Pharma/Health

We help pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device businesses around the world understand patients, prescribers and influencer.

We conduct more interviews with physicians and patients in the UK than any other agency. Our healthcare specialists have experience with a wide range of therapeutic classes, globally and locally. Our expertise enables us to present findings in an informed way and we are not afraid to challenge traditional thinking.

Using quantitative and qualitative techniques we have developed specifically for healthcare, we help clients understand and anticipate their audiences' responses to their brands and products. For instance we recently:

• developed unique positioning platforms for a number of new and existing products
• analysed the sizes of patient populations for a variety of therapy areas
• defined the typical diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for different patient types within a disease area
• discovered how secondary care physicians perceive a new therapy globally
• assessed how the structure of hospital affects the ability to introduce new technology across Europe
• evaluated the developing role of the GPs' WSI in the UK.

We have a specialist team focused on OTC and consumer health products. Please contact Susan Purcell on 020 8861 8000, Susan.Purcell@ipsos-mori.com.

For research into medicine and science issues including for scientific establishments and medical authorities, please contact Michelle Corrado at Michelle.Corrado@ipsos-mori.com

To commission work on behalf of the NHS please contact Jonathan Nicholls at Jonathan.Nicholls@ipsos-mori.com

Case studies

Global candidate product assessment

Our client asked us to assess the market potential for a product in phase II clinical trials. They wanted to understand its impact from both a clinical and policy perspective. Key research objectives were to:

• evaluate its market potential
• assess the ideal patient profile for the product
• analyse market entry strategy.

What we did

We carried out qualitative research in global markets among government officials and clinicians.

Our findings enabled the client to:

• understand where the clinical need for the product lay and which aspects were most motivating to users and policy makers
• know which influential groups to target for product uptake
• develop motivating messages for the product
• assess how it would perform against the competition.

Global brand positioning, pre-launch

Our client wanted to understand the clinical needs of their main audiences worldwide. They would use the research to inform product development and find the best way of targeting the different audiences.

What we did

We began by conducting qualitative research and brainstorming sessions with key internal stakeholders to optimise the subsequent quantitative research. We then conducted a segmentation analysis.

The outcome

We made practical recommendations about the direction clinical development should take and how to target their key audiences. These enabled our client to prioritise and focus their development efforts along particular paths. In addition, they were able to develop marketing messages and key hooks around these development cycles. Plus, our client applied the segmentation to their sales database to identify which groups of clinicians would be most responsive to the different developments and messages. They were therefore able to target customers and prospects in the most appropriate way,

Global patient flow

A client asked us to assess the relative importance of health care professionals involved with prescribing their product. They wanted to understand the impact of different influencers on decision-making to support their marketing strategies. Key research objectives were to:

• understand clinical settings in primary and secondary care and patient pathways
• assess the relevant clinicians and their importance and influence
• analyse the factors that impact prescribing at local and trust levels.

What we did

We conducted qualitative research to investigate structure and the flow of influence, and to understand protocols. We then carried out quantitative research to validate the prescribing volumes of clinicians.

This enabled our client to:

• see who had responsibility and influence over the largest prescribing opportunities
• assess how different types of clinicians positioned the product
• understand which groups to target in their marketing effort.

Local policy understanding

Our client came to us to help them understand how activities and support programmes affect people's perception of their products and organisation. Key research objectives were to:

• understand the impact of current activities
• measure customer and stakeholder satisfaction
• analyse their level of engagement with the client.

What we did

Working with our Loyalty team, we carried out quantitative research among decision-makers and clinicians.

This enabled our client to:

• measure their current status, which is the best indicator of future behaviour
• identify drivers for current and future target groups
• assess how they are seen compared to the competition.