Publications
Publications
- November 2007
- HBS Case Collection
Antegren: A Beacon of Hope
By: Joshua D. Margolis, Thomas J. DeLong and Terence Heymann
Abstract
The CEO of Biogen Idec faces a set of difficult decisions regarding a promising drug for Multiple Sclerosis that is headed for early approval by the FDA. The first in a series focuses on operational decisions triggered by the drive for early approval. Sparks discussion about a leader's economic, legal, and ethical responsibilities to multiple constituencies and how a leader can guide a company to execute effectively, fulfilling those responsibilities, in a complex situation. Decisions facing the company include how to sustain credible research on the drug's efficacy and safety, how to increase manufacturing capacity to meet expected demand, and how to secure insurer reimbursement. All of these challenges arise against the backdrop of the accelerated approval process, uncertainty about what the FDA will ultimately decide, and whether the company should indeed pursue early approval.
Keywords
Demand and Consumers; Leadership; Ethics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Decision Choices and Conditions; Crisis Management; Health Testing and Trials; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry
Citation
Margolis, Joshua D., Thomas J. DeLong, and Terence Heymann. "Antegren: A Beacon of Hope." Harvard Business School Case 408-025, November 2007.