Abstract

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) is redefining the way pharmaceutical industry works. In an industry which is known for secrecy and non-transparency, GSK has taken to radically defining openness by adapting open innovation and opening its labs for collaborations. It is also sharing its clinical trials data and intellectual property in order to promote transparency and is hoping to discover drugs faster and save millions of people suffering from various diseases. On the other critics opined that this open strategy is a part of market segmentation strategy to cater to patients in both the developing countries and the developed countries. They say that there is no major difference to patients on the ground as the price of GSK’s products were still out of the pocket of millions residing in least developed countries. While the critics doubt the seriousness of GSK’s radical openness, the company hopes that its efforts would bring about a change in a long run and set new benchmarks in the pharmaceutical industry.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Identify the driving forces behind radical Openness.
• Understand the role played by Radical Openness in a secretive pharmaceutical industry
• Identify the quantum of benefits that GSK realized as a result of Radical Openness
• Debate on Radical Openness as a competitive Advantage

Keywords

Radical Openness, Pharmaceutical industry, GSK, Transparency, Open Lab, Clinical trials, Intellectual property, Research and Development, Clinical Study Register, Harvard Medical School, Non-Communicable Diseases, HIV, Malaria, Cancer, Neglected Tropical Diseases