When Success is Only an Intermediate Goal

Kyle Peterson, Laura Loker and Matthew Clark

While the scientific capability exists to develop new, easily administered, and cost-effective medicines, there is little economic incentive for private pharmaceutical companies to invest the millions of dollars needed for research and development.

Medicines for Malaria Ventures (MMV), a Swiss-based nonprofit foundation, was founded in 1999 to address this market failure. A public-private partnership, it acts as a general contractor and project manager to subsidize pharmaceutical research. MMV uses the specialized expertise of its staff to identify promising R&D opportunities, then chooses appropriate pharmaceutical and academic partners to undertake the drug discovery and development process. By partnering with pharmaceutical companies, MMV is able to utilize their vast investment in research facilities and technologies, greatly reducing the costs of drug development.

This article describes FSG’s work with MMV that led to a broadened definition of success, a deepened perspective on MMV’s core mission, and new approach to performance management.

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