Publications
Publications
- March 2011
- HBS Case Collection
MorphoSys AG: The Evolution of a Biotechnology Business Model
By: Gary P. Pisano, Ryan Johnson and Carin-Isabel Knoop
Abstract
In the biotech world, the 18-year-old Munich-based company MorphoSys was a rarity: it was profitable. The company achieved this profitability not by developing and selling its own drugs, but by licensing access to its proprietary library of human antibodies. Recently, the company decided to deviate from this model, and attempt to develop its own proprietary products. The case allows analysis of "license vs. vertically integrate" business model decisions, and can be used to teach principles of business model design and the functioning of markets for know-how.
Keywords
Business Model; Profit; Intellectual Property; Rights; Risk Management; Market Platforms; Product Development; Business and Shareholder Relations; Vertical Integration; Biotechnology Industry; Munich
Citation
Pisano, Gary P., Ryan Johnson, and Carin-Isabel Knoop. "MorphoSys AG: The Evolution of a Biotechnology Business Model." Harvard Business School Case 611-046, March 2011.
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