Prepping to be Third to Market

Successfully launching a new treatment in an already established category requires answering the tough questions. Our client, a pharma manufacturer, was preparing to be a third branded market entrant within a maintenance treatment category. In order to capture lasting share, we needed to understand how we might encourage doctors to convert patients to the new treatment by switching patients from the treatments they have known and trusted for years. Therefore, we needed to help our client understand how to unlock switching in a mature market.

Leveraging our reach and custom recruitment methods allowed the development of custom panels to keep hard-to-reach groups always on tap for research including MDs, practice admins, patients, and caregivers. The team needed to understand market dynamics across the ecosystem to identify levers and prioritize resources. This centralized approach set the team up to iterate through the learning, making connections and understanding interactions across the ecosystem.

MDs expressed resistance to switching stable patients to the new Tx due to administrative burden and perceived risk of outcome – even with less frequent dosing that could increase adherence and improve the patient experience. The team uncovered the underlying dynamic to unlock switching into the new Tx.  Patients are excited about the new benefit of reduced Tx frequency (or going longer between treatments) – more than MDs imagined. With the right messaging and prompts, patients are likely to request the new Tx. MDs show openness to switching under these circumstances.