Can “Small Pharma” Do it Better?

Colossal drug makers like Pfizer, Merck, and Eli Lilly hold a huge portion of the pharmaceutical industry market share. In addition to being protected by anti-consumer legislation like Michigan’s FDA Immunity Law, these enormous corporations can be inefficient in bringing new drugs to the market – yet another way Big Pharma fails consumers. Dennis Goldberg, president and CEO of neXus therapeutics, Inc., thinks he has the answer: a smaller, more streamlined drug maker.

Mr. Goldberg has successfully developed three drugs using his model. While he handles the business affairs of the company, private research firms test the drugs. That way, Mr. Goldberg doesn’t have to pay for the entire lab and its staff unless he’s actively engaged in the testing phase. The result is a fast and cost-effective production process compliant with FDA standards.

“Do we really need to build another big company? We need more drugs. So we’re just focusing on the drug part.” -Dennis Goldberg, in an interview with NPR member station WBUR.

Hopefully, this small and nimble approach to developing new prescription drugs will bring more safe and effective treatments to market. The patients who can benefit from these soon-to-be-discovered therapies will not only receive much-need new medications, it may be available at a fraction of the cost.