, I would like to thank a few people by name. As I mentioned, Jim Willse offered unwavering support from the start. Without an editor who has vision and conviction, very little can get done. So thanks, Jim, for allowing Pharmalot to get this far. Then, there’s John Hassell, who was the editor with whom I worked most closely these past two years and who gave me the space to try whatever I thought needed to be done. And Hassan Hodges, who fielded way too many late-night and early morning calls and e-mails when the site exploded or I simply had no idea what I was doing, Without his technical prowess, Pharmalot may have been a blank screen many days.
Last, but not least, I owe a tremendous debt to Mrs. Pharmalot and The Short People, one of whom is not so short anymore. My kids learned that when Dad had the laptop open – which was most of the time, eight days a week – he generally had to be left alone. Somehow, I managed to be attentive, but their understanding was above and beyond. And my wife, well, she put up with me working at home – otherwise known as the Pharmalot corporate campus – which is no small thing. Not only that, she brought me at least one cup of coffee each morning, no matter what. Thanks, sweetie, for being such a good sport.
So again, thank you all for making this such an enjoyable experience. For those of you who want to reach me, you either have my e-mail address or you can simply click on the ‘anonymous tip’ button on the top of the screen and send me a note (but do it soon). I will write back. Meanwhile, I would like to leave you with this reminder from the former Morning Mayor, otherwise known as Harry Harrison, a disc jockey on WCBS in New York, who would often say: ‘Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.’ Yes, these are hard times, but somehow, we will get through it all. So please don’t lose sight. And finally, there is this, a refrain from a song that speaks of hope and endurance…
‘May the good lord shine a light on you, Make every song you sing, your favorite tune. May the good lord shine a light on you…warm, like an evening sun.’
So long, folks….
267 Comments
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
*sigh*
Thanks for everything, Ed. You leave a big hole in the blogosphere and you will be sorely missed.
Ed,
As you know, I recently became a Grandmother and I am enjoying every moment of it!!! I have also been involved in a major construction project which will be completed very shortly. I will be leaving, what you have so brilliantly dubbed, " The Nation's Medicine Chest", Life always brings forth changes. I would like to personally thank you, for keeping important issues like informed consent and medication guides on the front burner for all to see. I wont say good-bye, I'll just wish you well!!
I began to regularly check up on this blog because of the quality of the information and writing. Some blogs are poorly designed, terribly written, and full of bad information. For me, Pharmalot has stoodout and has been an excellent source of news and commentary about the pharmaceutical industry. Thanks for the hard work and good luck in your future endeavors!
Oh the humanities!
We'll surely see you resurface -- and soon!
I know you'll not be MIA for long. . . .
Namaste
Congratulations, Ed, on the buyout opportunity.
But a tremendous loss to the on-line health/pharma community.
Your content was timely and insightful, and became a must-read daily. While it is sad to see the fate of papers such as the Star-Ledger, sites such as Pharmalot are the prescription needed for the future of Newhouse.
Enjoy some time, but find a way back to us soon.
Oh no! What a sad surprise. The pharma blogosphere will not be the same without you.
Thank you for keeping us all so well educated and informed over the years. Best of luck to you in future endeavors!
http://intouchsolutionsdigital.blogspot.com/
Hey, Ed,
Thanks from the gang at DNDN IV. I can't speak for everyone, but most of us enjoyed Pharmalot and appreciated your coverage of pharmaceuticals, even if sometimes we were grouchy. Wishing you the best!
Ed -- thanks for all your hard work. Visiting your website has become so engrained in my breaktimes that it will take a while for me to get out of the habit!! I've enjoyed it and I've learned a lot about the industry I work for.
Finally, I have a question for you fellow-pharmalot-posters: Do you guys know of any other good pharma blog sites for me to visit during my coffeebreaks???? I follow "In the Pipeline", but that site generally only attracts technical insiders like myself. I've really enjoyed engaging the "non-pharma-employed" crowd in conversation and debate on this site.
One final comment to Ed: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DECIDED TO CLOSE DOWN THE WEBSITE PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE LEVINE CASE!!!!!! How will I ever hear Justice's insitefull commentary on the outcome???! (Justice, do you post elsewhere??)
Bye everyone!! Nathan
Ed, sad to see you and this website go. It was my go to site to find out the latest inside information on the big pharma. This does leave a tremendous hole on the web for accurate and up to the minute reporting on issues relating to the pharmaceutical industry. I wish you all the luck and let us all know where you show up again, because I know you will be back.
Dang. I'm going to miss you and your work, Ed. You've made great contributions to the on-line/pharma community.
this is so sad.ugh
Hey Ed, I've been following your blog since the start and really enjoyed it. Your site has been great in getting up to date information. All the best as you move on. Ed
Say it ain't so, Ed!
