The ‘ART’ of Success: Pharma Launch Strategies for Japan
Our experts untangle the ART of pharma launch in Japan -- asset, resource and timeline strategies -- to maximize success in this unique and competitive market.
When a pharmaceutical company develops products through clinical trials, it naturally considers a global strategy to maximize the commercial potential. The research and development (R&D) phase is a lengthy process fully of science; when it comes to product launch, there is lots of art involved—such as local contexts, forecasts and estimates based on assumptions, and business decisions in uncertainty—especially when it comes to launching in a foreign country with a distinct culture like Japan.
In order to shed light into the seemingly black box of the product launch, launch expert Yunke Song, Managing Director, Consulting, and Adam Kennedy, Vice President at Taylor Strategy Partners, a Syneos Health company, have identified three main questions aimed to help sponsors zero in on how their asset may perform in Japan (Figure 1).
Figure 1. “ART” of Product Launch in Japan
- Asset: How valuable is your asset in the Japanese market? When considering whether to launch the asset in the Japan Market, one needs to first ask for the potential financial return. This would be broken down into discussion on how to acquire maximum patient share, given the current medical needs and the competitive landscape, and discussion on how to acquire attractive product price to justify Japan market entry strategy.
- Resource: How do you optimize your operational resource in Japan? One must consider the overall global expansion strategy, and how Japan fits within. Just like in other countries, the HQ must take the strategic go-to-option which makes the best sense in Japan, ranging from commercializing the asset all by itself to outsourcing the asset.
- What do you have to do in the Japan market and when? This is somewhat dependent on decisions made above on “RESOURCE” as well as therapeutic areas but there are a set of minimally required tasks to launch an asset in the Japan market, and the ideal timing to complete those tasks.
As a fully integrated commercialization solution provider for pharmaceutical companies, Syneos Health has strong capabilities and rich experience in helping customers break into the Japanese market through the ART of launch and other commercialization strategies.
For more discussion, please contact [email protected] and [email protected].
Contributors
- Yunke Song, PhD | Managing Director | Consulting, Japan | Syneos Health
- Adam Kennedy | Vice President | TSP | Syneos Health
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