The trials are complete. The data is positive. The FDA review is in progress (and looking good!). Launching a new drug is a pivotal, exciting moment for pharmaceutical companies, and it’s critical that healthcare providers share your enthusiasm. As you finalize your launch strategy and get ready to make an entrance, make sure you take these four steps to set your brand up for a smooth market entry – driving the conversion opportunities that lead to strong uptake. 

Step One: Prioritize HCPs by Prescribing Opportunity  

Most NPI lists for brand launches are developed from a mix of specialty, historic prescribing, clinical trial participation, KOL identification, and other provider-focused data. Yet the relevance of your launch messaging – and the likelihood of it resulting in a prescription – is driven by whether an HCP is actually treating an eligible patient. Otherwise, your marketing is just background noise and wasted resources. 

Instead of looking at past physician behavior to guide launch strategy, shift to a patient-centric approach. Today’s AI-powered solutions for launch marketing start with the patient:  

• Finding them at or just ahead of brand eligibility,  

• Predicting their next care visit,  

• Selectively deploying outreach and media to their treating providers during the conversion window.  

By concentrating media and rep resources on the providers poised to prescribe, each marketing dollar goes further to drive post-launch uptake. And with up to 25% higher script impact, it’s no wonder that 88% of pharma respondents to a recent Digital Health Coalition survey were interested or very interested in “analytics and AI to optimize HCP targeting.” 

Step Two: Think Outside the Standard NPI List 

As noted above, most NPIs lists are point-in-time snapshots of the HCPs who have a history of prescribing similar products or fit the right specialty profile. But with more and more patients seeing multiple providers, and the increasing role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in care, it’s no longer wise to focus only on specialists. Every touchpoint between a patient and their care team is an opportunity to build momentum for your brand, so focusing too narrowly on only specialists may limit marketing impact. 

Again, this is where a patient-centric approach pays off. Once you’ve found your target patients, pull back to find their complete care team – PCPs, related specialists, NPs, PAs, etc. – then expand your outreach to holistically engage them with the same prioritized approach outlined in step one. Not only will you  increase your “shots on goal,” but you’ll also help the broader care team find the right treatment for their patients. 

Step Three: Don’t Neglect the Point-of-Care 

In a world where “omnichannel” continues to be the gold standard, competition can be fierce across the digital landscape. But in the excitement over the latest media possibilities, there’s one channel that should be the cornerstone of your launch campaign: point-of-care advertising in the EHR. 

Programmatic campaigns are ideal for introducing new therapies and amplifying general awareness across a larger audience. But while they can be precisely focused and targeted to your optimal HCP audience, only EHR advertising places your brand directly in the clinical workflow, when care decisions are being made – and it’s highly valued by HCPs. In a 2023 survey, 68% of physicians confirmed that the EHR was one of the top three ways they received brand information. 64% also selected it as a top channel to receive information on formulary coverage, financial assistance, and patient support – all critical pieces of information for newly launched drugs. 

Step Four: Sync Up Your HCP and DTC Marketing Launch 

While HCPs may be the ones prescribing, their opportunity to do so is driven by the patients they see. We’ve already noted the importance of starting HCP marketing with your patient audience, but for the maximum market impact, synchronize your HCP and DTC targeting. 

In OptimizeRx’s 2024 independent survey, 73% physicians reported that the medications patients request weren’t always the right fit, suggesting a lot of DTC advertising is missing the right audience. However, 45% also reported that patient-sourced information could cause them to consider treatments they wouldn’t otherwise. The implications for launch brands are clear: if DTC ads focus on qualified patients approaching a care visit, and their treating HCPs also receive brand information ahead of those visits, the likelihood of conversion is significantly higher. And given the frequency with which patients request specific medications, an appropriate inquiry from their patient could prompt an HCP to consider a newer brand that might not be fully on their radar – especially if the HCP has ready access to formulary and financial information in their EHR. 

Achieve the Post-Launch Impact that Drives Uptake 

In today’s media- and information-saturated world, it’s not easy to build mindshare and drive prescribing action for a new brand. But the right patient-centric strategies and advanced technology can help your brand lay the foundation for the growth your stakeholders expect.  

Learn more about OptimizeRx’s predictive solutions for HCP marketing, or book a call with our team to discuss your ideal launch marketing.