Launching New Biopharma Products in Competitive Oncology Markets: Critical Success Factors and Failure Points

Industries Profiled:
Consulting; Biotech; Biopharmaceutical; Pharmaceutical


Companies Profiled:
Ardelis Health; F1 Oncology; Incyte; Lexicon Pharmaceuticals; Regeneron; Sandoz; Shire; Syros Pharmaceuticals

Study Snapshot

Best Practices engaged 8 Oncology-focused launch leaders from 8 companies in this research through a benchmarking survey instrument and interviews. Benchmark partners work in such functions as Marketing, Commercial, and Product Franchises.

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Top success factors observed from oncology launch leaders
• Current and future risks for oncology product launches
• The relative value of positioning and differentiation dimensions
• The most common failure points with leveraging efficacy and safety considerations
• The relative value and importance of differentiation factors with different stakeholder audiences (Physicians, Payers, Patients)
• The effectiveness of engagement and education tactics across stakeholder audiences

• Superior Efficacy Drives Oncology Market Success: Superior efficacy remains the top driver for influencing the oncology market at launch, with 75% of experts prioritizing superiority against competitors and 63% highlighting general treatment efficacy. Other critical factors include addressing unmet medical needs (50%) and demonstrating efficacy in halting disease progression (50%), making these essential for securing physician and payer support.

• Digital Technologies Redefine Oncology Engagement: Digital platforms like branded/unbranded websites, physician portals, social media listening, and natural language processing are essential for maximizing message reach and precision targeting. Commercial executives indicated that digital efforts are the most cost-effective way to ensure that even lower-priority stakeholder segments are aware of the brand and its core message at market entry and beyond.

• Key success factors driving oncology product launches
• Framework for achieving successful oncology market entry

• Developing the right positioning for new oncology products
• Effectiveness of product traits with external stakeholders across top positioning categories

• Most impactful efficacy dimensions for driving oncology market success
• Requisite efficacy advancements for gaining physician trial and payer support in oncology
• Key pitfalls undermining efficacy-driven positioning

• Importance of safety dimensions in driving physician adoption of oncology therapies
• Effectiveness of safety considerations for monotherapy and combination oncology regimens
• Common safety pitfalls impacting oncology product launches

• Investment levels relative to market leaders for successful launch outcomes
• Optimal resource allocation for stakeholder engagement and education activities in the peri-launch period (late phase III through the first year of launch)
• Importance of educating and winning support from stakeholder groups in order to successfully enter a competitive oncology market
• Importance of educating and winning support from stakeholder groups in order to successfully win market share
• Importance of educating and winning support from stakeholder groups in order to successfully grow a market
• Risk levels of market shaping pitfalls that can derail launch success
• Risk levels of internal failure points that can derail launch success

• Most effective strategies for engaging thought leaders to create an informed and receptive marketplace
• Critical resources for thought leader-based market entry activities
• Importance rating of approaches for identifying and managing oncology thought leaders

• Top oncology-specific differentiation factors for physicians at market entry
• Secondary differentiation factors for oncology physicians at market entry
• Effectiveness of early physician education strategies in influencing oncology market success
• Secondary early physician education activities to influence market entry success
• Strategies for driving a physician’s initial trial with the right patient type for a new product entering a competitive marketplace
• Risk levels of physician pitfalls that can derail new product success

• Leading differentiation factors for payer engagement at market entry
• Secondary differentiation factors relevant to payers at market entry
• Effectiveness of early payer education and engagement activities in influencing market entry success
• Secondary payer education and engagement activities to influence market entry success
• Product differentiation factors enabling superior pricing
• Minimum efficacy thresholds required for premium pricing relative to branded competitors
• Risk levels of payer pitfalls that can derail new product success

• Top differentiation factors for patients at market entry
• Secondary product differentiation factors for patient engagement
• Effectiveness of early patient education initiatives in influencing market entry success
• Second tier early patient education and engagement activities to influence market entry success
• Risk levels of patient-related pitfalls that can derail new product success