Publications

May 2001 (Revised August 2001)
Case

e-Business@Novartis

By: Andrew P. McAfee, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Cate Reavis

Describes a leading pharmaceutical company's approach to developing e-business capabilities throughout the organization. Highlights the company's decision to approach e-business on a more centralized manner. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Online Technology; Pharmaceutical Industry

August 2023 (Revised May 2024)
Case

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals: Decision Making in Clinical Trial Design and Operations

By: Satish Tadikonda and Amanda McEwen

The success or failure of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals (Dicerna) as an emerging pharmaceutical company would likely hinge on its lead drug candidate Nedosiran and the company’s ability to see it successfully through clinical development. Ralf Rosskamp, Chief Medical... View Details

Keywords: Business Strategy; Health Testing and Trials; Product Development; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Pharmaceutical Industry

May 2004 (Revised June 2004)
Case

Brief Biographical Note on P. Roy Vagelos

By: Nitin Nohria and Bridget Gurtler

Provides background biographical information on P. Roy Vagelos, chief executive officer of Merck Pharmaceuticals. Teaching Purpose: To chart the development of a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. View Details

Keywords: Biography; Teaching; Leadership Development; Mission and Purpose; Personal Development and Career; Ethics; Pharmaceutical Industry

Find at Harvard

05 Feb 2019
Video

Health Care Webinar

January 2007 (Revised April 2011)
Case

Farmacias Similares: Private and Public Health Care for the Base of the Pyramid in Mexico

By: Michael Chu and Regina Garcia-Cuellar

Farmacias Similares, serving Mexico's low-income sector, grew to $600 million sales and 3,400 drugstores while deep reforms to help the poor swept the public health system. Adjacent to each store, for $2 per visit, medical clinics provided access to doctors for 2.3... View Details

Keywords: Private Sector; Public Sector; Health Care and Treatment; Growth and Development Strategy; Poverty; Pharmaceutical Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Mexico

December 1999 (Revised August 2001)
Case

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Ashok Nimgade

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... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Financing and Loans; Medical Specialties; Retention; Growth and Development Strategy; Time Management; Product Development; Problems and Challenges; Alliances; Technology; Pharmaceutical Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Cambridge

November 2010 (Revised December 2010)
Background Note

HR 3509

By: David F. Hawkins

HR 3509 ("2010 Health Reform Bill") imposition of a fee in pharmaceutical sales and an excise tax on medical device sales raises accounting issues. View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government Legislation; Taxation; Pharmaceutical Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States

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August 2009 (Revised August 2012)
Case

Cabot Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

By: Frank V. Cespedes and John T. Gourville

Traces the 12-year career of a pharmaceutical salesperson, Bob Marsh, from recruitment to termination. Marsh has had an uneven career with Cabot Pharmaceuticals and eventually is asked to resign. Following his termination, a number of Marsh's former customers complain... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Employees; Resignation and Termination; Performance Evaluation; Salesforce Management; Alignment; Pharmaceutical Industry

28 Sep 2015
News

Healthcare Inequality

20 Mar 2015
News

Big Pharma Needs to Get Busy in the Lab

15 Sep 2016
News

Price of pharma innovation: Pro

February 2001
Background Note

National Innovation Systems and Comparative Industry Evolution

Discusses U.S. and Japanese innovation systems. Illustrates these with comparative studies of computer and pharmaceutical industries. Probes effects of labor, capital, and customer market institutions on these sectors in the United States and Japan. View Details

Keywords: Industry Growth; Innovation and Invention; Pharmaceutical Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Japan; United States

01 Oct 2011
News

Resistance Is Futile

09 Nov 2011
News

Resistance Is Futile

Olivia Zhao

Olivia Zhao is a doctoral student in Health Policy (Management). Her current research interests center on the pharmaceutical industry, prescription drug policy, and hospital markets. Previous work has examined medical labor supply and patient outcome responses to... View Details

November 2008 (Revised July 2009)
Background Note

A Managerial Perspective on Clinical Trials

By: Arthur A. Daemmrich

This note describes the history and regulation of clinical trials, managerial challenges related to pharmaceutical product testing, and current debates regarding prescription drug safety. Since clinical testing takes between five and seven years, and consumes up to 70... View Details

Keywords: Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Health Testing and Trials; Product Development; Safety; Pharmaceutical Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry

December 1996 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Cynthia Hogan and the Birth of Novartis

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter

An American woman heads an integration office for merger transition activities between two giant Swiss pharmaceutical companies. She needed to develop an implementation plan to shape the new global powerhouse. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Global Strategy; Organizational Design; Strategic Planning; Pharmaceutical Industry; Switzerland; United States

December 2007 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Can PACIV (Puerto Rico) Serve European Customers?

Jorge Rodriguez-Gonzalez, PACIV's (Puerto Rico) founding CEO, is considering expanding PACIV's pharmaceutical manufacturing compliance services company to the U.K. and Europe. He has to decide whether to hire Wayne Snelgrove and how to define the scope of his... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Entrepreneurship; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Global Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Europe; United Kingdom; Puerto Rico