Starting as a PR introduction, a story of drug development found its way to the big screen in the movie Extraordinary Measures. Starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser, the film is based on a book called The Cure, by The Wall Street Journal reporter Geeta Anand, and chronicles the story of a determined father who seeks the help of a scientist in starting biotech to find a cure for the rare disease afflicting his children.
Tony Russo, chairman and CEO of Russo Partners, shares, “The movie is the result of an introduction Noonan/Russo made to Geeta Anand, a reporter from the The Wall Street Journal.” Novazyme, the real company formed by John Crowley (played by Brendan Fraser), was a client of Noonan/Russo (later Russo Partners). Geeta Anand was a biotech reporter who after a meeting arranged by Noonan/Russo was captivated by Crowley’s personal struggle to save his children. She went on to write two articles that later formed the basis for The Cure, and subsequently the movie’s screenplay.
Making connections is a large part of our business, and these relationships often bear unexpected fruit.
