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Schering-Plough, Novartis and Foradil: Measuring the Need for New Products

Schering's willingness to take over the marketing responsibilities for Novartis's Foradil respiratory drug, which has been largely superseded by combination products, to some degree measures the depths of Schering's troubles. But it also indicates the kinds of competition small-company in-licensers are likely to face. A whole industry of in-licensing focused players has grown up to sell the non-core products of Big Pharma: if Schering is any indication, the competition for these products is likely to get even more intense.

Much of the attention in licensing circles goes to the big deals with big dollars attached to them. But another way to measure the desperate need for late-stage products among Big Pharma is to look at the deals for drugs with only middling commercial prospects.

Novartis AG had spent quite a lot developing its long-acting beta agonist, formoterol fumarate (Foradil) for the American market—including...

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