Implementation of Statistical Innovation in a Pharmaceutical Company

Innovation, defined as the successful implementation at scale of a new invention, is key for continued success of the drug development enterprise. In this article we focus on statistical innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. We discuss both components, invention and implementation at scale, typically called commercialization, of innovation for statistical methods. These concepts are illustrated using three examples that we successfully implemented in our company. We summarize factors that foster or hinder invention and commercialization. A discussion of the mindset we consider supportive of innovation and how organizational leaders and professional organizations can generate an environment that fosters innovation concludes the article.