In January 2009, Pfizer announced its acquisition of Wyeth in a cash and stock deal valued at $68 billion. This deal represented the first mega-acquisition since the world economic crisis, which began in September 2008. Jeff Kindler knew that the last acquisition (Pharmacia in 2003) had not gone as planned. Was Pfizer prepared for the Wyeth acquisition? Would it solve some of Pfizer's pressing problems or create new ones?

The integration of Wyeth began soon after the acquisition was announced in April 2009. Linked to the integration were a series of organizational structural changes. Jeff Kindler wondered whether the acquisition and all the organizational changes linked to it would be enough to generate real long-term success.

In February 2009, Andrew Witty reflected on his vision for big pharma as a catalyst for change which focussed on two key issues: 1) promoting innovation for the products that treat or prevent neglected tropical diseases and 2) improving access to medicines in the world's poorest countries. He had announced the creation of the "Pharmaceutical Patent Pool" and wondered if it was the right strategy to deliver on the two key issues.

In January 2010, Andrew Witty realized that the Pharmaceutical Patent Pool in and of itself was insufficient to generate action on neglected tropical diseases. He announced, therefore the "Open Labs, Open Minds" strategy. Was this enough to encourage action for neglected diseases affecting the world's poorest? How would GSK's shareholders react?

The chief executive officer (CEO) of a small chemical manufacturing operation is assessing his company's performance. Students are required to: (1) perform an industry and corporate size-up, (2) do competitor and consumer analyses, (3) complete and interpret a statement of cash flows, (4) calculate and analyze ratios, (5) perform qualitative analyses of both the chemical department and the sales department, (6) perform qualitative analysis and .....more

Birzeit Pharmaceutical Company (BPC) was established in 1974. It had successfully completed a number of mergers and had overcome challenges and development phases that led the company to secure a strong position in its local market, Palestine, as well as introduce a wide range of products in the export market. BPC's continuous success, despite political instability and continuous restrictions on its growth and expansion, led the company's .....more

AWARD WINNING CASE: Adjudged second best case at the ISB Case Competition 2010 held in partnership with the Richard Ivey School of Business and the Association of Indian Management Schools and sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. <br><br>This case describes the successful journey of Dr. Amita Joshi in a medium-sized pharmaceuticals organization, Samuel Drugs, in India, which was facing serious performance problems. .....more

DuPont had spent six years helping licensee manufacturers to develop the domestic market for non-stick cookware. While DuPont Teflon brand coating held 80 per cent of the non-stick market, the non-stick market overall represented 2 per cent of the domestic cookware market. Moreover, the amount of money spent on developing the non-stick market exceeded the revenue that DuPont received in the Chinese market. If DuPont decided to take a different role .....more

The case is woven around the decision dilemma faced by the second generation managing director of Ujwal Bharati Pharmaceuticals, a mid-size business. He had to decide whether to retain his non-family CEO or not. There are other issues related to corporate and family governance covered in the case as well.<br><br>This case was written in the context of the major efforts made by Indian family businesses in recent years to professionalize .....more

The case sketches the story of a charismatic and ambitious young business leader who, through value-adding commercial transactions, has helped set a South African pharmaceutical company, Adcock Ingram, on a trajectory of growth. The case reader meets up with him in May 2009 when he faces lack of closure and an ambiguous outcome to an offer to acquire a smaller pharmaceutical company. The case demonstrates the power of relationships, where the ambitions .....more