Disease Awareness Program Excellence in Immunology: Structure, Activities, and Resources Needed for Effective Pipeline Support

Industries Profiled:
Pharmaceutical; Diagnostic


Companies Profiled:
AbbVie; Prometheus Laboratories; PruGen Pharmaceuticals; Teva Pharmaceuticals; Tokai Pharmaceuticals

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 5 leaders from 5 life sciences organizations focused on immunology therapies in this benchmarking research. Alongside primary research, in-depth operational interviews were conducted with select executives. Relevant secondary research is incorporated to further provide context.

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Disease awareness program structure
• Strategic timing of disease awareness activities
• Budget and resource planning for immunology campaigns
• Collaborating with Advocacy Groups and Legal
• Use of social media in immunology disease awareness

• Structure: For immunology divisions, disease awareness is most often led by Patient Advocacy team (40%), followed by Medical, Marketing and Legal (16%).

• Disease Awareness Activities: Unbranded websites, Disease state presentations and MSL presentations are the most utilized disease awareness activities.

• Overall effectiveness of immunology-focused disease awareness programs
• Best practices for maintaining an effective disease awareness program
• Common pitfalls or stumbling blocks seen in immunology-focused disease awareness campaigns

• Structure of immunology disease awareness teams – Total benchmark class
• Structure of immunology disease awareness teams – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma, Global teams vs. Country level teams, Single brand teams vs. Portfolio teams
• Functional involvement and leadership of immunology-focused disease awareness programs
• Presence of a distinct group for handling immunology-specific disease state awareness programs

• Start and endpoints for immunology disease awareness resourcing – Total benchmark class
• Start and endpoints for immunology disease awareness resourcing – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Start and endpoints for immunology disease awareness resourcing – Global teams vs. Country level teams
• Start and endpoints for immunology disease awareness resourcing – Single brand teams vs. Portfolio teams
• Start and endpoints for immunology disease awareness resourcing – Highly competitive market vs. Less competitive market
• Interview narratives around the dividends from disease awareness programs
• Timing and utilization of immunology disease awareness activities
• Most utilized immunology disease awareness activities

• Timing of immunology disease awareness investment across development and launch cycle
• Total budget for immunology disease awareness initiatives, activities and programs – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Peak year immunology disease awareness investment – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Total budget for immunology disease awareness initiatives, activities and programs – Global teams vs. Country level teams
• Total budget for immunology disease awareness initiatives, activities and programs – Single brand teams vs. Portfolio teams
• Immunology-specific factors that shape disease awareness funding – Total benchmark class
• Immunology-specific factors that shape disease awareness funding – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Immunology-specific factors that shape disease awareness funding – Single brand teams vs. Portfolio teams
• Functions providing funding for immunology disease awareness programs
• Disease awareness investment for new immunology products addressing unmet clinical needs

• Interview narratives around patient advocacy group relationships
• Importance of each patient advocacy group activity and support service from a disease awareness program perspective – Total benchmark class
• Importance of each patient advocacy group activity and support service from a disease awareness program perspective – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Importance of each patient advocacy group activity and support service from a disease awareness program perspective – Single brand teams vs. Portfolio teams
• Best approaches to support disease awareness activities with patient advocacy groups
• Importance of highly effective patient advocacy group activities and support services from a disease awareness program perspective – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Importance of highly effective patient advocacy group activities and support services from a disease awareness program perspective – Highly competitive market vs. Less competitive market
• Timing of disease awareness activities with patient advocacy groups
• Level of involvement of legal department in each of the listed disease awareness program areas – Total benchmark class
• Level of involvement of legal department in each of the listed disease awareness program areas – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Level of involvement of legal department in each of the listed disease awareness program areas – Single brand teams vs. Portfolio teams
• Interview narrative around managing successful programs with legal groups

• Immunology disease awareness activities conducted on social media and timing of first initiation of each activity – Total benchmark class
• Immunology disease awareness activities conducted on social media and timing of first initiation of each activity – Large pharma vs. Mid-small pharma
• Utilization ranking of immunology-focused social media activities for generating disease awareness
• Interview narrative around ensuring patient access via social media
• Interview narrative around getting direct feedback and insights
• Total investment in social media disease awareness activities – Total benchmark class
• Total investment in social media disease awareness activities and percentage of overall disease awareness budget spent on social media – Country level teams

• Geographic and marketing perspective of participants represented in the study
• Job titles of benchmark participants