GrassyKnoll...many of us have had similar experiences in business and also with regulatory bodies. The entrenched resistance is everywhere, usually taking strength from each other/the herd . "They have seen them come and seen them go" crowd. The resistance to change in such cases is real and is HOW things are done, unless they are eliminated. I would like to think that Dr. G knows all about them as he seems to have given them fair warning.
Daily decisions on what and who gets resourced are controlled by the "System" in such instances. The in place system is run by names and powerbases. Names are often the old school who established and live off the existing processes, they control from behind the curtain. They will run into a wall if Dr.G just shatcans the existing stuff. Powerbases are connected silos where budgets get approved and where people go to get favors and make deals. We all know that some variation of this model is how the FDA also gets things done.
Signs of change are easily detected as published in recent mass old FDA school turnovers by those heading back to BP's. Rewriting the FDA processes based on "Precision Science" requires some new thinking and someone's going to have to throw their weight around. Old timers are not stupid enough to piss off the new guy while they figure out what works for them. Trouble is we do not have time and they better get their asses in gear now.
If AVXL can send some kind of new science message to give the establishment something to hold on to then they will all switch overnight and become precision science advocates, overnight. (insert binary event here) Timing and power base moves will be visible to the outside world. Top Down decisions are getting the ball moving. it looks real to me at this point.
