Strong science makes for more credible marketing and sales
We live in the reality of a world where skillful chemistry and quick structural modifications can develop new but similar drugs. Some of these new products may provide benefits such as avoiding side effects or reduced dosing schedules. But for many, these products create one of the biggest challenges facing pharmaceutical marketing today. Being able to develop and establish meaningful product differentiation. In most cases, the lack of sufficient clinical data to support the desired claims makes this near impossible within the confines of regulatory constraints. Without clear, science supported product differentiation; marketers are left to creativity and expensive high visibility market presence to create a competitive advantage. Sometimes this involves stretching the data and claims as far as you can get away with from a regulatory and legal perspective. Sometimes this means outspending your competition to make sure your product gets sufficient market exposure to create demand. Sometimes it means competing on price.
There are two solutions to this dilemma. The first is for R & D to deliver truly innovative new products with the clinical data to substantiate the novelty and value. The second is spending more money doing clinical studies upfront on products that are suspected of having some element of differentiation. Design trials that can support the claims you want to make and make certain the studies and results have the scientific rigor to pass regulatory muster and are sufficiently compelling to make it easy for your marketing staff to communicate the differentiation without exaggeration.
I realize neither of these solutions helps those with difficult to differentiate products today. Unfortunately, you are left with traditional tactics for trying to create that competitive advantage. This situation does, however, point out the importance of experienced marketing input to R & D…early. As the market expectations increase for differentiation (remember “comparative effectiveness”?), building a strong scientific foundation around the product claims you want to make will become essential for commercial success. The days of clever marketing and sales to “push” products into the market are limited. Spend the money upfront on more and better clinical studies and increase the credibility of your marketing and sales.
mike@pharmareform.com
