Why Business Development in Pharma Has Become a High-Risk Profession
- ignaciodiazemergpha6
- Nov 6
- 2 min read
In recent years, turnover among Business Development (BD) professionals in the pharmaceutical sector has surged, reaching 20–30% annually in Europe and Asia. In other words, one in four BD positions is replaced every year.
🔎 Compared with other industries:
Technology: 18–22%
Consulting: 15–20%
General Industry: 10–12%
This is alarming. BD in pharma is mission-critical — it opens doors in highly regulated markets, secures strategic alliances, and drives much of the commercial innovation. Yet it suffers higher attrition than almost any other field.
What’s going wrong?
Extreme short-term pressure. Teams are expected to deliver results on unrealistic timelines, while regulatory approvals and registrations take years.
Misaligned expectations. Leadership often demands fast agreements, yet the full cycle from negotiation to registration and commercialization typically spans 3–5 years.
High replacement costs. Replacing a senior BD professional can cost up to 200% of annual salary, once you factor in lost opportunities, training, and project delays.
The Peter Principle at play
Another dynamic is the Peter Principle. Often, the few “successful” BD professionals — sometimes successful because they had attractive products in their portfolio, or simply because of timing and luck — are quickly promoted or hired away by competitors for higher pay. Once in the new role, many struggle to replicate results, fail as their predecessors did, and eventually leave or are let go.
The outcome?
The original company loses a “star employee” and must restart the hiring process, with all the associated costs.
The new company invests 20–25% more in recruitment, only to realize that their supposed star isn’t as effective as expected.
In most cases, the difference between highly effective BD professionals and average ones is less about innate talent and more about training, support, and internal alignment. Skills can and should be developed, but only if the company provides the right structure.
What can companies do?
Here are 10 practical measures that can make a real difference:
Align internal expectations: set realistic, measurable goals with clear time horizons.
Offer career paths: motivate with long-term growth, not just short-term commissions.
Provide ongoing training in regulation and markets: a well-trained BD reduces costly mistakes.
Build cross-functional support teams: BD cannot handle legal, regulatory, and marketing tasks alone.
Use quality-based KPIs, not just quantity: value lead quality and negotiation depth.
Stabilize compensation models: balance fixed and variable pay to reduce short-term anxiety.
Improve internal communication: leadership and BD must speak the same strategic language.
Cut internal bureaucracy: too many deals are lost because decisions move too slowly.
Recognize interim achievements: don’t wait until the final contract is signed.
Foster collaborative environments: move away from the “lone wolf” culture.
Final thought
Pharma business development shouldn’t be a burnout-driven, revolving-door job. It should be a strategic cornerstone for sustainable growth. Investing in the stability and support of BD teams is not an expense — it may well be the most valuable investment a company can make for its future.