IMPACT STUDIES

Results are what matter most.

The life science environment is a rapidly changing one. To succeed, commercial initiatives have to be informed by a broad competitive perspective that encompasses the environment in which physician and patient behaviors, alternative science and technologies, and health care policies combine to pose constant challenges.

As the following examples illustrate, Back Bay expertise and capabilities enable us to develop and implement realistic and truly valuable growth strategies for clients.

Commercial Strategies

Product/Market Assessments & Analytics; Lifecycle Management

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A range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies help clients maximize revenue potential and the value of individual products.

Read about how we helped a large Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Large, European pharma client sought a strategy to develop additional indications for a major pain product

OUR APPROACH

  • Reviewed scientific literature to narrow indications to those with highest feasibility
  • Used Key Opinion Leader interviews to further assess feasibility, identify unmet needs, develop robust TPPs and establish clinical trial design
  • Conducted research with “high prescribers” to measure likely market penetration
  • Developed financial model including development costs and revenue/profit projects to prioritize indications based on their risk-adjusted values

RESULT

  • Client implemented the proposed strategy across three new indications

Product Positioning & Branding

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Go beyond product features and benefits to tailor promotion to appeal to physicians' emotions.

Read about how we helped a small Medtech/Diagnostic client:

SITUATION

  • European biotech and a multinational nuclear medicine partner sought positioning/promotion strategies for a diagnostic for renal cell carcinoma

OUR APPROACH

  • Used in-depth interviews with specialists to establish clinical problem and identify important product benefits
  • Conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with "high prescribing" specialists to validate earlier findings and identify emotional drivers for prescribing
  • Executed a large web survey (n=~500) to prioritize product benefits and understand emotional appeal
  • Used structural equation modeling approach to determine critical message elements and to set a brand-specific benefit ladder

RESULT

  • Significantly expanded target patient segments from 20% to cover 50%-70% of the market
  • Identified the key benefits and emotional themes for optimizing product promotion

Physician Segmentation

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Identify the physician segments with highest potential to prescribe a product.

Read about how we helped a large Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Large, public, biopharma company sought to understand why reimbursement data indicated 40%+ of patients were discontinuing product use prematurely

OUR APPROACH

  • Used in-depth interviews with "high-prescribing" hematologist/oncologists to understand how physician psychographic factors affected willingness to prescribe, and to identify causes of discontinuation
  • Developed a segmentation scheme to identify high potential hematologist/oncologists and the required measures to minimize early discontinuation

RESULT

  • Recommended a significant expansion in sales force headcount
  • Developed a simple targeting tool that allowed sales force to identify high potential hematologist/oncologists
  • Re-oriented promotion efforts to emphasize the importance of treatment duration

Franchise Strategy

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Implement robust technical, clinical, and commercial metrics in prioritizing opportunities.

Read about how we helped a large Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Leading biotech client sought a strategy to expand its footprint in the benign hematology space

OUR APPROACH

  • Prioritized >15 adjacent indications based on:
    • Call point synergy
    • Understanding of disease biology
    • Unmet need/competitive pressure
    • Availability of L&A opportunities
    • Overall commercial opportunity
    • Clinical and regulatory feasibility
  • Drove alignment of cross-functional senior team comprising clinical, commercial, BD stakeholders

RESULT

  • Redefined near- and longer-term franchise focus and roadmap
  • Recommendations embraced by CEO and Board with resultant approval for franchise expansion

Lifecycle Management

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Evaluate and prioritize potential indications to pursue as part of a lifecycle management strategy for key growth drivers.

Read about how we helped a large Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Global biopharmaceutical company needed to prioritize and determine the commercial potential of several follow-on CNS/Autoimmune indications for their $1B+ cornerstone product

OUR APPROACH

  • Analyzed the scientific, clinical and commercial rationale for each indication to determine those with greatest feasibility and potential for return on investment
  • Used in-depth Key Opinion Leader interviews to develop robust TPPs and identify key barriers to success. Then further refined analysis with “high prescribers” to determine penetration
  • Calculated risk-adjusted NPVs based on our estimates of development costs, market position, pricing and revenue/profit projections to arrive at recommendations for high value indications

RESULT

  • Enabled client to quickly refine their clinical development plan and identify key indications to focus their preclinical work to demonstrate proof of concept

R&D Strategies

Early-stage Innovation Sourcing

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Evaluate approaches for sourcing innovative technology, including the role of academia.

Read about how we helped a large Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Pharma client sought to evaluate more productive approaches to accessing early-stage technology

OUR APPROACH

  • Held in-depth discussions with leading academic institutions, investigators and VCs to identify key challenges and opportunities for pharma
  • Benchmarked approaches of other pharma for engaging the academic community
  • Developed roadmap of initiatives to drive collaboration with academia and access to IP
  • Detailed implementation plan for integration of client resources and transitioning this model into the organization

RESULT

  • Integrated strategy for the client to engage with VCs, academia, and innovative biotech companies
  • Framework for incorporating this novel approach into traditional pharma R&D organizational structure

Franchise Strategy

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Determine technology white spaces that could synergistically improve a franchise's top line growth.

