Abstract
The blockbuster drug model drove the pharmaceutical industry to great heights
for decades. In the current pharmaceutical market, however, blockbusters are
becoming few and far between. In what can sometimes be a search for pharma' s
holy grail, the difference between discovering a blockbuster and the next
me-too product often comes down to experience and expenditure.
Blockbusters are not simply born out of large pharmaceutical companies'
expansive pocketbooks. Instead, it is their past experience commercializing
drugs in varied markets with large patient populations that has taught
blockbuster brand teams how to avoid common pitfalls. The blockbuster brands
profiled in Cutting Edge Information' s latest study have experienced, savvy
promotional infrastructures that support drug launches every step of the way
with expert solutions.
Furthermore, blockbuster drugs rely so heavily on acceptance from the medical
community, that it' s no wonder why they deliver the massive returns that make
them blockbusters. Blockbuster brands are consistently supported by efficient,
streamlined thought leader development programs designed to win the medical
community' s acceptance and propel the drug to rapid peak annual sales.
The following recommendations and conclusions were among Cutting Edge
Information' s top study findings:
Invest in thought leader development to generate widespread market acceptance prior to Launch.
Cutting Edge Information analysts identified thought leader development as a
critical component to blockbuster brand teams' successes. Blockbuster brand
teams tap the medical community early in development and continue to invest in
opinion leaders for a number of purposes, including publications planning,
speaker opportunities and continuing medical education...
Assign marketing resources to overcome unique blockbuster brand challenges
Every brand comes to market under unique marketing circumstances. Not all
drugs are able to benefit from a mature promotional infrastructure or a strong
clinical profile - so blockbuster product teams must work diligently to
provide their brands with comprehensive marketing efforts that underscore
drugs' strong attributes and surmount their downfalls. To accomplish this
feat, companies deliberately and strategically allocate resources to a
marketing mix that best compliments their objectives. Therefore, competitors
can learn much about a drug' s profile by looking at the brand team' s budget
allocations.
Market research dominates early-phase US commercialization spending
Early in a drug' s lifecycle, project and brand teams' primary objectives are
to start outlining the competitive landscape, identify unmet needs and spot
potential problem areas that could inhibit a drug' s US commercial development
in the years ahead. Marketers tackle these challenges with market research,
which is one of the best tools brand teams have at their disposal early on. US
resource allocation analysis shows that market research spending dominates
early marketing budgets...
Negotiate co-promotion agreements to overcome a lack of European promotional infrastructure, extend commercial reach and increase market penetration in Europe
To expand their reach in Europe and to fully penetrate the market, five of the
six European brand developers have either signed co-promotion agreements or
plan to do so. These brands, each with its own unique combination of European
promotions experience and infrastructure, sought co-promotion partners with
the promotional capabilities and European presence that best complements their
situations...
Advertising spending consumes 12% less of European marketing budgets than global spending
One core marketing strategy that brand teams approach differently in Europe is
advertising. The absence of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising in Europe
means companies must shift the strategies they use to promote key product
platforms in the US and other markets. Instead of relying so heavily on
advertising to spread the word of their products' clinical merits, European
brand teams instead target influencer and prescriber networks through other
channels, including advisory boards, symposia, congresses, thought leader
relationships and their sales forces...
Charts and Graphics
RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND STRATEGIC PROFILES
- Figure E.1: Study Context: Therapeutic Areas
- Figure E.2: Niche Brand Commercialization Spending Breakdown
- Figure E.3: Percent of Marketing Budget by Phase
GLOBAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION
- Figure 1.1: Mid-Level Brand Global Expenditures and Sales
- Table 1.1: Global Launch Context
- Figure 1.2: Global Spending
- Figure 1.3: Global Staffing
- Figure 1.4: Global Activities Spending
- Figure 1.5: Global Activities Staffing
- Figure 1.6: Global Market Research Spending
- Figure 1.7: Global Market Research Staffing
- Figure 1.8: Global Thought Leader Development Spending
- Figure 1.9: Global Thought Leader Development Staffing
- Figure 1.10: Global Advertising Spending
- Figure 1.11: Global Advertising Staffing
Brand 1
- Table 1.2: Brand 1 Spending
- Figure 1.12: Brand 1: Budget Allocation
- Table 1.3: Brand 1 Staffing
- Figure 1.13: Brand 1: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 1.14: Brand 1: Launch Context
Brand 2
- Table 1.4 Brand 2 Spending Table
- Figure 1.15: Brand 2: Budget Allocation
- Table 1.5: Brand 2 Staffing Table
- Figure 1.16: Brand 2: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 1.17: Brand 2: Launch Context
Brand 3
- Table 1.6: Brand 3 Spending
- Figure 1.18: Brand 3: Budget Allocation
- Table 1.7: Brand 3 Staffing
- Figure 1.19: Brand 3: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 1.20: Brand 3: Launch Context
