Focused Portfolio Measures to Support Decision Making Throughout the Pipeline

Abstract

The amount and type of information available for investigational drug assets varies a lot depending on where the individual asset lies in the research and development pipeline. Therefore, when considering the key elements of asset valuation (risk, time, cost, and value) and the key portfolio measures (flow rate, volume, value, strategy, and balance), the dependence upon any one element or measure changes. The focus in research is to understand the number of discovery programs in each area, the productivity of each program based on effort, and the risk associated with each. In early development you want to anticipate and evaluate the options that exist if the current plan is unsuccessful. In late development the key is matching your final product development to the market needs to ensure a good return on what is now a large investment. As one gets closer to commercialization, opportunities to comarket and/or copromote should be evaluated to drive up market share. With life cycle management, cannibalization and patent extension become key issues. Finally with in-licensing, filling gaps becomes of paramount importance and thus, you may permit lower hurdles than those set for internal investigational drug assets.