From a twinkle in the eye to a blockbuster drug

Drug discovery and development remains an arduous and risky enterprise, des pite the unprecendented Power of genomics and other tools. The story behind Celebrex (R) (celecoxib), a highly successful medicine for arthritis, illu strates the importance of key management practices in the R&D process. A su ccessful head of R&D must (1) select excellent targets for drug discovery, (2) drive rapidly to "killer" experiments that provide decision-critical in formation, (3) focus limited resources to enhance speed, (4) break down bar riers between research and manufacturing, and (5) manage product life cycle s effectively.