The UK-based research organization IMRB International will soon set up a new research division called 'IMRB Health' in Mumbai. The division is expected to start its operations by mid-October 2007. However, the company has not disclosed the financial terms for its new research division.
In an interaction with Pharmabiz, Vishal Kothare, research director of the company, said, "We are setting up our new research division in Mumbai. Currently, we are in talks with Nicholas Piramal, Pfizer, Abbott and other Mumbai-based pharma companies in this regard. The preliminary exercise is almost over. Our first study 'Patient Monitor' has typically worked out for the chronic ailments as there is no reliable market data available to the patients regarding drugs availability for the chronic ailments segments. Our research report will cost around Rs 1.50 lakh. We are doing customised client specific research."
The company has taken 11,000 household samples from 16 different cities across India. The Patient Monitor survey has covered chronic ailments like cancer, asthma, diabetes, heart and circulatory conditions, arthritis, eyesight / vision and prevalence of many more chronic conditions. It gives in-depth research on patients; coupled with insights on doctors treating the ailments, with a complete holistic understanding of the selected chronic therapy areas.
The study also includes the growing markets, active new product introductions and focus areas for most pharmaceutical companies operating in chronic ailments. The Patient Monitor study gives the detailed highlight on the incidence, sufferer profile, duration of suffering, impact of quality of life, type of doctor visit, direct / referral chain, doctor visit pattern, last doctor visit, diagnostic tests, doctor fee reimbursement, Rx medications or compliance, non-Rx co-therapy, medicine purchase location, medicine cost reimbursement, diet considerations and exercise regimen.
Speaking about further development in the future, Kothare said, "As patients are becoming more health conscious, the new generation is more urbanised and well educated, and directly going towards the specialised treatment rather than general practitioners. We are planning for setting up 'Specialist Panels' - largely an online community of specialists who can be approached to respond to online and offline surveys. The access will be available to specialists across the 7 biggest cities (all 40L+ metros) in a phased manner. In the phase I, we are covering Mumbai and Delhi, phase II Kolkata and Chennai and in the phase III we will cover Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad".