Product Overview

Lupin, an India-based pharma firm, started its Novel Drug Discovery and Development (NDDD) division in 2010. In 2018, the division licensed MALT1 inhibitors to AbbVie, an MNC Pharma firm for a down payment of USD 30 million, to be followed by progressive payments of USD 947 million over 10 years. This was the first success for the division. The case revolves around the organizational system and processes (industry, company specific) and market conditions that influence innovation and commercialization of an innovation in the organization. Lupin now has two programmes in the clinical development stage and has to decide whether it should go ahead with clinical trials or license these two molecules as well. The case also is about the NDDD processes at an Indian pharma firm seeking to develop new drugs as compared to MNC pharma firms.

Learning Objectives

To analyse the Drug discovery process followed at Lupin. a. How it is different from MNC pharma companies? To understand how Lupin executed the MALT1 Inhibitor development program. d. What are the key process and incentive parameters that drove the creation of MALT1 Inhibitor? a. How did they decide on various checkpoints? b. How did they hire and train the workforce? c. What were the market and business parameters that led to the choice of MALT1 inhibitor? To explore how the belief to innovate was instilled in the organization and among the teams. To analyse the licensing decision taken by Lupin. a. Should they continue to do so? Was it the right decision? Why or why not? b. What should Lupin do for the other NDDD candidates?