Pharmaceutical Blockbuster Launches: Steal This Strategy

Business Wire, July 23, 2004

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Intense competition, looming patent expirations and the pressure to lower drug costs are compelling pharmaceutical companies to execute marketing earlier and with more focus than ever before. New research by pharmaceutical benchmarking leader, Best Practices, LLC, reveals how companies attain rapid market penetration and spectacular sales growth through successful management of new product launches.

Newly updated for 2004, Launching Pharmaceutical Megabrands: Best Practices in Marketing Blockbusters 2004 Edition, available at http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr409.htm , shows how leading pharmaceutical launch blockbusters by investing appropriately, balancing therapeutic innovation with commercial needs, focusing market research, and coordinating cross-functional groups. Sample findings include:

--For high-potential retail drugs, successful companies typically spend $103 million to $264 million for marketing support activities from the pre-clinical phase to one to two years after launch.

--For products with the potential of $500 million in annual sales, global product teams normally start with about one FTE in Phase I and by launch has 5-10 FTEs. Staffing numbers increase with a product's sales potential.

The leading practices, managerial insights and benchmark metrics in Launching Pharmaceutical Megabrands: Best Practices in Marketing Blockbusters 2004 Edition are drawn from lessons learned interviews and benchmarking surveys with executives at 13 leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

The updated report profiles 25 blockbuster drugs and contains key financial and staffing metrics for blockbuster product launches. Additionally, the report contains the following NEW data:

--Case studies profiling 16 blockbuster launches, including product revenue, direct-to-consumer promotional spending and a marketing profile.

--Product team size and timing of product team formation

--Timing of commercial activities for global and U.S. levels

--Global product team FTE benchmarks by product sales potential

--Timing and factors regarding product team size reduction

--Marketing performance measures

--Timing and responsibility for tracking marketing performance measures

--Medical publications staffing levels

--Timing and quantity of medical publications

Download an excerpt of Launching Pharmaceutical Megabrands: Best Practices in Marketing Blockbusters 2004 Edition at http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr409.htm . For more information, contact Mike Rogers at (919) 767-9255 or at mrogers@best-in-class.com.

ABOUT BEST PRACTICES, LLC

Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of world-class companies. For more information, call (919) 403-0251 or visit www.best-in-class.com/