Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Innovative Pharmaceutical Corporations : the Case of BIOGEN

• Autorzy: Janina Witkowska

Warianty tytułu

Społeczna odpowiedzialność (CSR) innowacyjnych korporacji farmaceutycznych : studium przypadku BIOGEN

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The aim of this paper is to discuss the common features and specificity of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices of innovative transnational corporations (TNCs) acting in the pharmaceutical industry. The innovativeness of pharmaceutical firms is understood here as their ability to make a breakthrough in the treatment of rare, incurable diseases. The examination of the issue leads to the conclusion that the specificity of CSR in this industry is related to the contradiction between the economic and social/ethical aspects of innovation processes in this field. A key issue of CSR in the innovative pharmaceutical industry seems to be the pricing of drugs, especially orphan and ultra-orphan drugs, resulting in patients from less developed countries having limited access to life-saving medicines or those that improve the quality of life. Corporations use their monopolistic position to set extremely high prices. However, without the market/marketing exclusivity offered to pharmaceutical firms by the law, orphan drugs would probably not be developed, produced and commercialized. Traditional CSR practices (corporate philanthropy, community and neighborhood programs, volunteerism etc.) cannot be treated as sufficient 'compensation' for the high prices of medicines. Real, true CSR in the innovative pharmaceutical industry requires either abandoning or reducing extreme monopolistic privileges and offering medicines for rare diseases at lower prices. (original abstract)

Celem artykułu jest dyskusja nad ogólnymi cechami społecznej odpowiedzialności przedsiębiorstw (CSR) i specyfiką praktyk podejmowanych w tym zakresie przez innowacyjne korporacje transnarodowe, działające w przemyśle farmaceutycznym. Innowacyjność firm farmaceutycznych rozumiana jest tu jako ich zdolność do dokonywania przełomu w leczeniu rzadkich, nieuleczalnych chorób. Analiza tego problemu prowadzi do wniosku, że specyfika CSR w tym przemyśle jest związana ze sprzecznością, jaka ujawnia się między ekonomicznymi i społecznymi/etycznymi aspektami procesów innowacyjnych. Kluczową kwestią społecznej odpowiedzialności przedsiębiorstw w innowacyjnym przemyśle farmaceutycznym wydaje się być wycena leków, a w szczególności tzw. leków na choroby sieroce i ultra-sieroce, a co za tym idzie ograniczony dostęp pacjentów z mniej rozwiniętych krajów do leków ratujących życie bądź poprawiających jakość ich życia. Korporacje wykorzystują swoją monopolistyczna pozycję do ustanawiania ekstremalnie wysokich cen tych leków. Jednak bez przyznanej im prawnie rynkowej wyłączności, leki na choroby sieroce nie powstałyby i nie zostały wprowadzone na rynek. Tradycyjne praktyki CSR (filantropia, programy na rzecz społeczności lokalnych, wolontariat itp.) nie mogą być traktowane jako wystarczająca "kompensata" za wysokie ceny leków. Rzeczywista, prawdziwa społeczna odpowiedzialność w innowacyjnym przemyśle farmaceutycznym wymaga rezygnacji z monopolistycznych przywilejów bądź ich zmniejszenia i zaoferowanie leków na rzadkie choroby po niższych cenach. (abstrakt oryginalny)

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); Pharmaceutical company; Medications

PL

Społeczna odpowiedzialność biznesu; Przedsiębiorstwo farmaceutyczne; Leki

• Czasopismo: Comparative Economic Research
• Rocznik: 2018
• Tom: 21
• Numer: nr 3
• Strony: 45--62

