A few short quips from the President of Galderma, François Fournier, on his thoughts on the dermatology market. Just a couple of points below that were interesting.
For one, Galderma invests more in R&D than any other dermatology company.
Q. What do you see as the mission of your company?
… we also have a firm commitment to innovation in dermatology, which is why Galderma invests more than $200 million annually in research and development; more than any other dermatology company.
Q. What do you consider the greatest obstacle encountered in bringing new products to market?
A. Due to the complicated and lengthy process for drug discovery, a pharmaceutical company such as Galderma needs patience and passion. Patience is for the lengthy process of discovering a new molecule and bringing it to market. This involves a great deal of risk and a large financial commitment. But this is the beauty of our business. We have the passion to bring new products to market to offer new treatments to the millions of people across the world who suffer from skin diseases.
It is true that you need a heavy weight company to get from an interesting molecule to a marketable drug.
Q. In your opinion, what have been the greatest changes in the field of dermatology in the past 3 to 5 years?
A. Since 2005, the percentage of generic prescriptions in dermatology has grown from 58% to almost 70%
Interesting point; those who manufacture generics aren’t really in business to create new products. The suggestion here being that generic manufacturers are only capable of making money from other people’s intellectual efforts. Thank goodness for generics though, and of course for the limited lifetime of patents – otherwise new drugs would only ever be used by the most wealthy.
