The Pharmaceutical Industry has been undergoing a major transformation since the heady days of 'big pharma' in the 1970s and 80s. Patent expiry, the rise of generics, and the decline of the blockbuster drug have all changed the landscape over the last 10-15 years. It's an environment where products can take 10 years or more to come to market, billions are spent on research and development, jobs are being shed in the western pharma homelands and regulators and the public are more demanding than ever. So what part is Knowledge Management playing and going to play in this vital international industry? Knowledge Management (KM) has many facets from providing comprehensive knowledge bases for workers, through the sharing of advice and problem solving, to providing an environment for innovation and change. This book, focusing on research and development, and manufacturing-based companies, explores how a range of techniques and approaches have been applied in the unique environment of the Pharmaceutical Industry, and examine how it can help the industry in the 21st century. Whilst the book is centered on the Pharmaceutical Industry, its objective will be to discuss and demonstrate how Knowledge Management can be applied in a variety of environments, and with a range of cultural issues. KM practitioners, and potential practitioners, both within and outside the Pharmaceutical Industry, will be able to gain valuable guidance and advice from both the examples of good practice and the lessons learned by the authors and contributors.
Blending the authors' considerable experiences with those of interviewees and with their retrospective and forward-looking perspectives, this volume explains how to apply Knowledge Management within a pharmaceutical company in order to achieve improved efficiency, better decision making and enhance innovation.
'This book demonstrates the critical importance of knowledge management and data sharing to translate the new vision of drug development into concrete actions. This is a timely endeavor since more than ever therapeutic advances depend on integrative analysis of big data by scientists acquainted to the principles of collective intelligence.' Michel Goldman, Executive Director, Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) 'This isn't just a book describing the theory of knowledge management, but rather an illustration of how it can be applied to the real, challenging world of the pharmaceutical industry. For those attempting to improve ways of working collaboratively in pharma, look here for some practical and pre-tested ideas, even if a formal KM strategy is already in place.' Alison Zartarian, AstraZeneca 'With little published in this area, this book provides valuable, concrete evidence of the value of Knowledge Management (KM) to Pharma operations. Key KM principles are exemplified by a blend of case material and anecdote - easy to read and tempting to adopt. The content should stimulate readers to seek the KM opportunities in their own organisations - in Pharma and beyond.' Sandra Ward, Principal Consultant, Beaworthy Consulting 'Goodman and Riddell have extensive experience in supporting pharmaceutical development through information management and bring their expertise to the text. ...the authors not only impart their combined knowledge but collect and document the experiences of many interviewees with relevant industry backgrounds. ...it does give a clear overview of the theory of knowledge management and provides the reader with the key elements needed to create a culture that supports it. ...detailed and descriptive, with diagrams to aid understanding where necessary. ... Those wanting to implement or improve knowledge management within their own companies can learn from the successes and failures of others through this text. This book will be of
