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New perspectives for better R&D performance: lessons learned from leading pharma companies
Alexander Schuhmacher1, Oliver Gassmann2, Sara Knapp2
1Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Germany; University of St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland.
Drug Discovery Today
|April 19, 2026
Summary
Pharmaceutical companies
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Drug discovery and development
- Innovation management
Background:
- Pharmaceutical R&D productivity is extensively studied.
- Current efficiency initiatives often lack external benchmarking.
- Internal vs. external innovation sources are not consistently compared.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze new drug approvals (2011-2022) by top 20 pharma companies.
- Differentiate between internally invented and externally acquired drugs.
- Focus on insights into internal R&D strategies and performance improvement.
Main Methods:
- Data collection on new drugs approved from 2011 to 2022.
- Categorization of drugs based on internal invention or external acquisition.
- Analysis of R&D strategies for top pharmaceutical firms.
Main Results:
- The study differentiates between internal and external innovation sources.
- Analysis provides insights into the R&D strategies of leading pharmaceutical companies.
- Identifies areas for potential improvement in R&D performance.
Conclusions:
- Internal R&D strategies significantly impact pharmaceutical innovation.
- Benchmarking internal vs. external drug development is crucial.
- Recommendations for enhancing pharmaceutical R&D performance are provided.
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