Rethinking commercial strategy – A patient-centered commercial model

Abstract

That the bio/pharmaceutical industry faces daunting challenges is common knowledge and the subject of debate for some time now. In reaction, leading bio/pharmaceutical firms have re-thought their business models. This article presents the framework, rationale and innards of a new model for commercializing outputs of the industry, given the realities of the difficult marketplace. Growing out of the axiomatic belief that patients are why the industry exists, the model defines a health-care ecosystem, re-specifying and clarifying the roles of seemingly disparate stakeholders in the service of patients. Four interlinked propositions on which the new commercial model thrives are outlined and supported with insights from real case studies and published evidence. Specific examples of tactical programs that exemplify the new model in practice are provided. The new, patient-centered commercial model is far from seeing widespread reality in practice; however, when in play, elements of the new model have consistently delivered the promise of bio/pharmaceuticals.