Publications
Publications
- October 2005 (Revised January 2021)
- HBS Case Collection
Pharmaceutical Industry in 2005, The
By: John R. Wells and Elizabeth Raabe
Abstract
The entire pharmaceutical industry faced uncertain times in 2005. Many of the industry's most pressing issues—patent expirations, new drug pipeline development, price pressures, regulatory issues, and political pressures—were long standing. Fundamentally new technologies were changing the way drugs were discovered, developed, and tested, allowing smaller, specialized competitors to enter the industry, compete in new ways, and grow to challenge the majors. Some observers were even questioning whether the blockbuster model on which the industry was based could continue. Blockbuster drugs, with sales of more than $1 billion a year, were becoming increasingly difficult and costly to develop. In this context, and with stock prices depressed, the industry majors were reflecting on their strategies.
Keywords
Strategy; Research and Development; Framework; Change; Competition; Technological Innovation; Pharmaceutical Industry
Citation
Wells, John R., and Elizabeth Raabe. "Pharmaceutical Industry in 2005, The." Harvard Business School Case 706-423, October 2005. (Revised January 2021.)