Success Factors and Failure Points in Oncology Product Launches

Recent market entries have illustrated that there is a critical core set of factors for oncology
products as well as other therapeutic areas: the ability to differentiate, a defined target patient population, investment in launch activities, engagement of thought leaders, education of key stakeholders, demonstration of value, utilization of new technologies and avoidance of launch pitfalls.

Best Practices, LLC's report, Success Factors and Failure Points in Oncology Product Launches, explores each aspect of this framework for launch success and provides an oncology segment as well as a data segment representing other therapeutic areas combined. This comprehensive launch study delivers qualitative and quantitative data on differentiation, pricing, physician and thought leader education, payer and formulary access, launch readiness, resource allocation and much more.

In addition, the study presents launch leaders' perspective on the current and future risk levels for an array of pitfall factors that can affect a launch, from patient and payer to physician and regulatory.

Industries Profiled:
Pharmaceutical; Medical Device; Biotech; Health Care; Chemical; Manufacturing; Diagnostic; Consumer Products; Media


Companies Profiled:
GlaxoSmithKline; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Roche; Lilly; Novartis; Merck; AstraZeneca; Genentech; Phillips; TGC MedTech; MedImmune; Abbott; Amgen; Bayer; Actelion; Cephalon; Inc.; Teva Neuroscience; Novo Nordisk; Amylin; Laboratorios Deramtologicos Darier; IDS Canada; UCB Pharma; Bayer Schering Pharma; Quintiles; MerckSerono; Servier; Ther-Rx; ProCaps Laboratories; Baxter Healthcare; Urologix; Synapse biomedical; Talecris; NicOx; Eisai; Direct Supply; Shire; ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals; Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Study Snapshot

The new product launch landscape for oncology products and other therapeutic areas has never been more challenging with launch teams facing more potential pitfalls than ever. Best Practices®, LLC conducted this timely new benchmarking study to probe critical launch failure points and success factors.

Best Practices, LLC used both field surveys and interviews to complete this study. In all, 44 launch leaders from 38 different companies from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device sectors contributed data, reflecting on almost 30 products. In-depth interviews were conducted with veteran leaders from six organizations.

Key Findings

Differentiating Your Product - Secondary Benefits Can Be Win Themes: Differentiated positioning begins on factors established in clinical trials – such as efficacy, unmet needs, safety and target patient population. Secondary positioning factors have less overall impact – but can be useful in a crowded market – and are often more directly influenced through Marketing. Using secondary benefits can be an effective strategy for positioning a product in a highly competitive market.

Market Entry Requires Investing At and Above Market Leader Levels To Win Share of Voice: More than half of the Total Benchmark Class – 64 percent - favors spending 101 percent to 150 percent of the market leader’s investment level during product launch. Four out of five Oncology segment members favored investment levels of 101% to 150%. It was also the only segment that did not suggest an investment level of more than 151% of the market leader’s investment level.

• Summary of Business Issues, Key Insights, Findings and Lessons Learned p. 4-17
• Universe of Learning: Research Participants, Launch Experience, Oncology & Other Therapeutic Area Demographics p. 18-24

• Winning on Differentiated Product Positioning p. 25-32
• Winning a Physician’s Initial Trial of a New Product p. 33-35
• Articulating Benefits that Shape Positive Market Perception p. 36-40
• New Product Pricing Strategy p. 41-51
• Thought Leader Engagement p. 52-59
• Early Physician Education p. 60-70
• Payer Education p. 71-75
• Patient Advocacy and Education p. 76-80
• Preparing Market Constituents p. 81-85
• Access Insights & Success Factors p. 86-93
• Winning Hospital Formulary Access p. 94-96
• Resource Allocation for Key Stakeholders in the Current & Future Marketplaces p. 97-99
• Investment Requirements, Resource Allocation & Timing p. 100-110
• Internal Launch Readiness p. 111-124
• New Technologies for Informing Patients & Physicians p. 125-130
• Pitfalls & Stumbling Blocks p. 131-150
• Demonstrating Efficacy p. 151-159
• Rating Different Safety Dimensions p. 160-169
• Lessons Learned, Best Practices & Future Changes p. 170-172
• About Best Practices, LLC p. 173