Brand 4
- Table 1.8: Brand 4 Spending
- Figure 1.21: Brand 4: Budget Allocation
- Table 1.9: Brand 4 Staffing
- Figure 1.22: Brand 4: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 1.23: Brand 4: Launch Context
Brand 5
- Table 1.10: Brand 5 Staffing
- Figure 1.24: Brand 5: Budget Allocation
- Table 1.11: Brand 5 Spending
- Figure 1.25: Brand 5: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 1.26: Brand 5: Launch Context
EUROPEAN MARKETING
- Figure 2.1: European Marketing Mix
- Table 2.1: European Launch Context
- Figure 2.2: European Total Spending
- Figure 2.3: European Total Staffing
- Figure 2.4: European Brand Activities Spending
- Figure 2.5: European Brand Activities Staffing
- Figure 2.6: European Market Research Spending
- Figure 2.7: European Market Research Staffing
- Figure 2.8: European Thought Leader Development Spending
- Figure 2.9: European Thought Leader Development Staffing
- Figure 2.10: European Advertising Spending
- Figure 2.11: European Advertising Staffing
- Figure 2.12: Average European Marketing Spending as % of European Peak
Annual Sales (by Resource Category)
- Figure 2.13: Average Peak European Marketing Staffing (by Resource
Category)
- Figure 2.14: European Marketing Spending (as % of European Peak Annual
Sales)
- Figure 2.15: Niche Brands' Peak Total Marketing Staffing
- Figure 2.16: Brand Activities Spending (as % of European Peak Annual Sales)
- Figure 2.17: Peak European Brand Activities Staffing
- Figure 2.18: European Market Research Spending (as % of European Peak
Annual Sales)
- Figure 2.19: Peak European Market Research Staffing
- Figure 2.20: European Thought Leader Development Spending (as % of
European Peak Annual Sales)
- Figure 2.21: Peak European Thought Leader Development Staffing
- Figure 2.22: European Advertising Spending (as % of European Peak Annual
Sales)
- Figure 2.23: Peak European Advertising Staffing
Brand 6
- Table 2.2: Brand 6 Spending
- Figure 2.24: Brand 6: Budget Allocation
- Table 2.3: Brand 6 Staffing
- Figure 2.25: Brand 6: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 2.26: Brand 6: Launch Context
Brand 7
- Table 2.4: Brand 7 Spending
- Figure 2.27: Brand 7: Budget Allocation
- Table 2.5: Brand 7 Staffing
- Figure 2.28: Brand 7: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 2.29: Brand 7: Launch Context
Brand 8
- Table 2.6: Brand 8 Spending Table
- Figure 2.30: Brand 8: Budget Allocation
- Table 2.7: Brand 8 Staffing Table
- Figure 2.31: Brand 8: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 2.32: Brand 8: Launch Context
Brand 9
- Table 2.8: Brand 9 Spending
- Figure 2.33: Brand 9: Budget Allocation
- Table 2.9: Brand 9 Staffing
- Figure 2.34: Brand 9: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 2.35: Brand 9: Launch Context
- Table 2.10: Brand 10 Spending
Brand 10
- Figure 2.36: Brand 10: Budget Allocation
- Figure 2.37: Brand 10: Budget Allocation (Early-Stage)
- Table 2.11: Brand 10 Staffing
- Figure 2.38: Brand 10: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 2.39: Brand 10: Launch Context
Brand 11
- Table 2.12: Brand 11 Staffing
- Figure 2.41: Brand 10: Budget Allocation (Early-Stage)
- Figure 2.40: Brand 11: Budget Allocation
- Table 2.13: Brand 11 Spending
- Figure 2.42: Brand 11: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 2.43: Brand 11: Launch Context
US COMMERCIALIZATION
- Figure 3.1: US Marketing Mix
- Table 3.1: US Launch Context
- Figure 3.2: US Total Spending
- Figure 3.3: US Total Staffing
- Figure 3.4: US Brand Activities Spending
- Figure 3.5: US Brand Activities Staffing
- Figure 3.6: US Market Research Spending
- Figure 3.7: US Market Research Staffing Figure
- Figure 3.8: US Thought Leader Development Spending
- Figure 3.9: US Thought Leader Development Staffing
- Figure 3.10: US Advertising Spending
- Figure 3.11: US Advertising Staffing
Brand 12
- Table 3.2: Brand 12 Spending
- Figure 3.12: Brand 12: Budget Allocation
- Table 3.3: Brand 12 Staffing Table
- Figure 3.13: Brand 12: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 3.14: Brand 12: Launch Context
- Figure 3.15: Brand 12 Sales Investment vs. US Average
Brand 13
- Table 3.4: Brand 13 Spending
- Figure 3.16: Brand 13: Budget Allocation
- Figure 3.17: Brand 13: Budget Allocation (Early-Stage)
- Table 3.5: Brand 13 Staffing Table
- Figure 3.18: Brand 13: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 3.19: Brand 13: Launch Context
- Figure 3.20: Brand 13 Sales Investment vs. US Average
Brand 14
- Table 3.6: Brand 14 Spending
- Figure 3.22: Brand 14: Budget Allocation (Early-Stage)
- Figure 3.21: Brand 14: Budget Allocation
- Table 3.7: Brand 14 Staffing Table
- Figure 3.23: Brand 14: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 3.24: Brand 14: Launch Context
- Figure 3.25: Brand 14 Sales Investment vs. US Average
Brand 15
- Table 3.8: Brand 15 Spending
- Figure 3.27: Brand 15: Budget Allocation (Early-Stage)
- Figure 3.26: Brand 15: Budget Allocation
- Table 3.9: Brand 15 Staffing Table
- Figure 3.28: Brand 15: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 3.29: Brand 15: Launch Context
- Figure 3.30: Brand 15 Sales Investment vs. US Average
Brand 16
- Table 3.10: Brand 16 Spending
- Figure 3.32: Brand 16: Budget Allocation (Early-Stage)
- Figure 3.31: Brand 16: Budget Allocation
- Table 3.11: Brand 16 Staffing Table
- Figure 3.33: Brand 16: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 3.34: Brand 16: Launch Context
- Figure 3.35: Brand 16 Sales Investment vs. Niche Average
Brand 17
- Table 3.12: Brand 17 Spending
- Figure 3.36: Brand 17: Budget Allocation
- Table 3.13: Brand 17 Staffing Table
- Figure 3.37: Brand 17: Staffing Allocation
- Figure 3.38: Brand 17: Launch Context
- Figure 3.39: Brand 17 Sales Investment vs. Niche Average
