First Mover Strategy and its Impact on Competitive Advantage among Selected Originator Pharmaceutical Companies in Kenya

In a fast-changing global environment, pharmaceutical managers in Kenya face the challenge of implementing strategic approaches to remain competitive. Despite the effort, Competitive Advantage among Originator Pharmaceutical Companies in Kenya remain below expectations. In 2020, the industry contributed just 4.6% to Kenya’s exports, while importing 60% of its pharmaceutical products from 2017 to 2021. This underscores the need for effective first-mover strategies to enhance the competitive advantage of originator pharmaceutical firms. The study investigated how barriers to entry strategy, rapid product cycles strategy, mass marketing dominance strategy and niche market penetration strategy affected competitiveness among Originator Pharmaceutical Companies. The study variables were anchored by the game theory, firm capability theory, and the theory of innovation. The research adopted a descriptive design and targeted 583 staff from originator drug manufacturers in Kenya. However, a sample of 322 respondents was selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data collection involved questionnaires and the collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions. The findings indicated that competitive advantage of the originator pharmaceutical companies in Kenya was affected by barriers to Entry Strategy, Rapid Product Cycle Strategy, Mass Market Dominance Strategy, and Niche Penetration Strategy. Hence the study recommended that Kenyan Originator pharmaceutical firms should strengthen first-mover strategies through investment in R&D, agile production, branding, and targeted market approaches. Future studies should explore strategy sustainability, intellectual property rights, consumer behavior, and partnerships across diverse regulatory landscapes.