Little Pink House_ A True Story of Defiance and Courage - Jeff Benedict [13]
Under Milne, the research division’s annual investment rose from $493 million to over $2 billion. During that same period, the scientific staff doubled to more than eight thousand people. With a unique blend of scientific smarts and corporate savvy, Milne knew the importance of translating breakthrough medicines into financial windfalls for shareholders.
He also knew something the rest of the pharmaceutical industry didn’t: Pfizer was sitting on a drug that promised to take American culture by storm and propel Pfizer past all its rivals. A few years earlier, Pfizer conducted clinical trials for a drug called sildenafil, which was intended to expand blood vessels, enabling greater blood flow to the heart. But the response in alleviating suffering from heart problems was insufficient. At the close of the clinical trials, the female patients returned their surplus medication, as required, but many male patients did not. When clinicians investigated, they discovered that sildenafil had a powerful effect on men who struggled with impotence.
The accidental discovery had enormous potential. Millions of men in the United States struggle with impotence. If men could overcome the condition by simply taking a pill, this drug promised to be a rainmaker. Pfizer commissioned a new round of clinical trials for sildenafil and assigned the drug a new name: Viagra.
While Governor Rowland was busy trying to propel his political star higher by redeveloping Connecticut’s urban centers, George Milne had aspirations of his own. The emergence of Viagra elevated him to a position of great prominence in the company as he led the effort to promote it to the nation’s medical community.
“Impotence has a major, and sometimes devastating, psychological and social impact on patients and their partners,” Milne told the American Urological Association at its annual meeting in 1997. “Effective drugs currently available involve injections and for that reason have not been widely accepted.” Milne insisted Pfizer had the answer to this dilemma: “Viagra, because it is a pill and enhances the normal sexual response, offers advantages to these patients in terms of both convenience and safety.”
Busy as he was, Milne graciously welcomed a call at home from Claire. After explaining the NLDC and its virtues, Claire informed Milne she had agreed to serve as its president. Impressed, Milne was not surprised. He knew Claire’s penchant for taking on big initiatives and going full tilt.
Claire briefly indicated that one of the NLDC’s top priorities would be to market the former New London Mills property, and she wanted to meet with him about it.
“It will have to be at seven in the morning in my office,” Milne said.
“That’s fine. I’ll come in.”
They agreed on a date.
August 28, 1997
Giddy, Susette arrived at a law firm in New London to sign the closing documents on her new home. There, for the first time, she met the seller, who indicated she had driven by the house and seen the new paint job.
“Doesn’t the house look great?” Susette said.
The seller looked disgusted. “Pink?” she asked, then insisted it was not right for the period of the house.
“That’s not true,” Susette said. “I got the color right off the historic paint chart at Benjamin Moore.”
The seller was not impressed.
“Besides,” Susette said, “the color is Odessa Rose, not pink.”
“Well, it will certainly brighten up the neighborhood,” the seller said sarcastically.
Susette grinned. “And … so … won’t … I,” she said.
A half hour later, Susette had the keys to the front door and the title to the property. And at that point, she didn’t care what the previous owner thought of her or the new paint color. The place was hers, and that was all that mattered.
That night, she drove to the house. It was empty and dark inside. From the porch, she could hear and see the water. She plopped down in a rocker.
For the first time in her