Common-Sense Partnerships in Pharma

This week, Pixels & Pills is celebrating partnerships. Some are unexpected. Some haven’t happened yet, but need to. And some just plain make sense. Come along with us as we discuss the very principle that P&P is founded on.

By Jason Brandt (@Jasondmg3)

In our week on partnerships, we’re covering a variety of different kinds of collaborative efforts. We hope some of them might spark new ideas for you. But we don’t want to give short shrift to the partnerships that are less unusual, and maybe a little more utilitarian. These are the kind of partnerships that happen all the time – the partnerships that keep the industry alive. They make it run more efficiently: they bring the strengths of different types of organizations together for the benefit of everyone involved.

Partnerships between small and large pharma. Frequently, a molecule discovered by a small organization needs the power and reach of a large one to market it properly.

Partnerships between biotech and pharma. Similarly, a biotech company has the specific knowledge of their large molecule – but may need the old-school muscle of a traditional pharma to get it out.

Partnerships between diagnostics and pharma. As Med Ad News put it, “growth in personalized medicine is driving alliances between diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry.” Scientists are discovering that more and more drugs work better for people with different gene expressions than others. Targeting medicine for the people who’ll benefit most is a win for everyone.

Partnerships between advocacy organizations and pharma. These can be as formal and separate as a sponsorship donation, or as close as an outright merger or purchase. One example is J&J’s 2008 purchase of Children With Diabetes.

Partnership between researchers. From academic institutions, to hospitals, to government organizations, to non-profits, to corporations, there are many, many thousands of men and women investigating the mysteries of the human body, and how to help it.

You may think of your own organization as a monolith, a single entity – but when you stop and look at it, you’ll realize how many different partnerships have been negotiated and organized in order to make success happen.