Aventis's Global Management Challenge

Through the integration of Hoechst Marion Roussel and Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Aventis is creating a truly global, inexorably interlocked network of drug discovery and development capabilities. The need to improve sales performance and increase capitalization--a defense against takeover--drove the merger. But the merger also gave it both more R&D resources and an opportunity to retool its process. As this question and answer session with Aventis's Frank Douglas, head of R&D, notes, the company is emphasizing the creation of capabilities through internal and external investments, rather than scale. The reconfiguration draws on Douglas's experience in HMR's previous, and far less successful mergers. Aventis has set clear project priorities and created interlocking R&D functions in the US, France, and Germany, with platform technology resources-wherever they're located-directed to priority projects. The result, Douglas believes, is a system that focuses on optimizing the global portfolio, not the site portfolio. The company's challenge now, and perhaps its biggest opportunity, comes from being a truly multinational organization. Aventis has core drug discovery and development sites in the US, France, and Germany, and has chosen to distribute decision-making equally among them. That facilitates outreach to academia and biotechs, but it's not the most efficient way to organize and requires extra time and work for communication.

by Mark L. Ratner

Among the never-ending consolidations in the pharmaceutical industry, Aventis SA —formed a year ago through the merger of Hoechst...

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

More from Business Strategy

When VC Steps Back: Finding Alternative Biotech Funding

 
• By 

The biotech funding landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift. With traditional VC becoming increasingly cautious and selective, industry executives are exploring new avenues for capital. Conversely, this evolution may ultimately benefit the sector's long-term sustainability.

Podcast: “They Are Able To Keep Their Body”: Medipost On Its Stem Cell Therapy Vision

 

In Vivo spoke with Edward Ahn, CEO of Medipost, a Korean company that has developed stem cell therapies from cord blood, on how they are working across regulatory markets to provide a novel treatment for degenerative diseases.

Can Italy Shake Off Its Reputation And Become A Premier Hub For Biotech?

 
• By 

Leading industry experts have spoken to In Vivo about how investment, a change in mindset and a fresh approach to policy may allow Italy to kick-start its biotech ecosystem.

Rising Leaders 2025: Abbas Kazimi’s Vision For Nimbus Therapeutics

 
• By 

Rising Leader Abbas Kazimi's leadership at Nimbus Therapeutics combines immigrant resilience, patient-first partnerships, contrarian strategic bets and a deeply personal mission driving breakthrough drug discovery innovation.

More from In Vivo

Rising leaders 2025: Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt On Maxion Therapeutics’ Antibody Revolution

 
• By 

Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt is leading the charge to redefine how ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are targeted with antibody therapies, one of the most notoriously challenging classes of drug targets.

Podcast: Scancell’s Cancer Vaccine Progress With NHS Partnership

 
• By 

In the latest podcast interview, Phil L'Huillier, CEO of Scancell, discussed the company's work in cancer vaccine development, and its selection as the first British biotech to be a part of the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.

Geopolitical Volatility Not Dimming A Healthy Mid-Term Outlook For Life Sciences Deals

 
• By 

New report by global law firm Taylor Wessing and Bayes Business School forecasts a steadily increasing volume of major life sciences M&A in the coming five years, but highlights concerns over cybersecurity and unrealistic valuations. Taylor Wessing partner Andrew Edge spoke to In Vivo.