Free Newsletter
Novartis CEO on activist attacks: "You have to stand up"
Most of the heads of Big Pharma and Big Biotech companies alike would duck and cover if attacked by animal rights activists--but not Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella (photo). Relatives' graves have been desecrated, a vacation home set on fire and epithets were scrawled on a church he attends. But instead of adopting a low profile, Vasella has come out with both guns blazing. And he's glad he did.
"It's my duty as a citizen to speak up when illegal actions take place," Vasella tells USA Today. "Suffering in silence doesn't help anybody. You have to stand up. You have to fight for something. If everyone remained silent, then the people who are violent would prevail."
If Vasella could go back and change anything, he adds, it would be to come out earlier with a public response to the attacks. "We should have done more to engage politicians and the press in making them aware what was going on, because we need the public to understand."
- here's the Q&A from USA Today
Related Articles:
Novartis: Desecrations mark escalation by animal rights militants
Novartis' Vasella focuses on rare disease strategy
Novartis' Daniel Vasella - CEO Pay
Comments
By Anonymous | Posted 1:39pm | December 22, 2009
Great job, Mr. Vasella! Stay strong against these low-life cowards that attack in secrecy. Anyone low enough to desecrate a church and/or a grave and set a house on fire over animals needs to be shot! Their actions make me have NO sympathy to the cause they are trying to raise awareness of and instead side with the companies and people they attack. They are idiots and their actions make their opinion mean nothing! I hope they find who did this and give Mr. Vasella about ten minutes alone with them in a locked room.
Post new comment
Paid Research Reports
- The Specialty Pharma Market Outlook: Key players, new company growth models and emerging opportunities
- Investigating Clinical Trial Costs: Comparative analysis of trial cost components in key geographies
- Clinical Trial Recruitment Strategies: Optimizing patient recruitment and retention in late stage clinical trials
- Pipeline Insight: Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines - Prospect of first approval set to reinvigorate interest from major companies
- Stakeholder Opinions: Vaccines in Emerging Markets (Asia) - Opportunities in China, India, South Korea and Taiwan
- Big Pharma Performance Before, During and Beyond the Global Recession