Wow, it's been great! Nowhere else could we find someone willing to say it as it was but here, by you, on Pharmalot! Your investigative work is sorely needed today in the newspaper business, where, alas, the pages are more apt to be filled with reprints from the AP wire than real news.
I wish you well, my friend. You will be missed.
I'm sorry to hear you're no longer Pharmalot-ting with us, Ed.
You've been an asset in the industry by encouraging conversations and dialog. Where else (credible) can people now send anonymous tips...
I will miss you.
Ed, As I have said in the past, you are one of the best reporters that we have had the pleasure to work with - smart, articulate and respectable.
The best thing about Pharmalot was that you covered the industry - not yourself.
I know I can speak for many in the industry when I say that this is truly a sad day. Thank you for all you have done.
Best wishes, Ray Kerins, Pfizer
Ed,
You've run a really great news site. I can tell you that you have been widely read on the Hill and will be greatly missed.
I hope for the best for your future.
Ed,
I haven't missed a day since I found your blog. There was always something that caught my eye and interest. I learned things here that were not to be found anywhere else.
The responding posts were fun to read and some, not so much. There were those that thought every reader should know what they were talking about, no matter how jumbled, proceeding with a long and sometimes boring discourse. It was almost like each person was trying to outdo the other. At times, I thought these folks felt they owned the blog to dispense their own personal "real" information. It always seemed to get off topic. To them, I suggest that Pharmalot be continued in setting up their own blog, so they can chat away, aimlessly.
Bottom line for Pharmalot: EXCELLENT articles and interviews.
Your hard work will be rewarded with a better financial environment, as after health, money pays the bills.
Thank you for your effort, it will be missed! Best wishes on your new path.
Ed, I'm saddened by the end of Pharmalot. While some may have seen our blogs as rivals, I felt that we had far more in common than not. You accomplished a lot and can be proud of your work. All the best, Scott Hensley WSJ Health Blog
tears and luck for you my dear Ed
When I have began working in Pharma - you helped me & I shall never forget that. It is so sad to see this awesome blog end but no matter what you shall remain a fabulous man. Thank you, Ed.
So -- will it be "Ed.Silverman.com"?
We, the assemled faithful, will google derivatives of that one, regularly -- and repeatedly(!) -- until we find you, on the "other side"!
Once I find it, I'll post copious links to it, on mine, as a PSA of sorts.
Cheers!
Ed,
Thanks for all you've done. I'm pretty sure you know your work has been appreciated, but I wanted to appreciate you out loud.
You've always presented something for consideration, well-written, interesting, and well-informed.
Good luck, sir.
#iwork@novartis
As far as I know, Pharmalot is entirely unique. Of course, there are other sites which post daily "headlines" (although rarely as up-to-date as Ed always has). But none, as far as I know, which have generated the kind of community of participants as Pharmalot. Many of us who met here almost certainly would not have met in other contexts. The tenor of discussion - usually thoughtful, respectful, informative - has also been unique. And especially the opportunity for "insiders" and the rest of us to learn from each other. Again, I am not aware of any other site which has anything resembling that.
For me, personally, Pharmalot has been my morning coffee - the first place I went after checking my personal email. It has also been an extraordinary resource for my students. And, as above, it has been that lawn party we have talked about. On certain days, and on certain threads, we could begin to imagine ways we really are all on the same side, and how different perspectives complement and enhance each other. I would like to believe we were on our way to some genuine solutions about issues that could not be more important, and about which we all care about so much.
Ed knows how much I have appreciated his work ad this site. So also I have appreciated getting to know all of you here. I do hope we will find a place to meet-up again and keep at least some of the "party" going. But when, how, where all remain unclear. It is, for me, a very sad day.
For anyone who wants to be in touch, and perhaps be in contact if we are able to find some version of a 'second home,' I can be reached at justiceinmich@gmail.com
Oh no, I'm so sad to see this. I will really miss this blog--it is a daily stop for me.
Best of luck in your future ventures!
Ed,
Pharmalot has been a wonderful resource for those of us who watch the pharmaceutical industry. We appreciate your work over the past two years, and we hope we'll be seeing you again on the web in the near future.
Congratulations on what you created, and best of luck for the future!
Mark Herrmann (of the Drug and Device Law Blog)
I am saddened to say goodbye to Pharmalot, and wish you the best, Ed.
