Case Discussion Questions

1. On the porter's five forces model, explain why the pharmaceutical industry has
historically been a very profitable industry.

The Porter’s five forces model consists of rivals, new entrants, substitutes,
buyers, and suppliers. The pharmaceutical industry has historically been a very
profitable industry because of its limitations in competitions which rivals will take several
years before they can develop and introduce their products to the market. Because of
this, it makes a certain company monopolize the industry. Similarly, new companies
may introduce a product that is similar but not identical. It can treat illnesses similar to
the products of the existing company’s want to address, but it is not totally identical. Due
to the competition set by the first company, new companies have difficulties entering the
market due to the costs and risks that they need to encounter first before their products
can successfully compete in the market. Tendency, the company who succeeded in the
pharmaceutical industry became the supplier of that certain product and drives the
market.  Also, the pharmaceutical industry is considered a very profitable because of
the demands by the buyers. Everyone may avail medicines especially the older ones
who already have prescription drugs or maintenance which makes the pharmaceutical
industry increase their profits. On the other hand, substitutes for medicine are not
considered by the buyers sometimes. They trust medicines which undergo clinical trials
and have been proven that it can treat certain illnesses.  

2. After 2002, the profitability of the industry, measured by ROIC, started to decline.
Why do you think this occurred?

The average ROIC in 2002 was 21.6% but when 2006 came, it had fallen to
14.5%. There are several factors that affects the sudden decreased of ROIC from 2002
to 2006 and above such as the expiration of their patent protection which makes the
other companies produce generic versions of certain drugs. Due to what happened, the
profit decreased by typically up to 80%. Also, because of the costs and risks in
developing a new product, most companies spent a lot of money for research and
development and still most of them failed to produce a new product in the market. They
also have an expensive cost for advertising and promotion of their products just to
compete in the market. Lastly, the increasing competitors in the industry which forced
the other companies to spend more money for research and development.
 

3. What are the prospects for the industry going forward? What are the
opportunities, what are the threats? What must pharmaceutical firms do to exploit
the opportunities and counter the threats?
 The prospects for the industry going forward is the hope that some firms may
develop and produce drugs that can treat severe illnesses and intractable medical
conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and
AIDS. But it will not be going to be easy because usually politicians are looking for ways
to lessen the health care costs which limits the users to have access to the drugs that
they take as treatments, so they put price controls. Also, other selling drugs lose their
patent protection that gives way to the generic drug companies to challenge the
proprietary drug companies especially when it comes to pricing. Lastly, FDA approved
drugs that can cause greater risks to a human. So, pharmaceutical firms should have a
strategic plan on how they will drive a market given that they already have their
opportunities and threats.

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