Product Transition: Orphan Drug Distribution
How can value demonstration play an important role in pharma market access
Background
An EU based company bought their first drug for the US market. The drug had been in open distribution for several years. For a variety of reasons, they wanted to narrow the distribution to a single US distributor. In the process of doing this, they had concerns about making sure all patients had access to the drug, the healthcare providers would have a smooth transition, and the company would not lose sales or margin from returns, chargebacks, or lost sales during the transition.
Results
Key to the transition was a coordinated communications plan both internal and external to the client. D2 also worked with client to secure a third-party logistics provider (3 PL) and highly qualified single distributor. This work included identifying target 3 PLs and distributors and selecting, contracting, and implementing a 3 PL and distributor. Since the EU parent company was active in the transition, education about nuances and unique aspects of the US pharmaceutical market was important to success.
