Today, the need for new drugs remains as great as ever. The World Health Organisation has reported that there is still no adequate therapy for three-quarters of the 2,500 known, diagnosable illnesses. For some there is no therapy at all. For those diseases that are treatable, many therapies do not treat the cause of the illness, providing only relief from symptoms.
Organon began its commercial life in 1923 with the production of insulin and other medicines for human use, derived from animal by-products. Our commitment to research over the years has helped Organon develop and produce some of the most innovative prescription medicines for women's health, mental health, thrombosis, immunology and anaesthesia. Organon believes strongly that by hiring individuals who take an active interest in exploring the boundaries of medical and pharmaceutical research, we will continue to be a leader in the creation of useful, convenient and effective medicines for individuals throughout the world.
Research and development (R&D) is the term given to the discovery, synthesis, testing and full assessment of the efficacy and safety of new drugs with new mechanisms of action. It is an expensive process-marketing approval by registration authorities can only be obtained after extensive studies and clinical trials have been performed, which typically takes 10-12 years and can cost well over Euro 800 million. It is also a high-risk process-for every drug that reaches the market as many as 5,000 other compounds will have been discarded along the way.
Organon's commitment to innovation is such that 20 percent of total sales income is devoted to R&D, 20 percent of the research budget is spent on external collaborations, and a total of about 2,600 employees work in R&D-17 percent of the entire workforce.
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