Pharmaceuticals
companies greatly rely on sales force for its marketing products as
it is the most effective channels to engage customers. Thus sales
force effectiveness is the key for any pharma business model. Sales
force in turn rely on KOLs, physicians to circulate innovation and
publish scientific information regarding innovative treatments and
new products.
Sales
force effectiveness (SFE)
Sales
force targets its highly profitable customers and limits its less
coverage physicians. A strategy to effectively bring about this is
SFE.
SFE
is to counter the changing market dynamics by new sales models around
KOLs through KOLs trust and confidence in all aspects of pharma
business.
SFE
strategy includes
•
Sales team strategy
•
Talent management
•
Remuneration
•
Support processes
During
critical product launch phase different departments complement each
other in order to achieve SFE.
New
approach for SFEs
Prescribing
decisions
A
whole lot of stakeholders influence prescribing decisions; hence
pharma companies must coordinate and optimize messages for each and
every group. The sales force must evolve around the decision makers’
accordingly.
Analytically
driven interactions
Targeting
high prescribing physicians through segmentation models is less
impactful; hence targeting underserved physicians through
statistically driven approach will bring more positive sales visits.
The
concept of differentiated detailing that is differentiating
physicians and other influencers, stake holders into behavioral and
attitudinal segments will bring about more meaningful interactions.
This can be brought about by specific tailored messages for each
group through innovative technology.
Shift
in field force
The
field force must be well equipped with the valuable technical product
knowledge and understanding. A major shift in field force can be
brought about by treating physicians as partners and not mere
marketing targets.
New
boost to SFEs
Well
managed KOLs for any pharma company can experience increased share of
voice at global, regional and national levels. As physicians try and
follow these KOLs is their prescribing patterns as KOLs opinions
stems from years of industry experience and medical affiliations.
Hence
getting the right KOLs to conduct research, write articles, speak on
their products before and after product launch can increase the SFEs
of pharma companies.
The
KOL management is thus very essential for any pharmaceuticals,
biotechnology and medical devices sector.
The
KOL management can be obtained by
•
Robust KOL profiles
•
Relationship management
•
Adoption by entire company
•
Identify appropriate KOLs
•
Evaluate synchronized information
This
is achieved by application of innovative technology like CRM
solution.
A
pharma CRM can formulate companies’ growth strategies and SFE is
the key factor of a pharma CRM.
Robust
KOL profiles
The
CRM software extracts entire KOL profiles to point out the required
customers. The specific data of KOLs can be fed into the software to
build widespread KOL profiles. The KOL profile will consist of
complete data from contact to past history of brands of a KOL. The
software helps users to have a centralized database if publications,
clinical trials, URLs and other relevant documents through content
library. Social CRM enables to get the real time posts of KOLs by
accessing their social profiles.
Relationship
management
The
software records individual data and also correlates data which
otherwise may be unseen. The CRM helps to individually manage single
KOL and hence prevents mismanagement of relationship by making the
process much more efficient. CRM solutions also facilitate
appointments and record it.
The
long-term relationship may be brought about by communicating
regularly with KOLs and be aware of their upcoming expectations. Each
of these communications can be recorded in the software for future
references.
Adoption
by entire company
Through
CRM, the centralized database can be accessed by entire company at
various stages of drug development from R&D to marketing to make
crucial business decisions. CRM also generates alerts so as to
prevent contacting same KOL multiple times. This ensures better
relationship between KOL and the company in long run.
Identify
appropriate KOLs
Identification
of specific KOL is very much crucial as sometimes a focused analysis
of particular data may be required to make a precise decision. One
example would be analyzing only publications of a KOL to consider him
for white paper of their under trial drug.
CRM
solution helps to eliminate all unnecessary information while dealing
with such specific scenarios and pinpoint and isolate the particular
KOL required.
Evaluate
synchronized information
The
CRM software provides current reports and real time documents of an
individual to make appropriate decision in KOL management.
The
detailed reports from centralized database helps managers to study
all activities related to KOLs for a specific span of time there by
ensuring optimized KOL management. The opinion leaders may be ranked
in databases in their specific therapeutic area.
Hence
adopting such software can optimize KOL management and ensure
enhanced credibility for products and services.
