Merck & Co's emerging markets head Kevin Ali's views on Innovation and India

Today's Economic Times published the interview of Mr. Kevin Ali, the Emerging Markets Head of pharmaceutical giant Merck. Vikas Dandekar and Divya Rajagopal conducted this interview for ET. The interview provides insights into

·         emerging market strategy of Merck;

·         partnerships of Merck with Indian companies;

·         ongoing Sitagliptin patent litigation;

·         future of pharma business; and

·         innovation and pharma industry.

The excerpts:

How do you describe the changes in emerging markets? How has MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme, as the company is called outside the US and and Canada) adapted to these changes?

As an industry we have learnt a very important lesson. You have to be exceptionally flexible, reactive and fast. I have learnt more in the last three years than what I have learnt in the last 27 years being in the company, because I have been forced to take some painful decisions.

How does MSD see Indian market in such a scenario?

We would like to see a day when we would like to involve more scientists in clinical trial, get more products registered and bring more medicines from our pipeline to India. What I learn from India is to be entrepreneurial in our approaches.

How do you see your partnerships with Indian companies, specifically the tie-up with Sun Pharma?
Given our partnership with Sun, Cipla and Lupin we are well established for the size that we are.

How do you see the intellectual property regime shaping up in India, especially in the context of patent challenge of (diabetes drug) Januvia by Glenmark?

We strongly believe that innovation will ultimately triumph in this country. One of the things that ultimately open for the innovation to come in is a stable, reasonable and practical patent rights. We have great faith in the court system.

Looking at the mega mergers and volatility in the industry, how do you see the future of pharma business?

In the next five years, not just MSD but the industry will not resemble what it is today. I guarantee you, it will change dramatically. New ways of thinking about how we operate will force us to change. I believe there will be many more consolidations and ultimately you will see a very different looking industry. If we don't remain fresh (pipeline-wise) we will become irrelevant.

Read more at:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48384430.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst