COMPULSORY QUESTION (25 MARKS)

G&D Ltd is a leading pharmaceutical company in Ghana. Upon conducting a SWOT analysis, G&D is gaining some control over its suppliers, distributors and competitors. Unsurprisingly, the companys stock price soared 15 percent in the first four weeks of 2018 while the overall stock market declined 3 percent. G&D is headquartered in Cantonments, Accra and having 1,800 full- time employees. The company acquired Ernest Chemist Ltd. for GHC5 million in 2017, adding a broad manufacturing and distribution network for expanding in the generic medications and medical devices market. Based in Tema, Tobinco Ltd is a manufacturer of several brands of medical equipments and unprocessed medical supplies. D&G expects the Tobincos acquisition to contribute revenue of more than GHC2 million in 2018.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana with the first recorded case on March 12, 2020 when two infected travellers from Norway and Turkey landed at KIA, Ghana waged a war against the deadly virus with staggering statistics; 81,245 confirmed cases; 74,047 recoveries; 6,614 active cases; 584 deaths; and 500+ new infections daily by February 2021, amidst restrictions and various coping mechanisms.

Since then, the Government of Ghana has been exploring the possibility of securing a vaccine locally. Meanwhile, leading pharmaceutical manufacturer G&D recently formed a partnership with Merck Life Science to compete for the Food and Drugs Authoritys new COVID-19 vaccination project that will replace the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine in Ghana. The two partners are developing Johnson and Johnson vaccine based on G&D clinical laboratory platform. Oxford AstraZeneca products are extensively used by the Ghana Health Service and other health services organizations throughout West Africa in the last 30 years. The Ministry of Health expects the first batch of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines to be available in January 2022. G&D revenues for fiscal fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019 increased 6.2 percent year-over-year, partly due to the companys new Accessories division that was created after the acquisition of Tobinco Ltd.

Required

a. Examine the strategies that made it possible for G&D to gain control over its suppliers, distributors and rivals.

b. Discuss the external factors (social and political) that might have made G&D very competitive in the pharmaceutical industry.

c. As a Consultant, examine four (4) internal strengths that will enable G&D maintain its competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry.