Effective decision-making: progressing compounds through clinical development.

In today's drug-development environment, companies are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency and maintain returns on investment. Tomorrow's environment is likely to be harsher still, and companies that survive and prosper will be those that are already responding by re-inventing their structures and culture to meet the challenges that lie ahead. In this review, we explore some of the strategies and issues that are central to this process, with particular reference to decision-making in drug development.