Research evolution on project management in the pharmaceutical sector: a systematic literature review

Purpose This study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of project management (PM) research in the pharmaceutical sector. While project-based work has become a dominant mode of organizing, PM scholarship in the pharmaceutical industry remains fragmented and under-theorized compared to other project-intensive industries. Design/methodology/approach We analyzed 136 peer-reviewed articles from 1990 to 2025 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. The STAR Model™ (Strategy, Structure, Processes, People, Rewards) was employed as an analytical framework, enabling a multi-dimensional synthesis of how PM has been studied in the sector. Findings The results highlight strong attention to strategy (portfolio management, governance, decision-making), structure (project management offices PMOs, maturity, adaptive models) and processes with emphasis on standardization of PM processes. By contrast, people and rewards remain comparatively neglected, despite their critical role in practice. This imbalance reveals that theoretical and empirical advances are uneven, privileging structure and strategy while under-examining human and motivational dynamics. Research limitations/implications As with all qualitative syntheses, this review has limitations. The reliance on prespecified search terms and selected journals may have excluded relevant studies in adjacent literatures or gray sources. The STAR™ framework provided structure, yet required interpretive judgment by the author, which introduces subjectivity. Despite these constraints, the review offers a systematic map of how PM in pharmaceuticals has been theorized. The findings imply that future research should expand into motivational and human-centered dimensions, employ richer empirical methods (e.g. longitudinal case studies) and build stronger connections between practice-based insights and academic theorizing. Practical implications This review shows that pharmaceutical firms, as permanent organizations, increasingly depend on temporary projects, positioning PM as a strategic capability. Tracing the evolution of research helps practitioners understand how PM practices have shifted over time, recognize where the sector has lagged behind others, and draw lessons from those trajectories when implementing improvements. The COVID-19 experience underscored how agile yet compliant structures can accelerate therapies. Managers can build on these insights by leveraging PMOs and using the STAR framework as a roadmap to strengthen capabilities, enhance resilience and increase their impact on patients and society. Social implications For society, the broader implication is that PM maturity in the pharmaceutical sector is not only a source of competitive advantage but key to drive societal value for the public good. Stronger PM capabilities can translate into more efficient decision-making in drug development, more resilient supply chains and greater access to essential medicines, especially in global health emergencies. Originality/value This is the first longitudinal SLR of pharmaceutical PM, providing a three-decade overview of how research has clustered, evolved and where it remains underdeveloped. By positioning pharmaceutical projects as a “living laboratory” for project studies, the review demonstrates how highly regulated, knowledge-intensive and safety-critical contexts can extend broader theories of projectification, paradox and professionalization. The findings bridge practitioner standards with scholarly inquiry, offering actionable insights for both academics and managers.