Pharmaceutical Product Launch Evaluation Excellence: Processes & Measures to Evaluate Launch Success

Excellence in product launch evaluation across multiple product launches sets protocols around the launch evaluation process, key performance measures and recalibration of targets post-launch. This research captures quantitative and qualitative data, yielding key findings and insights, around the current and future landscape of product launch evaluation at pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Best Practices, LLC used both field surveys and interviews to complete this study. In all, 19 sales and marketing leaders contributed data. In-depth interviews were conducted with leaders from six of the participating companies.

NOTE: The data in this research are segmented into two groups: Full Benchmark Class and Large Pharma Segment.

Study Snapshot

Assessing the success of product launches is a complex yet critical activity to improve both product and process performance. This benchmark study seeks to identify the full range of launch performance measures used to evaluate launch success and to develop benchmarks with which to inform and shape biopharma launch evaluations.

From interviews with executives at six companies, extensive survey data and insights drawn from 19 surveyed companies, this report provides executives, directors, and managers at pharmaceutical companies with actionable insights that will improve post-launch evaluation and stregthen future product launches.

Topics covered in this study include:

• Understand Product Launch Evaluation Process
• Determine Role of Forecasting in Evaluating Success
• Identify Key Performance Measures Used
• Review Importance of Specific Launch Evaluation Performance Measures
• Describe Process and Timetable for Recalibration of Launch Targets

• Most companies do not follow a standard launch evaluation process.
• Managing expectations, beyond the forecasts, is critical to guiding post-launch activity.
• Frequent cross-functional launch team meetings (pre- and post-launch) are the best means of identifying and resolving performance issues.

• Forecasting Timeframe in Months (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Make Up of Cross-Functional Product Launch Forecasting Team (Full Benchmark Class)
• Factors that Affect Launch Forecasts (Full Benchmark Class)
• Sales Measures Employed as Launch Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Relative Importance of Sales Measures in Evaluating Launch Success (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Thought Leader & Physician Awareness Measures Employed as Launch Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Relative Importance of Thought Leader & Physician Awareness Measures in Evaluating Launch Success (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Payer Access Measures Employed as Launch Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Relative Importance of Payer Access Measures in Evaluating Launch Success (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Patient Acceptance Measures Employed as Launch Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Relative Importance of Patient Acceptance Measures in Evaluating Launch Success (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Adverse Events and Regulatory Scrutiny Measures Employed as Launch Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Relative Importance of Adverse Events and Regulatory Scrutiny Measures in Evaluating Launch Success (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Sales Force Performance Measures Employed as Launch Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Relative Importance of Sales Force Performance Measures in Evaluating Launch Success (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Other Key Performance Measures (Full Benchmark Class & Large Pharma Segment)
• Frequency in Weeks of Launch Team Reviews (Full Benchmark Class)
• Review Method of Performance Metrics (Full Benchmark Class)
• Corrective Action Determination (Full Benchmark Class)
• Critical Launch Success Factors (Full Benchmark Class)
• Post-Launch Target Recalibration Timeframe in Months (Full Benchmark Class)