Prof. Jochen Maas

Quo vadis pharmaceutical industry? Ways to overcome the innovation gap

Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry is under pressure currently. There are many reasons for this situation which can be categorized in "internal" and "external" issues. Examples for external pressure are generic competition, reimbursement considerations, increased regulatory hurdles or poor reputation, examples for internal issues are target selections, the inability to translate early research into clinical results, operational problems or continuously impaired cost/benefit ratios.

There are several ways ongoing to overcome this situation within the pharmaceutical industry. None of them has already demonstrated to be the "holy grail" for all issues. Most pharmaceutical companies try a mixture of new activities, several of them will be explained in more detail using actual examples: External innovation, translational medicine, personalized medicine and integrated solutions for patients.

Vita
Jochen Maas is appointed General Manager, Research & Development (R&D) at Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, as of October 1st, 2010, based in Frankfurt. He is a member of the Global R&D Management Board and of the German Management Board. He was appointed as head of the German hub R&D organization in 2012.

Jochen has huge experience in all phases of the R&D value chain. He started his career in Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, then he expanded his responsibilities to preclinical Development, preclinical and clinical Development and Research & Development. Afterwards, he was responsible for Global Research & Development in the Diabetes Division and acted as Vice President R&D Europe at sanofi-aventis.

Jochen also lectures in pharmacokinetics and administering medication as a professor at Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, University of Applied Sciences.

He is a biologist, veterinarian and radiologist. He has a doctorate in veterinary medicine including the specification in Radiology. He studied at the Universities of Zurich, Heidelberg and Munich. After joining the Group in 1992 as head of the pharmacokinetics laboratory, he held various R&D management positions in Germany and France. Jochen is married and has three sons.