For all its bluster about the various attractions of emerging markets, pharma’s foray into them has thus far been decidedly one dimensional. Multinationals’ current focus on tapping into new territories to juice top-line growth is understandable, especially given the severity of the business challenges on its home turf and the vast potential opportunities in core developing countries. Their efforts to harness innovation in emerging markets, whether scientific or strategic, have been less forceful, however, and remain largely a longer-term goal.
Yet, how Big Pharma perceives and accesses innovation in emerging markets is critically important to its welfare. Emerging markets offer...