Eli Lilly's patent problem

    But Lechleiter is holding out, banking on the fast track drug development strategy, and only considering acquisitions of the non-mega variety, which would buck current trend of the pharma industry and leave Lilly smaller than its competitors. If Lechleiter can pull off that strategy, he will have made a breakthrough about how to reign in the scientific process.

    The problem is that innovative research rarely works best when it's under the gun to show results. That's a big reason top talent leave big pharma to incubate ideas for single molecules in small biotech startups. And Eli Lilly, with its huge needs for growth, might exacerbate the structural problems that already exist in the chain of developing molecules all the way to getting high quality pharmaceuticals for patients.

    Take Lilly's recent moves. To survive, the company has legally tied up drugs that could go generic and be cheaper for patients, stretched the application of a blockbuster drug it already has to apply to other medical conditions, and gone for broke with an expensive late-stage trial for it's Alzheimer's drug, which would likely have been the first to market, only to bust instead.

    Setbacks do happen, though, even in late stage trials. Patents need defending. And the idea of beefing up the research division could be revolutionary, if it works. But it has to work soon. If it doesn't, then the failure of Lechleiter 's plan will serve as a warning that companies striking out against industry trends do so entirely at their own risk.