It seemed altogether fitting, as Dr. Ben McAllister noted, that the 2003 Ingram’s Industry Outlook dedicated to biotechnology would be held at the well-appointed Kauffman Foundation.

Ewing Kauffman made his fortune, after all, by doing what many of the participants at the session hoped to do themselves. That is to deliver useful, life-enhancing biotech products to the market. Dr. McAllister and the Mid America Heart Institute, for that matter, played a major role in bringing Kauffman’s breakthrough drug, Cardizen, to the market.

Representation at the session was broad and deep. Those in attendance came from as far east as St. Louis and as far west as Manhattan, Kansas. Ably chairing the session was Dr. Jim Spigarelli of the Midwest Research Institute and sponsoring it were MRI, Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, Kansas State University and the University of Health Sciences.

The conversation was candid and challenging, so much so that more than several of the participants asked that his taped commentary on a certain subject not make it to print, a request that was, of course, honored.

Those assembled had no trouble following the verbal shorthand that speeds conversation in any industry. "[MRI] has an MOU with the FBI," said Jim Spigarelli at one point, "but the military goes back to the ECBC. It’s like you with the CDC."

As part of Ingram’s own short-hand in reporting these sessions, we drop the titling save for the formal list of names under the photo (see the 1st page). No disrespect is intended.