Courtesy of David Shopper Photography
Most people say this is an industry driven by how much money a drug, such as Lipitor, can bring in. I would argue that Lipitor is a great molecule, but it's the people who made the molecule the number-one selling drug on the planet. It took a talented team of chemists, clinicians, marketing executives, and regulatory experts to drive it to $4 billion in sales. The original discovery of a target is a small part of the value chain; you need to have world-class people all along to make your company a success.
In addition to a great team, you need intellectual property that takes a unique approach and is something investors will want to buy into. I believe new drugs are out there with the potential for Lipitor-like success, and biotechnology companies will most likely be the ones to find them. The pharma industry ...
