articles 1 to 10 of 72
Anatomy of a Merger: 'Hostile Deals Become Friendly in the End, Right?'
When Roche Holding acquired full ownership of Genentech last year, the $46.8 billion deal was the culmination of a more than 20-year relationship between the Swiss pharmaceutical giant and the Silicon Valley biotechnology company. In a recent presentation at Wharton San Francisco, Steve Krognes -- a former Roche executive who is now senior vice president and CFO of Genentech -- talked about the pharma company's decision to pursue the merger, efforts to raise capital amid the beginnings of the 2008 recession, and the aftermath of the deal.
From: September 01, 2010
The Price of a Cure? How Big Pharma Can Help Poverty-stricken Populations
How much is a cure for an illness that afflicts the poor really worth? That question is the cornerstone of a plan by Thomas Pogge, a Yale University professor of philosophy and international affairs, to address disconnects in pharmaceutical innovation that leave millions in the developing world suffering from neglected diseases. In a recent presentation at Wharton, Pogge explained how his Health Impact Fund would employ the true value of a cure to encourage drug makers to come up with medicines that would help poverty-stricken populations around the world.
From: May 26, 2010
Health Care Reform: Not Ready to Be Discharged Yet
America's health care reform may be out of the emergency room, but its prognosis remains sketchy. Passage of the historic 2,400-page legislation by no means ended the health care debate, say Wharton experts: It just splintered one massive question mark into a lot of new big ones. As one Wharton professor noted: "The current legislation is going to be in play for a good long time." But he also pointed out that the bill offers new business opportunities in such areas as medical information technology, education and methods of delivery.
From: March 31, 2010
Pharma Is at Pains to Replace Blockbusters: Has It Found the Cure?
As the pharmaceutical industry comes to grips with the expiration of some $130 billion in patented products over the next four years, executives can no longer bank on a single drug like Lipitor to drive earnings. Instead, they are aiming to diversify their drug portfolios, hoping to develop products for far less than the $800 million-plus figure often cited as the price of bringing a new drug to market. According to industry experts, new paths involve innovative business models and unfamiliar risks, including allowing outsiders to see company secrets at earlier stages and mimicking biotech venture capital models.
From: February 03, 2010
Lean Health Care: Lower Costs, Better Outcomes
Could lean processes transform the U.S. health care system, with its spiraling costs and inconsistent quality? The industry's growing problems are creating a sense of urgency and a strong mandate for change. Lean's focus on cutting costs, increasing efficiency, streamlining processes, and improving patient outcomes may be just the prescription for this ailing sector.
From: November 11, 2009
Why Improving Global Health Care Is Everyone's Responsibility
Throughout the developing world, infectious disease and chronic illnesses confront more than one billion people living in poverty. To make significant strides in global health, governments and for-profit and non-profit businesses must find a way to foster innovative, breakthrough solutions not only to treat illnesses, but also to improve the delivery of health care itself. Nobel Prize winners and global health care experts will be exploring these issues during a Festival of Thinkers panel titled, Future Well-Being: Towards a Healthier World.
From: November 09, 2009
Rx for the Pharmaceutical Industry: Focus on Innovation, Not Marketing
The good news for the pharmaceutical industry is that, short-term, it may emerge as a winner in the health care reform battle as new customers enter the system and price protections remain in force. The bad news is that while big pharma has used increasingly large megamergers to support its reliance on blockbuster products, it still faces the long-term need to develop fundamentally new business models to cope with its most significant problem -- a failure to come up with new treatments, according to Wharton faculty.
From: October 14, 2009
Value Destruction: The Cost to Companies That Engage in Deceptive Marketing
On September 2, Pfizer agreed to pay $2.3 billion to settle civil and criminal allegations that it violated federal rules governing drug sales. While the settlement was the largest ever levied against a U.S. company, the indirect costs to Pfizer may be even higher over time in terms of lost shareholder value. New research puts a price on the less tangible costs to a company that can arise when marketing efforts backfire.
From: September 30, 2009
Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital: Expanding the Footprint of Offshore Health Care
Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital is one of a growing number of institutions making a name for themselves among "medical tourists" by offering patients from Boston to Bahrain a combination of lower-cost, state-of-the-art medical care along with service worthy of a five-star hotel. But what will it take for such hospitals to gain acceptance among national policy makers, major insurers and employers? Mack Banner, CEO of Bumrungrad, and Kenneth Mays, the hospital's director of marketing, recently met with Ravi Aron, a senior fellow at Wharton, to discuss the future of offshore health care.
From: September 02, 2009
Another Hurdle to Health Care Reform: Too Few General Practice Doctors
While the possibility that millions of uninsured Americans might soon have access to health coverage may conjure images of patients stacked up in hospital hallways or waiting for months for an MRI, the most likely stress point in an expanded health care system will involve the family doctor, according to Wharton health care experts and others.
From: July 22, 2009
