Advancing a New Drug to Improve Global Maternal Health Through a Tripartite Initiative

This case traces the development of a collaboration between Merck for Mothers, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to help prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), a leading cause of maternal mortality. The case highlights clinical trial results that show administering drugs that induce uterine contractions immediately following childbirth was the most important measure in preventing PPH, but that the recommended therapy—oxytocin—was often compromised at the point of delivery in areas with unreliable cold-chain infrastructure, due to its sensitivity to heat. The case describes how three unique actors worked together to advance the development and distribution of a uterotonic that could withstand temperature changes. The case describes negotiations and tensions around the large-scale clinical trial of the new drug and the steps undertaken to prepare diverse markets for its debut.

Learning Objectives: This case will allow readers to appreciate (1) the potential of public-private partnerships to accelerate drug discovery and development, (2) the production and approval processes for a global health product; (3) the complexity of developing and preparing a product to enter a fragmented market without clear demand or distribution channels; (4) the advantages and drawbacks of investing in a point-of-care intervention for a public health issue that has multiple root causes.

The Global Health Delivery (GHD) Project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Harvard Business School, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, investigates the management decisions behind disease treatment and prevention globally. The Global Health Delivery (GHD) Case Collection is a set of teaching case studies that are available for all at no cost online through Harvard Business Publishing, GHDonline, and The Case Centre.