Incivek Case Study: A Well Planned and Executed Launch Makes the Most of a Small Window of Opportunity

STUDY OVERVIEW

When it was approved by the FDA in May 2011, Incivek represented a milestone in the treatment of hepatitis C. While standard treatment for the potentially fatal disease had a cure rate that hovered around 50%, Incivek's cure rate was around 79%. But Vertex Pharmaceuticals' first commercial product faced some challenges: Merck had a product approved the same month that had the same method of action (Victrelis), Incivek was significantly more expensive than other hep C treatments, and competitors were developing next-generation products that could be even more effective.

Clearly, Vertex had to get Incivek's launch right. And the Boston company nailed it, using planning and execution to drive more than $1 billion in Incivek sales during the product's first four quarters on the market. How did the company not only unseat Pfizer's Celebrex as the pharma product with the fastest launch, but also neutralize the mighty Merck?

This case study reviews how Vertex meticulously planned and executed:

• Pre- and post-launch multimedia education programs for patients and HCPs
• Financial assistance programs for patients
• A positioning strategy that won over patients and physicians

• Incivek Launch Strategy and Results Overview
• Incivek Method of Action & Therapeutic Information
• Priming the Market Prior to Launch
• Well Executed Campaign Fuels Fastest Launch in Pharma History
• Navigating the Twin Challenges of Price and Competition
• Incivek’s Meteoric Rise Followed by Crash Landing after Three Years on Market

• Cure rate and treatment length for standard HCV therapy, Incivek, and Victrelis
• Net sales of Incivek over its first four quarters on the market
• Cost and treatment length for standard HCV therapy, Incivek and Victrelis
• Comparison of Incivek and Victrelis sales during their first six months on the market
• Quarterly sales of Incivek from launch to market withdrawal
• Comparison of number of prescriptions issued for Incivek versus Sovaldi during the first 13 weeks on the market for both products
  

This case study was created using multiple secondary research sources.

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