The company faces a series of challenges that attack head-on one of the most successful franchises in drug industry history. New approaches to treating ulcers, combination therapies that eradicate the bacteria that causes the disease rather than simply treat its symptoms, will likely lead to an overall decrease in the use of H2 antagonists. Even more threatening for Glaxo Wellcome is the pending genericization of Zantac (ranitidine). The question the company faces: will the same strategies that helpe

As the worst threats of managed care receded, the industry saw an explosion in the number of available, innovative late-stage drugs, both from biotechs and from mid-sized companies unable to sell them on their own. Genomics and combinatorial chemistry burst onto the R&D scene, generating a huge wealth of targets and compounds. The result has been a sudden return to the roots of the drug industry: finding and selling innovative branded products.

Convergence-the increasing overlap of media, computing, and communications-is providing broad connectivity for a wealth of digitized health care information that is being developed by health care providers, technology companies, and consumers themselves. This article examines the impact of convergence on the health care industry and identifies the strategic questions it raises for pharmaceutical and device manufacturers.

Companies in all industry segments are forced to confront a host of issues-from information technology to the growth of new models of health care delivery such as integrated systems-albeit in different ways.