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  • December 1999 (Revised August 2001)
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Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:24
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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.)
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About The Author

Stefan H. Thomke

Technology and Operations Management
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  • Capture New Value from Your Existing Tech Infrastructure By: Stefan Thomke and Anthony Rodrigo
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  • High Velocity Business Experiments By: Stefan Thomke and Jim Euchner
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