Subject category:
Strategy and General Management
Published by:
International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
Version: 08.05.2023
Revision date: 20-Jun-2023
Length: 18 pages
Data source: Field research
Share a link:
https://casecent.re/p/191574
Write a review
|
No reviews for this item
This product has not been used yet
Abstract
At the beginning of 2020, a few weeks before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, Andre Goerke, the Head of Value Chain Management at Lonza - a leading pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing company based in Switzerland - had just completed the merger of two global business units into a new biotech business unit of the company. After returning from a wonderful day of snowboarding, Andre received a phone call from his friend Juan Andres that would change his professional focus for the next two years. Juan had become the Head of Technical Operations at the US biotech start-up Moderna - which was working on various early-stage drugs using the novel mRNA technology. The world had been watching with sorrow as cases of COVID-19 appeared in Europe, and stock markets across the globe were in free fall. After learning of these mounting concerns about a pandemic, Moderna had immediately started sequencing the COVID-19 virus. It was convinced that it had an effective and safe mRNA sequence that could serve as a vaccine against the virus. But it had not been able to manufacture anywhere near the volume necessary to fight a global pandemic. Hence, Juan asked Andre if Lonza could set up a global supply chain and be Moderna's active ingredient partner to manufacture hundreds of millions of mRNA vaccine doses a year. Andre sensed that this was an incredible opportunity, but there were several risks involved, including counterparty, technology, legal, regulatory, supply chain and HR risks. From multiple angles, this looked like a mission impossible for Lonza, especially since manufacturing was expected to start by the end of 2020.
Time period
The events covered by this case took place in 2020-2022.Geographical setting
Region:
World/global
Featured company
Lonza Group
Employees:
10000+
Turnover:
CHF 4.5 billion (2021)
Industry:
Manufacturing:Biotechnology;Health Care;Health Care:Pharmaceuticals
Subject category:
Strategy and General Management
Published by:
International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
Version: 31.05.2023
Length: 20 pages
Data source: Field research
About
Abstract
At the beginning of 2020, a few weeks before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, Andre Goerke, the Head of Value Chain Management at Lonza - a leading pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing company based in Switzerland - had just completed the merger of two global business units into a new biotech business unit of the company. After returning from a wonderful day of snowboarding, Andre received a phone call from his friend Juan Andres that would change his professional focus for the next two years. Juan had become the Head of Technical Operations at the US biotech start-up Moderna - which was working on various early-stage drugs using the novel mRNA technology. The world had been watching with sorrow as cases of COVID-19 appeared in Europe, and stock markets across the globe were in free fall. After learning of these mounting concerns about a pandemic, Moderna had immediately started sequencing the COVID-19 virus. It was convinced that it had an effective and safe mRNA sequence that could serve as a vaccine against the virus. But it had not been able to manufacture anywhere near the volume necessary to fight a global pandemic. Hence, Juan asked Andre if Lonza could set up a global supply chain and be Moderna's active ingredient partner to manufacture hundreds of millions of mRNA vaccine doses a year. Andre sensed that this was an incredible opportunity, but there were several risks involved, including counterparty, technology, legal, regulatory, supply chain and HR risks. From multiple angles, this looked like a mission impossible for Lonza, especially since manufacturing was expected to start by the end of 2020.
Settings
Time period
The events covered by this case took place in 2020-2022.Geographical setting
Region:
World/global
Featured company
Lonza Group
Employees:
10000+
Turnover:
CHF 4.5 billion (2021)
Industry:
Manufacturing:Biotechnology;Health Care;Health Care:Pharmaceuticals
Related
Subject category:
Strategy and General Management
Published by:
International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
Version: 31.05.2023
Length: 20 pages
Data source: Field research