RALEIGH, N.C., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmaceutical Institute, a subsidiary of Campbell Alliance, the leading management consulting firm specializing in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, today announced the release of a revised edition of 'Understanding Pharma', updated to reflect a dynamic market environment and offering key new insights on how pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies work.

The new edition of 'Understanding Pharma' analyzes nine key functional areas within a typical company and explains how they work together to discover, develop, and commercialize drugs. This second edition represents a significant expansion of the original book including:

-- Over 40 additional pages

-- New chapter on Medical Affairs

-- New content related to the distinctive issues and requirements surrounding biopharmaceuticals

-- Significant updates to the Managed Markets and Trade and Distribution chapters

-- Revised data points throughout to maintain currency

In writing 'Understanding Pharma', Campbell Alliance CEO John Campbell drew on nearly 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including senior roles at GlaxoWellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline), prior to founding Campbell Alliance in 1997.

'From my experience, the most effective teams have a comprehensive cross-functional understanding of the industry, particularly in regard to how each functional area's work is integral to the success of the entire organization,' stated Mr. Campbell. 'Maintaining this mentality is essential to improving collaboration and efficiency throughout any organization.'

'Understanding Pharma', originally published by Pharmaceutical Institute in 2005, was the first book to systematically explain how the typical pharmaceutical company operates, function by function. The book and nine-module e-course series have been incorporated into the professional development programs of numerous leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as curricula for students in many prestigious MBA programs who are preparing for careers in the industry. Thousands of copies of the first edition have been sold, and multiple printings have sold out.

''Understanding Pharma' provides a practical perspective on the full range of functional areas within a pharmaceutical or biotech company, while showing how all of the parts of this complex enterprise work together and influence one another,' said Dan Blue, Executive Director of Pharmaceutical Institute. 'The book is designed to serve as an excellent resource for anyone working within or around the pharmaceutical industry, including industry veterans, newcomers, students, journalists, consultants, and scientists.