During this session, the panelists discussed medical communications and market access with a particular focus on commercialization. The discussion focused on how firms are leveraging technology and AI to build brands, drive product launches, conduct product pricing, and bring products to providers and end users. The panelists also highlighted the business outlook and other investment strategies.

Session panelists:

• Brian Fox, President, Chief Growth Officer, Klick Health
• Paul Hepper, Managing Director, Harris Williams
• Cynthia Hwang, General Manager, Riparian (an Envision Pharma Group company)
• Jon Maschmeyer, Partner, Permira
• Bret Tenenhaus, Principal, Great Point Partners
• Moderator: Jamie Ravitz, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery

IN DEPTH

Top takeaways included:

• Product Launches Play a Crucial Role in Driving Commercialization Within the Pharmaceutical Industry. There is a noticeable shift toward integrated marketing strategies that focus on medical information dissemination and patient access. Greater collaboration across different functions within pharmaceutical companies aims to create a unified patient experience, supported by data analytics and technological infrastructure.
• AI Is an Impactful Tool That Will Be Adopted by Current Industry Players. Commercial AI solutions are expected to increase in the pharmaceutical and medical technology (medtech) sectors. While AI can enhance job satisfaction and efficiency, human oversight remains necessary for compliance.
• Data and Technology Are Critical Subsectors Within Pharmaceutical and Medtech Services. Data is essential for winning service revenue, both externally and for internal efficiency. Opportunities exist for process enhancements to minimize revenue leakage risks. For example, data analytics can help identify misapplied discounts on claims, and predictive analytics can help support decision-making.
• Investors Evaluate Pharmaceutical and Medtech Companies Based on Growth Potential, Business Model Resilience and Financial Performance. While interest rates are elevated, there is still plenty of debt capital available.
• Take Advantage of Industry Diversification. Smaller patient populations have driven funding into small- and mid-sized pharmaceutical companies. There has been continued growth in oncology and rare disease markets and reduced reliance on large sales forces due to targeted marketing efforts.
• Looking Ahead, Pharmaceutical and Medtech Companies Are Facing Market Access and Communications Challenges. Large pharmaceutical companies, for example, are cutting budgets. In addition, Medicare drug impact programs will continue to impact available research and development funding.