Fully Integrated Biopharmaceutical Company (FIBCO) Model

A fully integrated biopharmaceutical company (FIBCO) is a model where biopharmaceutical companies are involved in all stages of the drug discovery and development process, including research, development, manufacturing, marketing, and sales.  

The FIBCO model is appealing to many biopharma firms as it allows them to control each integral part of the drug discovery process. However, it requires substantial capital investment, making it unviable for many smaller companies.

Other business models in the biopharmaceutical industry include:

• Research-intensive/royalty-only pharmaceutical company (RIPCO): Focuses on research and development, licensing out products for commercialization, earning royalties instead of handling marketing and sales.
• Fully integrated drug discovery & development (FIDDO): Involved in drug discovery and development but may outsource manufacturing, marketing, and sales.
• No research, development only (NRDO): Focuses solely on drug development, often acquiring early-stage compounds for further development.
• Fully integrated pharmacy network (FIPNET): Extends the FIBCO model to include control over clinical services along with all areas of the drug development process.

While RIPCO, FIDDO, and NRDO models control specific parts of the drug discovery process, they do not manage the entire process as FIBCO does. FIPNET takes integration a step further by incorporating clinical services.