Stepping back from the political hyperbole driving the prescription-drug debate is that American taxpayers, patients, and employers spend far more on hospitals than pharmaceuticals. Yet hospitals receive very little scrutiny of their escalating costs.

One company is atypical in the industry for its use of patient and caregiver input to guide its drug-development journey. That shows in the program for its lead drug entering later-stage trials in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

Leading Biosciences is applying the science of digestive proteases to treating or preventing multiple diseases and conditions, starting with delayed return of post-surgical bowel function (ileus) and adhesion with its lead product candidate, coded LB1148.

As one expert said, though there are many reasons to praise clinical trials for their contributions to drug development, they may not always be the best method to answer some of the most important biosimilar questions we have today.

When it comes to achieving success, a few commonalities have crystallized for me during my 30+ years in the pharma industry. Here I share five key tenets that I have found critical to success over the arc of my career.