Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9989

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Publication type: report

Business Insights
Harnessing Patient Power: Strategies for speeding drug approval, building and retaining market share
: Business Insights 2004 Jan
http://www.piribo.com/publications/regulation_policy/harnessing_patient_power.html

Abstract:

Relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and patient groups have changed drastically during the past two decades, they are no longer restricted to financial contributions to create goodwill, with no expectation of a measurable return for the company. The management report, Harnessing Patient Power: Strategies for speeding drug approval, building and retaining market share, outlines the developments in pharma-patient group alliances and provides a guide for maximizing their impact across a range of pharma activities: clinical trial recruitment, product launches, CME programs, disease awareness and education initiatives. Advocacy groups are now more aware of how to leverage their influence, but still seek financial assistance, cutting-edge information about clinical trials, new therapies, professional or technical support, and other in-kind contributions that help them better serve their patient communities. The report uses detailed case studies to pinpoint how pharma companies can convert such relationships into important business tools to meet their corporate objectives.

Content

Executive Summary
An introduction to patient power
Relationships between pharma companies and patient groups
Building effective relationships with patient groups
A strategic approach to forming pharma-patient group relationships

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Patient Power
Summary
Introduction
What is patient power?
Developments in patient power
Drivers of patient power
Patient power in operation
How the activities of patient groups empower their members
Pressure on physicians
Case study: Online CML support groups and Novartis’ Gleevec

Chapter 2 Relationships between pharma companies and patient groups
Summary
Introduction
The role of patient groups
Early examples of patient groups
AIDS patient groups
Case study: The Terrence Higgins Trust (UK)
Cancer patient groups
Case study: Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (US)
The changing role of patient groups
Leveraging influence
New objectives
Case study: Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups (US)
Patient profiling
Case study: women’s health
Case study: aging patients
The role of grassroots activism
Impact
Case studies
The impact of pharma-patient group relationships on compliance
Bad drugs or poorly designed doses?
Preclinical research
Funding of patient groups
Issues

Chapter 3 Building effective relationships with patient groups
Summary
Introduction
The rise of the informed consumer
Meeting a need
Forming a partnership of equals
Pharma company benefits
Patient group benefits
Communicating through patient groups
Influencing policy makers
Developing the relationship
Plan early
Forming a partnership of equals
Pharma company benefits
Patient group benefits
Broader benefits
Communicating through patient groups
RELATED ARTICLE: Add PR To Partnership.
Influencing policy makers
Plan early
Research potential partners
Define mutual and shared objectives
Establish ground rules
Retaining patient group independence
Patient groups and DTC marketing
Influencing patient requests for medications
The doctors’ response
Case studies

Chapter 4 A strategic approach to forming pharma-patient group relationships
Summary
Introduction
Transparency is vital
Understand goals and objectives
Evaluate current and future initiatives
Clarify each party’s expectations
Nominate points of contact
Relevant job functions
Consistency is key
Define levels of commitment
Short- versus long-term
Specific projects
The relationship in operation
Launching the relationship
Ongoing support
Working with a third-party as the go-between
Case studies

Chapter 5 The future outlook
Summary
Introduction
Mutual trust
Advantages of putting the patient first
Identifying opportunities
Future developments
Introduction
Drivers of rising patient power
Overview of drivers of patient power in major markets
The healthcare system
Cost-control
Primary care physicians as gatekeepers to secondary care
Patient advocacy groups
Activities of patient groups
Types of patient organizations in different markets
The role of the media and the Internet
DTC marketing
The importance of patient groups to pharmaceutical companies
What determines the success of patient groups?
Disease characteristics
Degree of group organization
Gaps that patient groups can fill
Disease expertise and patient information
Public credibility
Increased drug sales
Faster and more effective clinical trials
Disease awareness campaigns
Working with large disease associations
Working at the community levelan important alternative
Examples of recent disease awareness campaigns
Future channels between patients and pharmaceutical companies
Divergent trends of globalisation and local focus
DTC marketing or more neutral disease campaigns?

List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Summary of future drivers of patient power
Figure 1.2: Building patient power through patient groups
Figure 1.2: Screenshot: Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups – TrialCheck
Figure 3.3: Centralized system for reporting, maintaining and sharing information about patient group relationships across functions
Figure 5.4: Areas of potential breakdown in patient group-pharma company relationships
Figure 5.5: Key drivers of patient empowerment
Figure 5.6: The drivers of patient power in seven major markets
Figure 5.7: Summary of patient group activities
Figure 5.8: Types of patient groups in seven major markets
Figure 5.9: Information flow with and without patient groups
Figure 5.10: Effect of disease emotionalism and coverage of patient population on patient groups
Figure 5.11: Summary of patient groups’ impact on pharmaceutical companies
Figure 5.12: Different levels of collaboration with patient groups