Publications
Publications
- December 1999 (Revised August 2001)
- HBS Case Collection
Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (A)
By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade
Abstract
Focuses on Millennium's strategy to grow and revolutionize drug development through the use of new technologies such as genomics. Describes how Millennium Pharmaceuticals--a fast-growing biotechnology firm in Cambridge, MA--has used strategic alliances to finance the development of technology platforms based on the latest breakthroughs in genomics. As the firm considers developing pharmaceutical drugs itself, they face a number of challenges: 1) Can they revolutionize drug development by making it more predictable, faster, and less costly? 2) How should they select their alliances such that they move closer to becoming a pharmaceutical firm and still attract the funding needed for their strategy? 3) How can they continue to grow rapidly and attract and retain some of the best minds in the pharmaceutical industry?
Keywords
Cost Management; Financing and Loans; Medical Specialties; Retention; Growth and Development Strategy; Time Management; Product Development; Problems and Challenges; Alliances; Technology; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Cambridge
Citation
Thomke, Stefan H., and Ashok Nimgade. "Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 600-038, December 1999. (Revised August 2001.)