How Primary Research Identifies Promising Licensing Candidates for a Pharma Company

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How Primary Research Identifies Promising Licensing Candidates for a Pharma Company

CASE STUDY

HOW PRIMARY RESEARCH IDENTIFIES PROMISING LICENSING CANDIDATES FOR A PHARMA COMPANY WWW.FULD.COM

Going from Promise to Product

A mid-size specialty pharmaceutical company was interested in licensing promising early-stage compounds in order to add critical mass to its portfolio. To gain clarity about the available options, and which would be a ‘best fit’, they engaged Fuld + Company. As a result of our in-depth primary and secondary research, and resulting recommendations, the company in-licensed two early-stage compounds, one of which they have now successfully brought to market.

Case Overview

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Flying Blind With Little Room for Error Key Business Challenges

Through several recent acquisitions, the company had entered therapeutic areas to which it was new. They wanted to augment their pipeline and overall product portfolio, but without experience in those areas, they were ‘flying blind’. Further, because they had a limited budget, they could not afford to make poor choices among the many potential worldwide candidates.



Needles and Haystacks Key Business Challenges

Pharma companies typically conduct in-house secondary research on developments in their field, looking at public records and various drug databases, as well as patent filings and published papers, in the hope of identifying compounds for in-licensing, or even companies for acquisition. Such research often gives the impression that many worthy candidates exist when, in fact, many of them have stalled, or actually show little promise. The ability to rule out unworthy candidates therefore counts as much as the ability to rule in candidates that fit with the company’s product portfolio or therapeutic area – and both are difficult to do in the absence of the kind of primary research that Fuld + Company conducts with knowledgeable opinion leaders and with sources at potential target companies.



Finding the Right Answers The Fuld Approach

Combining our global footprint, industry knowledge, and research experience, our team:

Worked with the client to develop clear and concise business rules about what types of compounds, companies, and therapeutic approaches to include in the initial survey.

Produced a landscape assessment to give the client an idea of the current, and future, competitive dynamics of the disease space so that they had an idea of how ‘crowded’ the market might become.

Conducted a broad-based sweep of early-stage compounds to compare against the business rules, and create a shortlist of appropriate compounds.

Interviewed sources at the target companies, as well as key opinion leaders in the target disease fields, about those compounds.

Analyzed the data to create a list of recommended compounds, and rule out what might otherwise have appeared to be likely candidates.

Worked directly with client personnel to develop arguments, and to support net present value (NPV) analysis, to create a business case in support of potential candidates for in-licensing or acquisition.



Rules of the Road and a Faster Route to Success

Key Business Impact

The client, who had previously practiced ‘opportunistic’ business development, was now equipped with specific business rules governing in-licensing and acquisition. These rules encompassed such issues as therapeutic areas of interest, size of deal, degree of innovation and competition, and more. With this new approach in place, the client was able to focus on compounds that were more likely to create synergies with their current portfolio. With the in-house work of identifying targets reduced, and with a smaller number of genuinely promising candidates in hand, the client subsequently in-licensed two of the compounds we recommended, and has now successfully commercialized one of them.



The Primacy of Primary Research The Fuld Review

The ‘unique selling point’ in this project was our ability to conduct primary research with stakeholders who could give added color to the validity of the target compounds. We were able to cast a broad net, and to consider specific assets for their fit with the client’s portfolio in a way that companies themselves cannot. For example, we were able to provide an objective, third party view of a candidate that the client favored, but that we argued would not be a strategic fit with the company’s portfolio. Further, in a world where scientific innovation knows no borders, our global reach enabled research that was both comprehensive and efficient, resulting in the client beating competitors to the punch for a compound that became a successful product.



Think a similar solution could work for your organization?

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About Fuld + Company

WHO WE ARE

Since 1979 Fuld + Company have pioneered competitive intelligence, and today we work with leading companies worldwide to deliver the competitive and market insights they need to make better business decisions. We don’t rest on our history and past successes. This means working hard to deliver uncompromising analysis that generates sound advice and earns us enduring partnerships with our clients.

WHY CHOOSE US

We are driven to expose our clients to insights about their industry, their competition and a changing market; designed to help avoid surprises and industry shocks. Through deep research, penetrating analysis and strategic gaming + advisory expertise, our team of professionals help you identify and solve tactical and strategic challenges. We help reduce the risks associated with business-critical decision making.

COMPETITIVE + MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Competitive + Brand Insights

War Games / Competitive Simulations

Market Analysis, Share + Sizing

Supply Chain Mapping

GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY

Brand + Product Positioning / Launch Support

Product Portfolio Roadmap

New Market Entry / Segmentation

Value Chain Analysis

Life Cycle Management

Win / Loss Bid Support

CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLANNING

Early Warning + Scenario Planning

Sales Force Effectiveness

Merger/Acquisition + Licensing

Innovation Strategy

Business Model / Industry Convergence



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How Primary Research Identifies Promising Licensing Candidates for a Pharma Company

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