Ed, Thanks for all your hard work here on Pharmalot. You have a skill that is uncommon in the land of blog. To keep a group of passionate, opinionated and emotional people contained, contented and continuing to visit your site requires just the right amount of whatever you have. I think it's called kindness and a true love for your fellow human being. You will go far, hopefully not too far from us. Please post one more article about the ill affects of Pharmalot withdrawal. Best wishes David
Ed.
all good things go down sometime. all the best with your future and the short people
Ed, you will be missed. Life is long, so we know we'll see you somewhere wonderful. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Jane
Ed, What a magnificent path you've paved these last several years! Congratulations on the (albeit bittersweet) buyout, but I know it won't be long before you return...enjoy some time off with Mrs. Pharmalot and those adorable Short People! Awaiting in the Windy City... Susan
Sorry to see that you're winding things up here. Thanks for all of the leads in the past and most of all, for your own sense of humour.
Some people really take this stuff seriously, don't they?
Very best wishes to you, your family and for your future.
Giles.
Thank you so much for your candid news stories and entertaining wit!!! You will be greatly missed!!!!
God speed and good luck in your future business adventures!!!
Hi Ed,
I want to thank you for the work you did on behalf of those who were unable to get their story told otherwise. You made one group of people know that nothing can be completely shoved under the rug if only there is one good investigative reporter left to be found who is untethered by his company. The article that you wrote on our behalf was above and beyond anything we could have imagined. I think many have come to depend on this site to help keep the responsible parties of so many dangerous situations accountable somehow- and it must have felt like the weight of the world at times- even if you enjoyed it. Consumers being able to talk to people from the FDA and the drug companies directly. There is no other place that I know of where that happens. Not where people felt comfortable to do so. I do worry about the future of untainted new reporting- especially in areas where it is far easier to keep folks in the dark. Thank you for your invaluable service.
You are loved and shall not be forgotten.
Oh, my, how sad. You have made a brighter spot in my work day that I will sorely miss. Good fortune to you and your new endeavors. Please keep the mailing list for any future venture along this line! Andrea
Ed - I join the chorus of sorrows that you are leaving. You made a big footprint and your writing was always topical and insightful and you will be missed. Good luck. Best, Mark Senak
Ed,
All the best to you and the family as you start the next chapter! Pharmalot was a great resource -- you'll be sorely missed.
These days, every big star seems to be making a come back so be sure to let us all know when you're back online.
Steve
Ed:
I have had the pleasure of both reading Pharmalot daily and being able to correspond with you about pharma and I appreciate your quick, thorough and witty responses.
The site has been a great resource and will be missed.
All the best,
Trenton
Ed,
Thanks for providing and presenting all of the information that you have the past few years. We met in Union NJ and in Washington and I am thankful for the time you spent with me. I will miss this site. I hope only the best for you and your family.Let me know where you wind up.
Scott Fritz
WWHHHHAAATTTTTTTT??????? Your webpage and insight has always been extremely timely and resourceful. Thank you for all your efforts in keeping me informed of the Pharma marketplace. I have always enjoyed your perspective. Wish you well in your future endeavors. Thank you. Take care. A~
Ed, I am sad to see you leave. You have made a real contribution to civilized discussion. I wish you good luck and good health.
Norm Smith
A loss that must not be prolonged.
Don't be a stranger.
Peter Pitts www.drugwonks.com
Thanks for all of your great work, Ed. Look forward to finding out what you'll be doing next!
Best regards, Adam
Ed --
Your professional coverage on the pharma beat will be missed. Hope to see you again down the road.
Bob
thank you for all your hard work Ed.
You will be greatly missed.
Ed and Hasan
Will this valuable site be archived?
The information here is too important to just disappear. It features in the footnotes and bibliographies of many an article and grad paper, and will in many more if accessible. This site is an educational treasure.
I hope you'll be going freelance with your muckracking Ed. That's really how I saw it, although sometimes you said something good about the industry (no-one's perfect). I know you walked a fine line, but health consumer advocates could always depend on you to give us ammunition for the good fight. You were able to get information that others could not, although we knew it was there.
Many many thanks. Because of you, lives have been saved, health outcomes altered for the good, industry has been shaken, and many a fledgling advocate feeling hopeless read here and gained new resolve.
xxxooo riv
Ed, you will be sorely missed. There are many good blogs out there, but no exact equivalent to Pharmalot.
XXOO
Marilyn
Mr. Silverman- I am bipolar- and relied on your blog so much as my work as a mental health advocate here in the Garden State with NAMI and DBSA.
I just left a more caustic comment on FS- but for the last 2 years I have loved this site and you were the reason I have a subscription to the Newark Star Ledger.
Thank you for all the hard work you have done for this site, for mental health- and for NJ.
And thanks for making me smile thinking of Harry Harrison! Not to mention all the times you used Teletubby pictures!
Ed, sorry to see you go. The Campbell Alliance team will miss you.
Best,
James
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