Case studies show connected analytics can shift tradeoffs to triumphs.
At Fierce Pharma Week in Philadelphia, Veeva’s Anthony Billinger, Senior Director of Compass Strategy, emphasized the challenges drugmakers face in bringing new products to market, pointing to a persistent gap between forecasts and results. Studies show that two out of three therapies underperform in their first year, and as many as 70% continue to miss expectations in later years. Fewer than half of launches reach peak sales of $250 million, underscoring what presenters described as an urgent need to rethink how companies prepare for commercialization.
One theme echoed throughout was the importance of investing early in infrastructure and data. With competition accelerating and life cycles shortening, companies must make critical choices about how to allocate limited time, money and staff. Decisions about whether to invest immediately, delay, or repurpose existing resources often hinge on the availability, usability, and quality of data. Without appropriate data, teams risk stretching outdated insights or delaying insights altogether. Either option leaves teams ill-prepared for a successful launch in dynamic markets where competitors, diagnostics and treatment options shift rapidly. Billinger outlined three case studies where biopharma leveraged an integrated data strategy to turn precommercial tradeoffs into triumphs.
In one case study, a small biopharma faced a surprise FDA approval and just 10 weeks to launch across eight indications, including immunology, dermatology and neurology. With little legacy expertise and a limited budget, the company relied on data tools that were integrated to quickly map the patient journey, identify prescribers and train its field force. The firm exceeded its first-year forecast by more than 10%, demonstrating how connected reference, patient, and prescriber data can accelerate deployment in highly constrained situations.
A second example focused on a mid-sized company preparing for a label expansion in psychiatry. Historically, its field medical teams built target lists based on personal networks and experience. To scale, the company shifted to a data-driven approach to identify top scientific leaders, overlap between clinical experts and high-volume prescribers, and opportunities for more dynamic targeting. These insights are at the fingertips of field medical via native integration to their CRM. While the product has not yet launched, the new method has been adopted as a standard approach within its medical affairs group.
A third case, from a top-20 pharma, showed how ongoing data analysis epitomized a “fail-fast” approach to inform go/no-go decisions. Through real-time monitoring of treatment patterns and physician behavior over an 18-month period pre-launch , the company saw the market narrowing for an acquiring asset as new competitors approached. Rather than continue to invest, the firm decided to discontinue the program, redirecting resources elsewhere. Billinger noted that such decisions, though difficult, can ultimately save companies significant costs and strengthen pipelines.
Taken together, the case studies underscored the role of connected data in helping pharma companies reduce risk, refine strategy and maximize opportunities. Billinger concluded that whether the goal is to launch quickly, scale effectively, or make informed portfolio decisions, investing early in data and infrastructure has become a critical factor in commercial success.
Learn more about how Veeva Compass is solving long-standing industry commercial data challenges in this Fierce Pharma video interview.
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