IMPROVING FORECAST.

The article reports on the annual ChemOutsouring conference held in Long Branch, New Jersey in September 2010. Participants were encouraged by speakers from firms like Pfizer, Merck & Co., and Abbott Laboratories to hire third parties to hold many of the chemistry components of drug discovery and development. The contract research organizations (CROs) were commended by panelists for their services. Many executives see opportunities for growth amid downsizing and restructuring at big companies.