Journal de recherche en dermatologie clinique

GALDERMA – Staying competitive in dermatology drug R&D in a world where disease knowledge and technology development are evolving rapidly

John M. Armstrong

 Large biotech companies with a dermatology department generally harbor skills in large molecule development (i.e., monoclonal antibodies / mAbs) but never meet more than 20% of practicing dermatologists globally as a result. In contrast and by nature, dermatology start-up companies come to life with a product or products generated from a unique technology base that reflects either mAb or small molecular entity (SME) expertise; they may succeed by being acquired or by taking a long time to evolve. Historically, legacy pure dermatology players have started with similar limitations, but staying competitive has required them to add a new technology capability to their in-house expertise through either time- and resource-consuming FTE growth or M&A activity, and there are few such legacy derm companies remaining in the world. At Galderma, we have developed a new model for conducting dermatology research – one that allows us to: 1) address any unmet medical need with the most suitable technology required without waiting to grow in-house expertise or finance M&A; 2) double the resources we can invest in new projects; and 3) maintain our service to dermatologists throughout the world – whether they focus on mild disorders or the most severe, life-threatening diseases known in dermatology. In a world where disease knowledge and technology development are evolving at a pace at which others struggle to keep up, Galderma has found a way to ensure that the manufacturer need never be the rate-limiting step in bringing leading edge solutions to the prevention, treatment, or cure of dermatologic disorders.