Pharmaceutical globalisation and the local affiliate model

Globalisation is well-entrenched in the pharmaceutical industry. Companies of all sizes are increasingly looking beyond their own regions to market their products. Indeed, today, a typical large pharmaceutical company may have 100 or so operating companies or affiliates worldwide. Furthermore, manufacturing facilities can now be found in more than 150 countries, underscoring the global nature of the industry (1).

While Europe and North America combined account for nearly 75% of the global market, rapid growth in several key emerging markets means industry must ensure broad and deep global reach – and with it, the often widely diverging knowledge and expertise of all the markets in which they operate (2).