Return on Dreams...

"Drugs firms are rethinking their business model.

"LIPITOR is a drug company's dream. The cholesterol pill made by Pfizer, an American pharmaceuticals giant, is the world's best-selling drug. Last year it earned over $13 billion in revenues. Other hugely successful drugs include GlaxoSmithKline's Advair, an asthma remedy, and Plavix, a blood thinner, which is sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis. Both enjoy billions of dollars in annual sales.

"Despite such rewards, however, pharmaceutical companies are reconsidering their pursuit of blockbuster drugs, as new technology permits the creation of niche remedies that target rare ailments or sub-populations of people suffering from common diseases."

(“Business: Beyond the blockbuster; Pharmaceuticals.” The Economist: June 30, 2007. Vol.383, Iss. 8535; pg. 75)