Helping you map the right way forward

Pharmaceutical companies are facing great changes to the industry — emerging science, new products and services, shifting demographics, evolving regulations, transforming business models and increased stakeholder expectations.

Ernst & Young’s Global Pharmaceutical Center brings together our worldwide team of professionals to help you achieve your potential — a team with deep experience in providing assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services to pharmaceutical companies around the globe. It’s a team that works to anticipate market trends and their implications. So you get practical advice on the right way forward for your organization.

We also publish a series of industry reports and articles that provide points of view on critical issues and topics. Our thought leadership helps you navigate the shifting global landscape and grow your business — the business of improving people's health.

Whether it’s forming the right alliances, improving operations, enhancing your reputation or gaining insights into the market, we can give you a clear perspective on how to drive value in today’s complex, competitive and risk-driven environment.

Progressions 2008

The critical role of the finance function in driving the business transformation that is now at the forefront of C-suite and boardroom discussions. "Progressions: transforming finance for peak performance: part I" focuses on finance transformation in the pharmaceutical sector. Read excerpts of some of the articles by Ernst & Young professionals:

• An Ernst & Young survey of pharmaceutical executives: the pharmaceutical CFO's expanding agenda (pdf, 294kb) by David Womelsdorf
• IFRS adoption in the US: what pharmaceutical companies need to know (pdf, 309kb) by Cynthia Orr
• Making the most of a marketing investment (pdf, 394kb) by David Baron and David Podwalski
• Striving for peak performance: pharmaceutical supply chain management (pdf, 132kb) by Kai Gindner and Jamie Critelli
• An Ernst & Young survey: pharmaceutical finance in India (pdf, 295kb) by Murali Nair and Rajiv Pillai

Contact your local Ernst & Young professional for a full copy of the report.

Accounting convergence: implications for life sciences companies

US regulators seem to be moving in the direction of accounting convergence and the adoption of globally recognized accounting standards (pdf, 356kb) for US public companies. Read insights on the key issues and differences between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) proposed for adoption, and US GAAP. Although there are numerous differences, we focus on those that are most relevant to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device industries.

Compliance, drug safety, supply chain performance and more

The Global Pharmaceutical Center invites you to learn more about the issues facing the pharmaceutical industry by listening to our podcast series. Each podcast focuses on a topic from “Progressions 2007” such as product safety, compliance, harnessing valuable data analysis, and improving supply chain performance by partnering with Customs to stop counterfeit products.

Thinking of going public?

Make sure you’re ready. Panelists at the Thought Center webcast Preparing your organization for an IPO, from Ernst & Young US, discussed leading practices for strengthening financial operations, managing regulatory requirements, communicating with analysts and investors, and more. Although concentrated around US listing, the discussions covered areas relevant to any pre-IPO company. Watch the archived webcast.

R&D prepayment accounting guidelines

Pharmaceutical companies following US GAAP should now defer and capitalize non-refundable, advance research and development (R&D) payments until goods are delivered or services performed. Download this “Prescriptions” article for a summary of guidelines issued by the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force regarding accounting for advance payments for goods or service (pdf, 56kb) to be used in future R&D. We also comment on implications.

Beyond Borders: global biotechnology report 2008

The Ernst & Young 22nd annual report on the state of the biotechnology industry features critical insights about emerging trends. Biotech matures, medicine becomes more targeted, globalization accelerates and pharma restructures. How will these trends impact the industry? Discover more about the report.