Pharma innovation expert cites Novartis

MANILA, Philippines - A respected pharmaceutical innovation expert has named Novartis as the best drug company of the decade.

Dr. Bernard Munos, founder of InnoThink Center for Research in Biomedical Innovation, made a list of 20 pharmaceutical companies that have developed the most number of new drugs over the past decade.

Novartis, which has developed 17 new drugs in the last 10 years, topped the list. From 2007 to 2010 alone, Novartis has received more regulatory approvals in the United States and European Union for new molecular entities than its competitors.

Tied for second place are GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson, both with 10 new drugs. Merck and Pfizer (nine new drugs) share third place.

Eli Lilly and Wyeth (seven new drugs) are tied for fifth place. Abbott and AstraZeneca (three new drugs) share eighth place, while Sanofi Aventis with two new drugs developed is in ninth place in the list.

Interviewed in the August 2011 issue of Forbes magazine, Munos said the success of Novartis is a result of its tendency to invest in breakthrough innovations.

Instead of chasing improvements to blockbuster drugs that help lots of people a little bit, Munos said in the Forbes article written by Matthew Herper, the pharma industry should focus on true breakthroughs that help patients a lot. 

The Novartis strategy of “focused diversification” mirrors Munos’ advice to the pharmaceutical industry “to spend research money in an entirely new way.” Novartis Healthcare Philippines country president Thomas Weigold said Novartis prioritizes its research efforts based on sound science and patient need — not the size of the potential commercial market. “We focus on research areas where there are unmet patient needs and where the scientific evidence is strongest,” Weigold said.