Fiona Farr BSc

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Lowering a vital drawbridge

• Fiona Farr BSc Nigel Griffiths BSc PhD

MEDICAL MARKETING RESEARCH International
MEDICAL MARKETING STUDIES, US Inc. THE KOL
EXPERTS Working with KOLs for gt15yrs
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The objective...

• What do the worlds top OPINION LEADERS in 5
  markets of critical interest to the Industry have
  to say about a Pharmaceutical Industry Under
  Siege?

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Agenda

• Methodology Guaranteeing objectivity and a true
  measure of influence
• OPEXTM
• Opinion Leader Insight Study

• Case Study The pharmaceutical industry under
  siege
• What do the KOLs want from industry?
• What can the industry get from partnering with
  KOLs?
• How good are pharmaceutical companies at
  communicating commitment to advancement of
  healthcare?
• Who are the peacemakers? Who pours boiling oil?
• How can agencies optimize the way they work with
  Opinion Leaders?
• Lowering some drawbridges

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How are Opinion Leaders traditionally identified?
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Ask the Marketplace...
We have developed our own methodology (over the
last 15 years) to identify Opinion Leaders based
on peer nomination OPEXTM
We approach these objectively identified KOLs in
our KOL market research studies
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Who did we speak to in this research?

• Professors at the top universities
• Speakers at international congresses
• Government advisors
• Consultants on pharmacos scientific advisory
  boards

Boehringer Ingelheim
Novartis
AstraZeneca
Pfizer
JJ
Merck
Lilly
BMS
GSK
these are the KOLs you are working closely
with and are the individuals who INFLUENCE
OPINIONS OF YOU AND YOUR PRODUCTS
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The KOL tightrope
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What does a KOL seek from the pharmaceutical
industry?
A place at the cutting edge
Research
Platform/ Prestige
Foreknowledge
Advancement of their thinking
Personal
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What do KOLs have to offer the pharmaceutical
industry?
RD Advice
Objective synthesis
Global overview
Education (medics)
Strategic input
Marketing Guidance
Product Advocacy
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How good are pharmaceutical companies at
communicating commitment to advancement of
healthcare?
THE MOST CONCERNING FINDING

• and were not aware of anything being done to
  address this negative image.

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Who does it well? Who does it badly?

• Pure Marketeers

• The Researchers, The Scientists, The Educators

• Poor communicators e.g. of the rationale for
  costing

• Team up with non profit-
• making organizations

• Complacency e.g. re off-label indications

• Focus on patient care

• Research grants to look at more than their own
  drug

• The me-too approach to development
  commercially, not scientifically driven

• The groundbreakers who answer scientifically
  meaningful Qs

• Those who pursue surrogate markers and not QoL

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What do KOLs want to give the industry?
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The dos and don'ts of relationship building
DONT

• Try to control them telling them exactly how,
  what and when to present
• Slip into the hired gun trap
• Overtly sell
• Slam your competitors
• Discourage frankness
• Rely on CROs to be your ambassador

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The dos and don'ts of relationship building
DO

• Identify with their mission for the betterment of
  pts
• Give feedback on their contribution
• Provide a stimulating and unbiased (or less
  biased) forum for discussion
• Support investigator-initiated research which
  explores the wider scientific questions
• Communicate the basis of their selection
• Involve them in education
• Have Specialist KOL liaison (with continuity of
  contact)
• Pay them well!

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Recent tightening of conflict of interest
regulations

• NEGATIVE
• Too stringent
• A licence for censorship by pharmacos?

• POSITIVE
• Transparency expected and needed in this sector

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How can agencies improve the way they work with
KOLs?
THE MOST WELCOME FINDING!
OVERALL, VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Areas to improve on

• Knowledge of interviewer
• Remembering the true meaning of in-depth
• Not asking about drug costs or demographics
• Considered use of on-line discussions with
  multiple feedback sessions

Key recommendation
Use us post-launch as well
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Concluding thoughts.
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Lowering the drawbridge to CONSUMERS...
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Lowering the drawbridge to OPINION LEADERS...
Get the balance right!
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and finally your homework in Naples
I hear and I forget... I see and I
remember... I do and I understand. Confuciu
s

• Thanks for your attention!