Pharmaceutical Licensing Success Is Tied to Clarity of Strategy on Both Sides, According to Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - April 16, 2009) - Pharmaceutical firms looking to license new drug candidates from other firms will improve their chances of achieving a successful alliance if they focus on building a relationship, not just acquiring an asset, according to a panel of drug industry leaders recently convened by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.

The executives also agreed that the better each party defines its strategy, the better able they will be to attract the right potential partnering opportunities, while saving time and effort pursuing opportunities that won't pan out.

"While there is no single approach to licensing, senior managers in the research-based drug industry understand that the factors defining success in drug development are rapidly changing," said Tufts CSDD Director Kenneth I Kaitin. "For example, developing a product considered best or first in its class is becoming secondary to marketing exclusivity, which may do more to drive revenue."

The executives, who convene several times a year at the Tufts CSDD Executive Forum Roundtable Series, also noted that:

--  Reaching agreement on risk factors, often one of the most challenging
    internal conversations for drug developers, is key to estimating overall
    clinical development costs and requires a multi-disciplinary team
    assessment.
    
--  Reducing complexity is important, and means identifying from the
    beginning who in each company is responsible for which elements of the
    transaction.
    
--  Developing an in-licensing culture requires continuous re-assessment
    and recalibration of terms, roles, and support systems. Knowing what worked
    well previously, backed up by good data, is important, but not necessarily
    gospel.
    

Scheduled Tufts CSDD Executive Forum Roundtables

Upcoming Tufts CSDD Executive Forum Roundtable meetings in 2009 will focus on the following:

* May 14 - Outsourcing: Economic and Operational Assessments
* Sept. 10 - Best R&D Practices of Top Pharma/Biotech Performers
* Nov. 12 - Comparative Approaches to Capacity Forecasting

To learn more, call 617-636-2170.

About the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development

The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (http://csdd.tufts.edu) at Tufts University provides strategic information to help drug developers, regulators, and policy makers improve the quality and efficiency of pharmaceutical development, review, and utilization. Tufts CSDD, based in Boston, conducts a wide range of in-depth analyses on pharmaceutical issues and hosts symposia, workshops, and public forums, and publishes the Tufts CSDD Impact Report, a bi-monthly newsletter providing analysis and insight into critical drug development issues.

Contact Information: Contact: Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development Charlene Neu 617-636-2187 Business Communication Strategies Peter Lowy 617-734-9980