When Science is Not Enough: A Framework Towards More Customer-Focused Drug Development

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to identify the key barriers to a customer-focused drug development process and develop a comprehensive framework to overcome them. METHODS The paper draws on existing literature, both academic and practitioner, across a range of disciplines (innovation management, marketing, organizational behavior, behavioral economics, health economics, industry reports). On the basis of this extensive review, a conceptual framework is developed that offers concrete suggestions on how organizations can overcome the barriers and enable a more customer-focused development process. RESULTS The barriers to collaboration are organized into three distinct categories (economic, behavioral, organizational), and within each category, a one-to-one mapping between barriers and solutions is developed. CONCLUSION The framework is specifically designed with the objective of offering actionable and practical advice to executives who face these challenges in their organizations. The paper provides a unique theoretical contribution by synthesizing findings from several academic disciplines with concrete examples from the pharmaceutical industry. FUNDING Mundipharma International Limited.