“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” –Benjamin Franklin 

Companies which succeed in the launch environment of 2018–2023 will take four essential steps now to ensure they are launch-ready for the future environment, according to the IMS Health report “Launch excellence IV: a new launch environment.”

At a special IMS Health one-day event in Sydney a couple weeks ago, consultant Frederic Lefebvre urged pharmaceutical companies to plan well in advance of  a product launch, citing eight-in-10 products show how they are set to perform within six months of launch, while those that do poorly during this period rarely recover.

Crunching the numbers

Getting it right: In his presentation, Lefebvre explained the ideal preparation time for a successful product launch was five years in advance. The minimum time to plan for a new product launch ranges between two-to-three years, with the key phase in a product’s lifecycle being the launch itself, while the window of opportunity for a product to demonstrate its success falls within the first six months post-launch.

With the increasing trend towards more specialised and smaller launches, the importance of getting the launch right is paramount.

Pharmaceutical representatives have long acted as doctors primary resource for information regarding new launches. However increasing regulatory restrictions on representatives’ access to doctors, along with the rise of internet and social media technologies, have resulted in doctors and patients turning to other forms of media and different sources for information.

This shift, along with increasingly restrictive payer environments, is forcing pharmaceutical companies to find new ways to demonstrate product value over the existing standard of care.

Four steps to success

According to the IMS Health study, those companies which will succeed in the launch environment of 2018–2023 will take the following four essential steps now to ensure they are launch ready for the environment of the future.

Step 1:  Build a detailed stakeholder map specific to the therapeutic area and country, highlighting the current environment, and anticipated key changes and events for ongoing observation that will influence the stakeholder environment.

Step 2: Explore novel approaches to pricing and market access.

Step 3: Create a real-world evidence plan alongside the pre-and post-launch clinical development plan.

Step 4: Consider the patient segmentation for launch, in order to set product performance expectations with both investors and payers.

 “In preparing for battle I’ve always found that plans are useless, but planning is essential.”

(Dwight Eisenhower)

To discuss how VIVA! Communications and GLOBALHealthPR can assist you with planning your product launch, contact us today.

Image credits:

http://www.pffg-iaff.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&homeID=423894

http://studentblogs.le.ac.uk/psychology/2013/05/05/the-countdown-to-exams-begins/

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With its market debut in Brazil coming in January 2014, Durex aims to change the practical, old-fashioned view Brazilians have on birth control, and instead foster the idea that using protection should not interfere in sexual pleasure. By using the results from Durex’s bi-annual report, The Global Face of Sex, the condom company also hopes to understand how sex education during adolescence can influence sexual behavior in adult life.

The Durex survey revealed that people who use protection when having sex for the first time are three times more likely to use protection throughout their lives. The study was conducted in thirty-seven countries, including Brazil. Approximately 30,000 people between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four responded to the survey.

With these numbers in mind, Tino entered into a partnership with Durex and Instituto Kaplan – a specialist in sexual matters – to enforce sex education in schools. The main intention of the action is to boost awareness of STD and HIV prevention among adolescents thirteen years and older. Teachers will be encouraged to promote the project, and will be provided with training and materials.

Based on the information gathered by the worldwide survey, Tino also plans to promote a talk show under the theme “Great Sex Moves You.” The show will involve a range of topics involving sexual behaviour can be openly discussed.

The official launch will be held January 21, 2014 at a press conference in São Paulo. It is the largest promotion planned for the brand in the coming year. Manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser, Durex plans to introduce its ‘sexual well-being’ concept to the country. Carmita Abdo, a Brazilian psychiatrist and sexologist, will be participate in the launch,as well as several Casal Sem Vergonha (The Unashamed Couple) bloggers who write and talk about their relationships and sex lives.

The Durex launch in Brazil is not only a great opportunity to bolster the Brazilian condom market, but also to raise awareness of the importance of safe sex—especially among young teens –and to break some old taboos among all sexually active people. Tino is excited to be part of such an important launch and is working hard to ensure its success.

The post Baring it All: Durex’s Long-Awaited Arrival in Brazil Maps Ways for Brazilians to Discuss Sex Honestly and Openly appeared first on GLOBALHealthPR.