Organizing for innovation: towards successful translational research

The current productivity crisis in drug discovery has prompted the pharmaceutical industry to decentralize R&D, which is now more responsive, more flexible and better connected to research in academia and biotechnology firms. Organizational changes are also under way in academia. Universities are expanding their technology transfer offices and research funders are investing more in translational research. This article explains how organizational changes in industry and academia can complement each other. Successful translation of research into innovative drugs needs to take account of the increasing organizational complexity of drug discovery as the knowledge to be integrated becomes more diffuse, specialized and valuable.