1. In Vivo
  2. >>Business Strategy

Category Focus Rewards Biopharma Shareholders

 
• By Jeff Haxer, Andy Pasternak, David Fleisch, and Todd Sangster

For decades, biopharma companies have relentlessly pursued growth, counting on pure scale and M&A cost synergies to create value. This strategy is reaching its limits and becoming counterproductive, according to Bain & Co. analysis. Megamergers that don’t produce category leaders also don’t create portfolios that are likely to deliver attractive shareholder returns over time.

IV1702_EconommicCrisis_1200x675

For years, biopharma industry leaders have wrestled with the limits of scale. Despite the benefits that come with size, companies with revenues of $35 billion or more have significantly underperformed smaller companies with annual revenues of between $5 billion and $35 billion in total shareholder returns (TSR). (See Exhibit 1.) Why do the largest companies struggle to deliver above-average shareholder returns? And more important, what can they do to lift a stubbornly low TSR?

The short answer: avoid complex, wide-ranging portfolios that undermine focus. Large biopharma companies compete in many categories and tend to accumulate an array of follower positions. The combined challenge of...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Business Strategy

Rising Leaders 2025: Metsera’s Whit Bernard’s Musical Path To Biotech Leadership

 
• By David Wild

Metsera CEO Whit Bernard applies an unconventional leadership philosophy to develop next-generation obesity therapeutics, including monthly GLP-1 injections and oral peptides.

AI In Drug Discovery: The Patent Implications

 
• By David Wild

A Q&A with DeAnn Smith, partner and co-chair of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board Proceedings Practice Group at law firm Foley Hoag.

Is Advanced AI Revolutionizing Sales Enablement In Pharma?

 
• By Marina Hickson

Advanced AI is revolutionizing sales enablement by addressing training gaps and performance challenges. Used correctly, it can help to bridge the sales-marketing divide, accelerate ramp-up times and provide managers with data-driven insights.

Laying The Foundation And Overcoming Prerequisites To Establish AI Within Health Care

 
• By Mike King

As the health care industry undergoes a digital transformation, the integration of AI into Quality and Regulatory Management Systems is proving essential. The challenges for successful AI deployment emphasize the need for robust digital infrastructure, data literacy programs and privacy measures to enhance patient safety and commercial performance.

More from In Vivo

The 360 Degrees Of European Biotech Financing In 2025

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

Almost halfway through 2025, and financing for European biotech could be described as challenging. Market volatility, geopolitical instability and trade barriers all loom large in biotech CEO minds when pitching for funding. In Vivo talked to biotechs and investors to gain a realistic view of the current market for company funding so far this year.

Rising Leaders 2025: Pedro Valencia’s ADC Vision At AbbVie

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

From chemical engineering to cancer innovation, AbbVie's rising oncology leader is advancing next-generation ADCs to tackle difficult-to-treat tumors with a patient-centered approach.

Leaders At The Frontier: Conversations From SynBioBeta 2025

 
• By David Wild

Mini-profiles of five synthetic biology companies and their leaders from SynBioBeta 2025 reveal how AI integration, data-driven platforms and interdisciplinary teams are revolutionizing drug discovery and manufacturing.