Services

Development Strategy & Transformation

We help biotech and pharma clients translate ambition into action. Through executive alignment, data-driven portfolio strategy, and operating model transformation, we accelerate decision-making, improve efficiency, and drive measurable value across R&D and Development functions. Our hands-on approach embeds lasting organizational and leadership alignment.

Case Studies

Submission Acceleration

 

Acceleration of submissions while embedding long-term efficiency and accountability through a multi-year transformation.

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Insights

Challenge: A global $100B biopharma faced unsustainable development timelines—taking more than 26 weeks from database lock to first submission. Leadership sought to sustainably shorten cycles without compromising quality or compliance, and without burning out staff.

Approach: Scimitar established a global PMO with standardized stage-gates, reporting tools, and templates across 34 initiatives. Initiatives focused on optimizing the critical path, introducing new technologies, governance, and embedding a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Impact: The program cut filing timelines by 50%, reduced workforce burnout, and delivered all initiatives under budget. A sustainable PMO capability was embedded to manage future enterprise transformations.

Executive Alignment to Re-Shape Portfolio Priorities

 

Unification of executive leadership around data-driven decisions that balanced survival with long-term growth.

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Insights

Challenge: A pre-commercial biotech with 28 months of cash and a 36-month Phase 3 readout faced existential trade-offs. The executive team needed to prioritize programs and optimize the portfolio to extend runway.

Approach: Scimitar designed and facilitated a two-day ELT workshop that combined quantitative modeling with real-time polling to assess portfolio risk, probability of success, and strategic fit. Scenario planning revealed opportunities to deprioritize high-cost discovery programs in favor of promising assets with nearer-term readouts.

Impact: The ELT reached full alignment, redirected investment to a backup molecule that validated their discovery platform, and extended runway by more than two years. The process became a repeatable strategic-planning tool.

Building an Agile Launch Execution Team for Mission-Critical Launches

 

Development of an agile launch execution team that delivered two of the company’s most successful launches while setting a benchmark for future execution.

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Insights

Challenge: A $60B biopharma lacked cohesive launch governance and execution ahead of two major product introductions, risking disjointed execution across global teams.

Approach: Scimitar created an agile launch execution team staffed by empowered cross-functional leaders, instituted rapid-cycle design sprints, and developed a five-stage governance framework with clear decision gates. Best practices were codified in a comprehensive playbook to ensure future scalability.

Impact: The launch execution team enabled flawless launches for two $2B+ blockbusters, achieving 20% cost savings and ahead-of-schedule delivery. The new model became the company standard for high-stakes launches.