Read about how we helped a large Medtech/Diagnostic client:

SITUATION

  • Global medical technology company with a $1B+ cardiac surgical presence required additional high margin revenue generators as its business changed from surgery to catheter based interventions

OUR APPROACH

  • Via the lens of the cardiac surgical patient journey, analyzed the constellation of peri-operative unmet needs that could improve patient outcomes and physician performance
  • Considered devices and services across the spectrum of patient needs in order to reflect holistic changes in cardiac care and ability to achieve market dominance
  • Identified a range of white spaces and evaluated the rationale behind the technology and its proposed role in patient care

RESULT

  • Enabled client to look beyond cardiac surgical devices into opportunities such as diagnostic testing/monitoring, IT-based decision and patient support, and convergent drug delivery technologies

Portfolio Management & Rationalization

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Evaluate and prioritize programs to determine their growth potential and strategic relevance.

Read about how we helped a small Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Emerging biotech focused on small molecule therapies in Oncology/Autoimmune needed to assess the strategic options for four key assets and determine the optimal path for their development and commercialization

OUR APPROACH

  • Analyze each program's potential role in the treatment paradigm and understand the product's positioning and commercial potential
  • Understand the deal landscape and determine the optimal timing for a partnering/exit to maximize return and provide the greatest likelihood of finding an appropriate partner
  • Prioritize programs based on expected return on investment

RESULT

  • Defined expectations for deal metrics by stage of development, partner characteristics, and deal structure
  • Provided clear understanding of the relative strategic value of each program, resulting in reprioritization of client's pipeline

Corporate Strategies

Franchise Expansion

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Determine technology white spaces that could synergistically improve top line growth.

Read about how we helped a large Medtech/Diagnostic client:

SITUATION

  • Global medical technology company with a $1B+ cardiac surgical presence required additional high margin revenue generators as its business changed from surgery to catheter based interventions

OUR APPROACH

  • Via the lens of the cardiac surgical patient journey, analyzed the constellation of peri-operative unmet needs that could improve patient outcomes and physician performance
  • Considered devices and services across the spectrum of patient needs in order to reflect holistic changes in cardiac care and ability to achieve market dominance
  • Identified a range of white spaces and evaluated the rationale behind the technology and its proposed role in patient care

RESULT

  • Enabled client to look beyond cardiac surgical devices into opportunities such as diagnostic testing/monitoring, IT-based decision and patient support, and convergent drug delivery technologies

Emerging Company Partnering Strategy

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Evaluate and prioritize programs to determine their growth potential and strategic relevance.

Read about how we helped a small Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Emerging biotech focused on small molecule therapies in Oncology/Autoimmune needed to assess the strategic options for four key assets and determine the optimal path for their development and commercialization

OUR APPROACH

  • Analyze each program's potential role in the treatment paradigm and understand the product's positioning and commercial potential
  • Understand the deal landscape and determine the optimal timing for a partnering/exit to maximize return and provide the greatest likelihood of finding an appropriate partner
  • Prioritize programs based on expected return on investment

RESULT

  • Defined expectations for deal metrics by stage of development, partner characteristics, and deal structure
  • Provided clear understanding of the relative strategic value of each program, resulting in reprioritization of client's pipeline

Emerging Company Partnering Strategy

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Integrate drivers of clinical adoption with the needs of potential partners to develop achievable partnering strategies for emerging growth clients.

Read about how we helped a small Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Emerging biotech sought to understand strategic options and optimal positioning for lead asset in T2D

OUR APPROACH

  • Explore potential role of the product in T2D treatment paradigm and optimal early-stage development plan
  • Understand expected data that would provide interval proof of attractiveness for partnering at immediate preclinical and early clinical stage time points
  • Prioritize potential partners and gauge initial receptivity to product mechanism through focused discussions with R&D/Business Development leadership
  • Define likely deal structures and terms with relevant value inflection points at various development stages

RESULT

  • Optimal preclinical and early-clinical data package identified to attract potential partners
  • Defined expectations for deal metrics by stage of development, partner characteristics, and deal structure

Business Development Strategy

Transaction Planning & Execution

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Drive effective partnering/licensing processes by leveraging content expertise and linking it to transaction expertise and relationships.

Read about how we helped a small Pharma/Biotech client:

SITUATION

  • Emerging biotech client engaged Back Bay to drive out-licensing process for their lead asset

OUR APPROACH

  • Transaction Planning:
    • Analysis of competitive landscape, potential acquirer pipeline gaps/needs, and structural attributes of precedent deals
    • Differentiated positioning based on in-depth knowledge of the area
    • Developed robust valuation model based on NPV, multiples, and comparable transaction analyses
  • Transaction Execution:
    • Implemented partnering process comprising deal preparation, marketing, and negotiation/close phases
    • Initiated and facilitated discussions with potential partners based on deep Back Bay relationships
    • Led negotiations to obtain optimal deal structure and terms for client

RESULT

  • Created competitive bidding process comprising multiple top-tier potential buyers
  • Client secured asset sale to leading specialty pharmaceutical company

Proven

Results complete
the circle.

Here are some of the challenges Back Bay has helped our clients meet:

Large, European pharma client sought a strategy to develop additional...
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Global medical technology company with a $1B+ cardiac surgical presence required...
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See all impact studies.

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