Pharma Industry Structure Flashcards
What is the pharmaceutical industry?
A global sector focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and marketing medicines and healthcare products.
What are the two key contributions of the pharmaceutical industry?
Economic Impact – Generates revenue, creates jobs, and contributes to GDP.
Healthcare Contribution – Provides lifesaving medicines, vaccines, and medical devices.
Name the main types of pharmaceutical products.
Small Molecules, Biologics, Generics, Biosimilars, Vaccines, Diagnostics, Medical Devices.
How is the size of a pharmaceutical company measured?
Revenue, market capitalisation, profits, number of employees, patents, R&D investment.
What are the three main types of pharma businesses?
Big Pharma, Medium Pharma, Start-ups.
What are key features of pharmaceutical start-ups?
< 50 employees, venture-funded, fast decision-making, high risk, high reward, often acquired by larger companies.
What are the strengths and challenges of medium-sized pharma companies?
Strengths: Stable workforce, expertise, flexibility.
Challenges: Limited reach, smaller R&D budget, financial constraints.
What defines Big Pharma?
250+ employees, global presence, full R&D, manufacturing, sales, and marketing operations, large financial resources, growth through M&A.
What are the strengths and challenges of Big Pharma?
Strengths: Strong financial resources, global distribution, diversified portfolio.
Challenges: Slow decision-making, innovation hurdles, managing patent cliffs.
What are the main stages of a pharmaceutical business?
Drug Discovery, Development, Regulatory Approval, Manufacturing, Branding & Marketing, Sales & Distribution, Revenue & Profit Management.
Do all pharmaceutical companies cover all business stages?
No. Some specialise in drug discovery (e.g., biotech start-ups), others in commercialisation (e.g., contract manufacturers).
What factors affect pharma company rankings?
Patent expirations, market competition, mergers & acquisitions (M&A).
How do companies grow in the pharmaceutical industry?
Some expand organically, while others grow through M&A.
How do different types of pharmaceutical companies interact?
Start-ups innovate, Medium Pharma commercialises, Big Pharma acquires or licenses drugs.
Give an example of how start-ups, medium, and Big Pharma interact.
A small biotech develops a cancer drug → Medium Pharma runs clinical trials → Big Pharma acquires and markets it globally.
