6 Business Challenges In Precision Medicine Launches

To succeed in precision oncology, pharma must address barriers to access, awareness & training, ensuring therapies reach the right patients. 

Precision medicine (PM), or personalized medicine, brings new hope to patients with cancer, with treatments tailored to individual genetic profiles. And it’s evolving quickly. 

By the numbers: According to the Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship,  in the past 5 years, 60% of approved cancer treatments required or recommended biomarker testing before use. Plus, many of the drugs in clinical trials today are tied to the use of an FDA-approved biomarker test to determine access to therapy. 

Why it matters: Many patients miss out on personalized oncology treatments due to barriers like operational inefficiencies, cost, limited understanding of biomarker strategies, misuse of testing results, and access issues. In fact, according to JCO Precision Oncology,  64% of eligible patients who have advanced non-small cell lung cancer are not receiving precision oncology therapies, highlighting a major gap in personalized medicine in oncology. 

This care disparity is both a clinical and business problem, affecting pharmaceutical companies’ reach and market share in precision oncology.  

While manufacturers expect several high-leverage PM approvals in 2024 and 2025, the crowded oncology market presents several obstacles: 

1. Access barriers: Ensuring patients can access necessary diagnostic tests + treatments means navigating complex healthcare systems, payers + reimbursement policies. Pharma companies must streamline these processes to ensure therapies reach the intended patients. 
2. Share of voice: Building awareness among HCPs, payers + patients about the benefits of personalized cancer medicine is crucial. Identifying key stakeholders + using strategic marketing and educational efforts are essential for establishing a strong presence. 
3. Quality message delivery: A lack of integration between medical communications + sales teams often results in inconsistent messaging. Moving from multichannel to multimodal communication can enhance understanding + engagement, ensuring field teams are well prepared + aligned with the company’s objectives. 
4. Undertrained field teams: Investing in training for medical + commercial field teams empowers them to effectively communicate the benefits of predictive + prognostic biomarker testing, address questions + concerns, and navigate regulatory landscapes. One way to solve this is outsourcing to experts in this field, which can help speed up the learning curve. 
5. Standardized processes: Effective decision-making in PM treatments relies on clear communication among specialists. Pharma companies must provide standardized protocols for laboratories to ensure accurate + timely biomarker information, which leads to better treatment decisions. 
6. Targeted outreach: One size does not fit all in pharma marketing. Tapping into proprietary stakeholder networks can help messages reach + resonate with key stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem. Customized print + digital materials tailored to specific audiences enhance understanding + trust. A tailored approach is the key to achieving true impact in this dynamic + competitive landscape. 

Bottom line: Succeeding in PM launches requires a thoughtful + multipronged approach, including patient support, creative communications strategies + a prepared field force.   

Amplity is a full-service go-to partner delivering specialized + flexible medical and sales teams. While fluent in therapeutic areas across the medical spectrum, our core strengths are oncology, rare disease + specialty therapies.