Yesterday's announcement that Eli Lilly had sold off its Greenfield, Indiana, R&D facility to Covance is perhaps not just a big deal, but really a bellwether move that may signal a trend of Big Pharma companies not just outsourcing aspects of their R&D operations but selling them off altogether. As the above-linked article suggests, the time for companies like Lilly to assume the role of financiers who aggregate data may be closer to reality.
Your thoughts on the significance of the deal? We'll be keeping a close eye on this one, and include expert input in posts to come.
--PWT
