Correspondence: Bill Trombetta, St Joseph's University, The Erivan K Haub School of Business, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Tel: +1 215 369 9777; Fax: +1 610 660 3365; E-mail: dtrombet@aol.com

¹is Professor of Pharmaceutical Strategy & Marketing on the Faculty of the Erivan K Haub School of Business, St Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA, USA. He is also an attorney licensed in the States of New Jersey and New York where he specialises in healthcare antitrust law. He offers education/training seminars on site in Pharmaceutical/medical device marketing, strategy, pricing, product development, promotion/advertising and managed markets. He has published extensively and is an internationally recognised speaker on healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical device topics. He has taught on the faculties of Bocconi University Masters in Health Program, Milan and Chinese Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing. He has over seven years experience in online/distance education.

Received 27 February 2007; Revised 27 February 2007.

Abstract

This paper sets out an alternative strategic way to compete to the blockbuster model in the pharmaceutical industry. The alternative is: Category captain management that approaches a customer not as a supplier of physical products but more of a strategic partner. By focusing on what is needed to improve the drug company's customers in the way of performance metrics and patient healthcare behaviours, the drug company can become a valued ally of its downstream customers.