Twórcy

autor

Janina Witkowska

• University of Lodz, Poland

Bibliografia

• A biotech pioneer, https://www.biogen.com/en_us/about-biogen/history.html, [accessed: 18.04.2017].
• Benabou, R., Tirole, J. (2010), Individual and Corporate Social Responsibility, ʽEconomicaʼ, 77, DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0335.2009.00843.x.
• Berman, J. J. (2014), Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs. Keys to Understanding and Treating the Common Diseases, Elsevier Inc., DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-419988-0.00016-X.
• BIOGEN (2016), Inspired Impact, 2015 Corporate Citizenship Report.
• BIOGEN (2017), Positions & Policy, https://www.biogen.com/en_us/...biogen/positions-and-policy.html, [accessed: 18.04.2017].
• BIOGEN (2017a), Science That Matters, 2016 Global Impact Report.
• BIOGEN (2017b), 2017 Corporate Citizenship Report, https://www.biogen.com/en_us/corporate-citizenship-report.html, [accessed: 18.04.2017].
• Bondy, K., Moon, J., Matten, D. (2012), An Institution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Multi-National Corporations (MNCs): Form and Implications, "Journal of Business Ethics" 111, DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1208-7.
• Bruyaka, O., Zeitzmann, H. K., Chalamon, I., Wokutch, R. E., Thakur, P. (2013), Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility and Orphan Drug Development: Insights from the US and the EU Biopharmaceutical Industry, ʽJournal of Business Ethicsʼ, 117, DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1496-y.
• Carroll, A. B., Shabana, K. M. (2010), The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Concepts, Research and Practice, ʽInternational Journal of Management Reviewsʼ, DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00275x.
• Crane, A., Matten, D., Spence, L. J. (2014), Corporate Social Responsibility: in a Global Context, [in:] Corporate Social Responsibility: Readings and Cases in a Global Context, Crane, A., Matten, D., Spence, L. J. (eds.), London, New York, Routlegde Taylor &Francis Group.
• Cure SMA (2018), SPINRAZA (Nusinersen), http://www.curesma.org/spinraza, [accessed: 8.02.2018].
• Droppert, H., Bennett, S. (2015), Corporate social responsibility in the global health: an exploratory study of multinational pharmaceutical firms, 'Globalization and Health', 11: 15, DOI: 10.1186/s12992-015-0100-5.
• Drugdevelopment-technology.com (2017), Spinraza (nusinersen) for the Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), United States of America, http://www.drugdevelopment-technology.com/projects/spinraza-nusinersen-for-the-treatment-of-spinal-muscular-atrophy-sma [accessed: 8.05.2017].
• EC (2008), Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on rare Diseases: Europe's Challenges, Brussels, 11.11.2018, COM 2008, 679 final.
• EMA (2018), Orphan Incentives, European Medicines Agency, http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/regulation/general_cont, [accessed: 1.02.2018].
• EU (2011), Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A Renewed EU Strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility, Brussels, 25.10.2011 COM 2011, 681 final.
• FDA (2018), Information on the Orphan Products Clinical Trials Grants Program, https://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/DevelopingProductsforRareDiseasesConditions/wh..., [accessed: 2.02.2018].
• FDA/CEDER SIBA (2015), Patents and Exclusivity, 'FDA/CDER SIBA Cronicles', May 19th.
• Friedman, M. (1970), The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits, ʽThe New York Times Magazineʼ, http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/dunnwerb/rprtns.friedman.html
• Henderson, D. (2001), The Case Against 'Corporate Social Responsibility, 'Policy', http://www.cis.org.au/Policy/winter01/polwin01-6.htm, [accessed: 1.02.2018].
• IOM (Institute of Medicine) (2010), Rare Diseases and Orphan Products.IN: Accelerating Research and Development, Field, M. J., Boat, T. F. (eds.), Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
• Lee, M., Kohler, J. (2010), Benchmarking and Transparency: Incentives for the Pharmaceuticla Industry's Corporate Social Responsibility, 'Journal of Business Ethics', DOI: 10.1007/s10551-010-0444-y.
• Leisinger, K. M. (2005), The corporate social responsibility of the pharmaceutical industry: idealism without illusion and realism without resignation, 'Business Ethics Quarterly', Vol. 15, Issue 4.
• Lὅrniczy, Formankova (2015), Business Ethics and CSR in Pharmaceutical Industry in the Czech Republic and Hungary?, 'Acta Universitaties Et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis', Vol. 63, 218, DOI: 10/11118/actaun201563062011.
• MarketLine (2013), Orphan drugs rescue from patients cliff, MarketLine Case Study, Reference Code: ML00013-049, www.marketline.com, the access from the library of the University of Lodz.
• MarketLine (2015), Company profile, Biogen, Inc., Reference Code: FDF32667-BEBA-4F5C-8341-C3765B7F1E88, www.marketline.com, the access from the library of the University of Lodz.
• Market Realist, Biogen's Targeted Marketing Strategy for Spinraza in 1Q17, http://marketrealist.com/2017/04/biogen-developed-targeted-marketing-strategy-spinraza-1q17/, [accessed: 1.02.2018].
• Min, M., Desmoulins-Lebeault, F., Esposito, M. (2017), Should Pharmaceutical Companies Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility?, ʽJournal of Management Developmentʼ, Vol. 36, No. 1.
• Nussbaum, A. (S.) K. (2008), Ethical corporate social responsibility and the pharmaceutical industry: A happy couple?, ʽJournal of Medical Marketingʼ, Vol. 9, No. 1.
• Orphan Drug Act, https://www.fda.gov.RegulatoryInformation/LawsEnforcedbyFDA/SignificantAmend..., [accessed: 26.01.2018].
• Porter, M. E., Krame, M. R. (2006), Strategy & Society. The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility, 'Harvard Business Review', HBR.ORG, December 2006.
• Public Health, Rare Diseases, https://ec.europa.eu/health/rare_disease/policy/en, [accessed: 26.01.2018].
• Public Law 97-414 (1983), An Act To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to facilitate the development of drugs for rare diseases and conditions, and for other purposes, 4 January 1983, 97th Congress, 96 STAT.
• Public Law 107-280 (2002), Rare Disease Act of 2002, November 6, 2002, 107th Congress, 116 STAT.
• SMA Europe (2017), Biogen provides community update on Spinraza European pricing, SMA Europe News, http://www.sma-europe.eu/news/biogen-provides-community-update-on-spinraza-eur..., [accessed: 7.02.2018].
• Weintraub, A. (2017), Biogen's Spinraza sparks pricing concerns as Trump renews attack on pharma, 'Fierce Pharma', https://www.Fiercepharma.com/pharma/biogen-s-spinraza-sparks, [accessed: 19.05.2017].

Identyfikatory

DOI

https://doi.org/10.2478/cer-2018-0018