AstraZeneca's Pangalos On How He Turned Around R&D Productivity

As head of AstraZeneca's global research and early development arms Menelas Pangalos has, in the space of eight years, boosted AstraZeneca's pipeline productivity from below industry average to one of the best, at a fraction of the cost. He talked to Scrip about how he effected this transformation using his "5R" framework, and what he needs to do next.

Menelas (Mene) Pangalos — AstraZeneca's Mene Pangalos has turned around R&D productivity • Source: AstraZeneca

When Mene Pangalos first joined AstraZeneca PLC as head of its Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit in 2010 he was charged with turning around a pipeline that had become a byword for unproductivity. He embarked upon a root and branch reform of R&D that has now produced a pipeline viewed by some analysts as one of the most exciting in the industry. And what's more, he's spending less money.

Pangalos revealed the first details of his prescription for the company's ills –a five dimensional framework for decision making that...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip 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?

Altimmune’s Phase IIb MASH Data Send Share Price Plunging

27 Jun 2025

• By Joseph Haas

Altimmune’s stock price did not recover on June 27, after a 57% dip the day before, despite efforts to position pemvidutide as both resolving MASH and offering weight loss.

Deal Watch: Novartis To Develop Cardiovascular Therapies With ProFound

27 Jun 2025

• By Joseph Haas, Sushmita Panda, Jung Won Shin, and Alaric DeArment

Plus deals involving BioCryst/Neopharmed Gentili, Sanofi/Kymera, Abion, Denovo/Chuang Yi, Carisma/OrthoCellix, Otsuka/Harbour Biomed, Aptose/Hanmi, Philochem/RayzeBio, Concentra/Elevation Oncology, and more.