A market opportunity study

Background and objectives

Our client wanted to understand the market potential for a biological in its primary target indication of psoriasis in the top six markets. Main research objectives were related to gaining deep understanding of awareness, perceptions of current drugs, unmet needs, potential usage of a biologic, opportunities and barriers to administration, and ideal product profile.

Approach

We took a two steps approach:

• Secondary research: current market analysis, epidemiology, audit of future pipeline
• Qualitative research:
  • 15 in-depth interviews per market, with quantification from five patient record forms per respondent.
  • We also interviewed 10 payers and insurance company personnel.
  • We tested product concepts using the Juster scale to compute peak share for modelling forecasting.

Results delivered

Report presentation and strategic recommendations focused on:

• Market understanding, patient segmentation and target segments for client's drug
• Unmet need and opportunity for our client's product
• Ideal product profile

P&R market assessment of therapy for moderate to severe psoriasis

Background and objectives

The overall objective was to understand and describe the current and forward-looking market in moderate to severe psoriasis.

• Description of market landscape:
  • Treatment algorithms and patient characterisation
  • Biologic market realities
• Evaluation of clinical and economic positioning
  • To provide viable pricing range for launch
• Assessment of the US and EU5 market potential for entry into psoriasis
  • To provide forecast and forecast model
• To support client's decision-making processes for development of commercially optimal pivotal trials
  • To include recommendations for trial comparators

Approach

We designed a four phase approach with forecast modelling:

• Secondary research including qualitative and quantitative data on epidemiology, broad patient segments and pipeline analysis
• Primary market research with KOL's and front-line dermatologists, utilising a patient diary approach
• Evaluation of pricing and reimbursement aspects of the psoriasis market, including the potential for client's two internal compounds, leading to a strategic plan - price points in each market and launch order for EU5
• Integration of all materials into a forecasting model designed to evaluate market potential for our client

Results delivered

We provided a complete picture of the market place and market positioning for two products at two price points. We also provided a pricing and reimbursement strategy and recommended a comparator for head-to-head trial. And finally we provided market research, patient record form data and forecast model for the top US and EU5 markets.

Product lifecycle management - Optimising the current and future ophthalmology franchise with a portfolio strategy in the face of impending generics

Background and objectives

The client, a top 10 pharmaceutical company, engaged us to undertake a strategy evaluation and formulation project taking into account pending generic threats facing ophthalmology franchises.

The key challenges facing our client were as follows:

• The optimal strategies for maximising short-term sales of the existing products may not be consistent with the long-term objectives of the portfolio.
• As market leading products in the X market, Z and Y will be important reference products for new products in development. This suggested that it is important to maintain the price of the brands as far as possible.
• However, it was also important to maintain a strong presence in the ophthalmology market as a platform for the new products. This necessitated targeted price reductions to maintain market share.
• In most markets, loss of patent is expected to occur at a similar time to the launch of the first new product. In some cases the exact timing of launch (following reimbursement negotiations where needed) relative to generic entry may be critical.
• The issue was more pressing in two European markets where generic entry could be significantly earlier than the launch of the new product.
• Price reductions in these two European markets in response to generic entry, may be optimal for those markets, but may have a knock-on effect through referencing pricing or parallel trade in other EU countries with longer patent life.
• In the US the client faced a particular challenge with the loss of patent of a competitor product in a different class but of a direct competitor. The possible implications for our client's product X and Y's volume, and to assess measures taken by ABC needed to be understood and strategies required to deal with these.

Approach

This was a large project lasting eight months with multiple phases, advance analytics, analogue modelling, competitive intelligence on generic companies, quantitative market research to measure brand equity, payer research to develop a pricing strategy for the follow-on product, and finally modelling of various strategies and tactics at country level as well as global ROI analysis.

• Intelligence about likely generics (Stages 1A, 1B 1C and 1D)
• Impact of generics on brand price and share based on country systems analysis and analogues (Stages 1C, 1D)
• Assessment of the pricing opportunity for new products (2C)
• Payer research: this tested the likely response from physicians in an environment where generic X and Y were available (2A).
• Primary intelligence: this tested the likely response from generic manufacturers; their interest and capabilities to manufacture and distribute copies or APIs of our client's product.
• Primary quantitative research: to provide the team with robust quantitative numbers for forecast modelling of revenue, and produce a market share simulations model for current products, and to measure brand equity of X and Y brands with ophthalmologists.

Results delivered

There were outputs from each activity, such as CI, which highlighted "intense" generic competition and MR "low" brand equity.

We delivered at each milestone, finally delivering global and regional strategic options of viable strategies, looking at all options, such as:

• Manufacturing
• Generics launches
• Reformulations
• Bridging
• Value enhancement

We also undertook a roadshow workshop for each of six markets and provided a template and guidance to co-ordinate strategies and tactics. All options were backed up by financial models.