With biopharma expected to bring a surge of new medicines to market by the end of the decade, companies are under pressure to deliver launch excellence with leaner teams. Success will depend on connected engagement, data-driven insights and smarter use of Artificial Intelligence to bridge the gap from pipeline to patient. Chris Moore, President, Europe at Veeva Systems explains.
By the end of the decade, the biopharma industry is expected to bring a significant number of new medicines to market. This rise is being fuelled by therapies delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a wave of advanced treatments facing maturity and a surge in R&D investment. Forecasts predict that biopharma companies plan to introduce an increasing number of new molecules by 2030.
This growth holds enormous promise for patients and the industry, but it also creates a pressing operational challenge. As 83% of large biopharmas plan to manage more launches without expanding their commercial teams, these companies are tasked with finding ways to scale up launches without scaling teams.
To succeed, companies of all sizes are prioritising launch excellence and efficient resource allocation, especially as new molecular entities have doubled annually over the last decade and 94% now face patent challenges within just 5.2 years. That means getting launches right, fast.
But as commercial complexity grows, there is a need for more joined-up healthcare professional (HCP) engagement to overcome the increasing number of physicians who no longer meet with industry professionals. Closing the gap from pipeline to patient requires agile, connected engagement models that synchronise commercial efforts, deliver consistent value to HCPs and maximise both new product uptake and the performance of in-market treatments.
New engagement models for increasingly complex therapies
The growing diversity of therapies, from widely used primary care treatments to highly specialised cell and gene treatments, demands equally diverse go-to-market strategies. Scalable, service-oriented models help drive awareness efficiently as products mature, while complex or high-value therapies require more resource-intensive approaches, such as account-based selling, field orchestration and strategic account management.
At the same time, HCPs are harder to reach. Despite valuing field teams as a key source of new treatment insights, 65% of HCPs limit their access to three or fewer biopharma companies. With fewer chances to connect, each interaction counts. However, fewer than 20% of HCPs find the information they receive truly personalised, and nearly half of key opinion leaders (KOLs) cite poor coordination across functions. As Dr Vital Hevia, Urologist and Robotic Surgeon at ROC Clinic and HM Hospitals, explained: “Physicians have limited time and don’t need repetitive information. The transfer must be efficient, with scientifically trusted information through the right channel. Every interaction should inform the next communication.”
Launch excellence with connected engagement
Solving the 2030 launch challenge and connecting more effectively with HCPs demands a new level of co-ordination across commercial teams.
1. Breaking down functional silos Many leading biopharmas identify disconnected teams and fragmented data as primary barriers to achieving coordinated, customer-centric engagement. One telling example: a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) presents a new drug to a KOL unaware that the individual was a key investigator for the company’s clinical trial. The result? Missed opportunities and disjointed experiences.
Bringing sales, marketing and medical onto a single platform with one customer record eliminates these silos. With a 360-degree customer view, teams can build off the last interaction, engage more efficiently and activate the right resources at the right time to scale launches without scaling teams.
2. Leveraging integrated data and Artificial Intelligence Connecting data and software drives greater efficiency and precision across commercial operations during product launch. Deep data insights help identify the right KOLs for targeted scientific engagements even before launch, resulting in a 1.5x improvement in treatment adoption within the first six months.
Tailoring KOL interactions with personalised messaging enhances experiences and increases the likelihood of becoming one of the select few biopharmas chosen to interact with. Seamlessly integrated, high-quality data, powered by Artificial Intelligence, accelerates customer-specific insights for more impactful engagements. Artificial Intelligence quickly analyses vast amounts of information, generating actionable insights that augment field team decisions and boost productivity. When built into the core industry-specific software, Artificial Intelligence inherently understands application business rules, workflows and regulatory guardrails, ensuring compliance and context for users.
Shaping a future-ready commercial model for 2030
Successfully preparing for the 2030 launch challenge will require companies to scale smarter, faster and more efficiently without expanding their teams. That means rethinking the commercial model to accelerate the journey from pipeline to patient. Connecting software, data, processes and teams empowers companies to operate as one, powered by Artificial Intelligence and real-time insights. By breaking down silos and delivering personalised HCP experiences at scale, biopharmas can accelerate adoption, maximise launch impact and bring innovation to patients faster.
