But there is some doubt that these arrangements can deliver all the benefits and cost savings of a full merger. For now, mergers are the name of the game for most big pharmaceutical companies. Companies merge for any number of reasons. The one thing that is rarely cut is marketing and sales. These are so important that most companies use as much marketing force as they can get.
Mergers also beget more mergers.
The absence of future blockbusters is another powerful incentive to merge. But this strategy may backfire. Peyre echoes her view. One reason for this could be the sluggish nature of large organizations, says Pappas. Keeping scientists happy is an art.