Right
KOL’s equals to effective sales force
•
Medical liaisons can better assess and pinpoint individual KOL and
develop solutions around those needs
•
Providing tailored messages to specific KOL to enhance impact on
actual prescribing
•
Optimize resources for brand portfolio across a region or multiple
areas
•
According to existing market needs the MRs can develop their
competencies leading to KOL satisfaction resulting in repeat sales
•
The centralized database enables management to have transparency of
sales team and KOL interaction1
Thus
adopting such a technology by companies will be cost effective as
classifying and prioritizing a required KOL is much easier task. The
sales force effectiveness can be enhanced through adopting such
software solutions as the sales force can be directly asked to
contact exact required KOL.
(The
author is managing partner, EU – Asia PAC D2L Pharma, India)
Page
– 22
Indian
biopharma gears up for biosimilar opportunity
Kiran
Mazumdar Shaw
Globally,
biologics are playing an increasing role in addressing unmet medical
needs in the areas of chronic diseases like oncology, autoimmune and
diabetes. Ten of the top 15 global pharma products in 2016 were
biologics, which reflects the growing importance of this class of
drugs. While biologics such as insulins and monoclonal antibodies
have emerged as a class of highly effective transformational
life-saving drugs targeted at chronic diseases, more often than not
the high cost of these therapies pushes them ‘out of reach’ for
many patients.
Biosimilars,
which are follow-on versions of innovator biological products with
similar levels of quality, safety and efficacy, can provide an
affordable alternative to this expensive therapy, thus enabling
greater access for both patients and governments across the world.
The global biosimilars market is expected to reach US$ 25-35 billion
by 2020.
The
Indian pharma industry has served as the ‘pharmacy to the world’
by providing high quality generic pharmaceuticals for decades. It has
played a critical role in bringing down the healthcare spends of
various governments in developed and emerging markets thus enabling
greater access for patients. In fact, ‘One in every five generic
drugs’ consumed in the US are provided by the Indian pharma
industry.
Biocon,
as India’s first and largest publicly listed biopharmaceutical
company, has taken the lead to develop affordable biosimilars to
address the unmet needs of patients in the area of chronic disease
like diabetes, cancer and autoimmune disorders. We have successfully
developed India’s first indigenously developed rh-insulin in 2004
and provided it as an affordable therapy for people with diabetes in
India and several emerging markets across the globe, thus becoming
the fourth largest insulins player globally. Recently, Biocon’s
glargine pen was introduced in Japan. It was the first biosimilar
from India to be launched in the developed market of Japan. Biocon’s
biosimilar trastuzumab for breast cancer is already making a
difference in the area of affordable cancer care in India as well as
some emerging markets. Today we have a diverse portfolio of ten
molecules including insulins and monoclonal antibodies under global
clinical development in partnership with Mylan, which positions
Biocon as a frontrunner in the area of Biosimilars.
Biocon
has built global scale biologics manufacturing capabilities in India
and Malaysia with the aim of impacting global health by providing
affordable access to biosimilars. Several other leading Indian firms
like Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Lupin, Reliance Life Sciences, Zydus
Cadila, Intas Pharma etc are also developing their biosimilars
portfolio and investing in building manufacturing capabilities. The
Indian pharma industry has introduced more than 50 biosimilar
products in India. I believe the industry now has the capability to
replicate the success of its generic pharma business model in the
area of affordable biologics through biosimilars.
The
US FDA approved Filgrastim as the first biosimilar product in 2015,
subsequently four more biosimilars have been approved. Biocon,
through its partner Mylan, has two of its Biologics License
Applications under review by the US FDA. Through these regulatory
filings for a proposed biosimilar of Pegfilgrastim and a proposed
biosimilar for Trastuzumab, Biocon & Mylan are well placed to
address the critical need of US patients for cost-effective
biosimilars for cancer.
Recent
developments in the US have brightened the prospects for greater
biosimilars penetration given the focus of US President Trump’s
agenda is to cut healthcare spends through better pricing models.
Indian biosimilars players find themselves in a sweet spot given
their focus of bringing high-quality yet affordable
biopharmaceuticals to the US.
(Author
is CMD, Biocon)