Genzyme: Engineering the Market for Orphan Drugs

Henry W. Chesbrough, Clarissa Ceruti

Genzyme has made money with external technology in orphan drug markets generally considered to be too small to be attractive to other drug companies. Now competition is entering these same markets, placing Genzyme's business model under new pressures.

Learning Objective

Illustrates novel approach to targeting drug markets and creative ways to use external technology.

Details: 

Pub Date: Mar 26, 2002 (Revised: May 13, 2002)

Discipline: Operations Management

Subjects: Business models, Buy-or-make decisions, Innovation, Market entry, Outsourcing, Target markets, Technology

Source: Harvard Business School

Product #: 602147-PDF-ENG

Teaching note: Not available

Industry: Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals

Geography: Massachusetts

Length: 20 page(s)