Emerging economies are gaining increasing importance in the growth strategies of global life science companies, who are shifting their focus away from developed markets that have experienced a steady drop in growth opportunities. **Disclaimer: This article was previously published. Sciformix is now a Covance company.

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merging economies are gaini ng increasing importance in growth strategies of global life science companies, shifting their focus
away from developed markets which have experienced a steady drop in growth opportunities. With predictions they will account
for 40 percent of the worldwide pharmaceutical market by 2020. Varied demographics, government health spending and
regulatory environments in individual countries of the emerging markets require global pharmaceutical companies to both create
and implement specific and custom strategies to succeed in these markets. Many innovator companies are customising their product
portfolio to suit these markets, focusing on older drugs going off-patent and using a strategy of “differential pricing”, and locally
targeted marketing and product communication.
As a result, both generic and innovator companies are finding that they need to support launches of multiple products in short
timeframes yet they don’t have the people, processes, technologies or expertise do so. By utilising the services of a functional service
provider (FSP) to undertake activities necessary to support local marketing/product promotion plans, they can have access to a ready
pool of highly skilled and knowledgeable resources in a country such as India, which can be deployed in a timely and need-based
manner, optimising costs and maximising impact.
Challenges in emerging markets
Regardless of the strategy adopted, marketing of
healthcare products in less mature markets has unique
challenges, including:
• Lack of effective local regulations and ethical
guidelines pertaining to healthcare product
promotion/dissemination of medical information
• Insufficient local resources
• Diseases and healthcare priorities that are different
from the western world
• Variations in local medical standards of practice
• Language and cultural differences
• Varying levels of digitisation and access to internet/
online resources
Companies have to develop strategies and programmes
that address the unique environment of each country
to ensure maximum uptake of their products and
achieve clinical positioning that is not only credible and
scientifically well-founded, but impactful and largely
applicable across countries.
Medical communication
Medical Communication forms the backbone of
pharmaceutical product promotion. When a new product
is launched in the market, physician prescribers have to
be informed and educated about its features, benefits,
efficacy, safety profile and comparison with existing
treatments. A host of print and digital material such as
product monographs, brochures, leave-behind literature,
CME slide decks and training modules are created so
that the product knowledge can be widely and quickly
distributed to the prescribing physicians.
Medical affairs support
Medical Affairs is a key function in pharmaceutical
companies and provides scientific support to both
internal and external customers for the development
and marketing of the company’s products. Medical
affairs activities that may be of particular importance in
emerging markets are:
• Collection of local epidemiological and clinical
practice data in different disease/therapy areas and
creating disease registries
• Developing evidence-based practice guidelines for
the local use for diseases/healthcare issues of local
importance
• Providing continued medical education/information
to healthcare professionals, including the use of
e-learning resources
and methodologies
• Building relationships with key opinion leaders
(KOLs) through clinical events, meetings and support
for investigator initiated research activities and
publications
• Designing and conducting patient awareness/
support programmes
Publication writing
While it is widely regarded as essential to get research
findings published in peer-reviewed international
scientific publications, the pharmaceutical industry and
researchers in the emerging countries also aspire to get
published on international platforms. Organisations can
require assistance with this kind of writing, especially
if English is not their first language. Knowledge of
international requirements and guidelines such as
CONSORT for clinical trial reporting, and Good
Publication Practices as well as ICMJE guidelines is
essential for preparation of manuscripts for publication.
Medical writers well-versed in these requirements can
help authors and investigators get their work published
in international journals.
Summary
Life science companies are affecting a model shift in their
focus towards emerging markets given their growing
economies and the steady decline of opportunities
in the developed markets. Emerging markets present
new challenges related to pharmaceutical promotion,
hence, new medical communication strategies need
to be developed matching each market’s unique
structure. Outsourcing these activities and workflows
to an experienced Functional Service Provider is an
effective strategy which allows organisations to maintain
uniformity of content and design across material at the
corporate level while allowing their local affiliates to
cater to local requirements.
Suhasini Sharma,
director of medical affairs
at Sciformix Corporation
Shout it from
the rooftops
Suhasini Sharma, director of medical affairs at Sciformix
Corporation explains how effective medical communication
can pave the road to success in emerging markets
“Companies have to
develop strategies and
programmes that address
the unique environment
of each country to ensure
maximum uptake of
their products
”
W W W . E P M M A G A Z I N E . C O M12
OPINION