A CSR dilemma: The perfect is the enemy of the good (Voltaire, 1772)
Trust is the basis for successful business relationships. Crucell is committed to building trust both internally and externally by delivering what we promise.
Our aim to bring the greatest possible benefit to human health and healthcare presents a dilemma. It is conceivable that while developing a new medical product we might discover that particular changes in the production process or product characteristics could enhance its healthcare benefits. Implementing such changes would inevitably delay the time to market, potentially by as much as 5 years. Should we aim for perfection, knowing that people will suffer and die during the period of delay? This dilemma was expressed succinctly by the French philosopher Voltaire: ‘The perfect is the enemy of the good’. In this situation, Crucell has to weigh up conflicting benefits. Our choice would be to take the well tested candidate product already in development and to market it as soon as is safely possible in order to start saving lives. In the meantime we will continue in-house research and development aimed at a next generation product.