This document summarizes a benchmarking study of new product planning structures and activities at 15 pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Key findings include:
- Global teams transition from planning to marketing earlier than regional teams.
- Global teams begin branding activities like naming in phase II, while regional teams start in phase III.
- Global teams value segmentation and positioning most, while regional teams value market research.
- Global new product planning is more centralized while regional structures are more hybrid.
1. Pharmaceutical New Product Planning Excellence:
Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research & Analysis for CSL Behring
Structure & Activities that Drive Profitability & Growth
Page | 1
2. Page | 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary pgs. 3-11
Research Overview pg. 3
Participating Companies pg. 4
Segmentation & Definition pg. 5
High-Level Recommendations pg. 6
Key Findings pgs. 7-11
The State of New Product Planning pgs. 12-16
New Product Planning Structure pgs. 17-33
Roles, Responsibilities, Interaction & Influence pgs. 34-44
New Product Planning Activities: Key Patterns And Activities pgs. 45-51
New Product Planning Activities: Marketing Planning pgs. 52-65
New Product Planning Activities: Market Research pgs. 66-81
New Product Planning Activities: Medical Affairs pgs. 82-95
New Product Planning Activities: Brand Strategy pgs. 96-103
New Product Planning Resources pgs. 104-115
New Product Planning Value And Impact pgs. 116-125
Study Participant Demographics pgs. 126-131
About Best Practices, LLC pgs. 132-133
3. Page | 3
Field Research & Insight Development:
Best Practices, LLC engaged 19 biotech and pharma
leaders at 15 companies through a benchmarking
survey instrument.
Research participants worked in functions such as
marketing, and product strategy.
• Identify Timing of Key New
Product Planning Activities in
Launch & Pre-Launch
• Assess Impact of Timing Certain
Activities in Launch & Pre-
Launch
• Highlight Areas for Success in
New Product Planning
Research Objectives & Methodology
Research Objectives:
The objective of this benchmarking study is to help biopharma leaders determine how the structure,
resources and activities of NPP groups impact product commercialization efforts.
This data will serve as a reference point for executives as they determine number of employees,
budget and timing of key activities for the NPP group.
Business Objective:
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are increasingly under pressure to deliver effective new products in
shorter time frames while minimizing development costs. This study seeks to examine the role and impact of
NPP on product commercialization.
Timing for conducting 50+ activities
FTEs allocated to global and U.S.
divisions
Anticipated future of NPP function
Top 3 most valuable activities
Segmented by structure to better understand results
Structure and organization of NPP within the
company
Percentage of budget allocated to specific pre-launch
activities
4. Page | 4
Universe of Learning: 15 Companies Participated in the Study
This research engaged 19 marketing & commercial leaders from 15 leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and
life sciences companies.
Benchmark Class:
5. Page | 5
Study Analyzes Two Main Segments
% Respondents
Benchmark Class
Regional
Segments
NPP structure
Global Regional
Centralized Decentralized Hybrid
N=9
N=5
N=19
N=10
N=6 N=8
6. Page | 6
High-Level Key FindingsHigh-Level Key Recommendations
Add Role
Clarity to
Regional &
Global Teams
• The Commercial aspects of global and regional teams differ. Additionally, global
NPP teams are decision makers for portfolio strategies while regional teams
majorly play a consulting role. Adding clarity in roles will help companies to
optimize NPP decisions.
Start Regional
Involvement as
Early as the End
of Phase II
• Get regional teams' involvement in phase II for market planning. At the start of
phase III, increase regional teams' participation in market research, medical
affairs and branding activities.
Global Teams
Must Start Early
• Global teams must get a head start on most of the activities across market
research, market planning, medical affairs and branding activities. Start
market planning and market research activities during phase I, while medical
affairs and branding can be undertaken during phase II and phase III.
Align Structure
to Suit NPP
Teams
Responsibility
• Responsibilities of NPP teams differ as per their scope. Structure regional and
global NPP teams to best optimize the processes and ease decision making.
Accordingly, also re-align their functional and reporting structure.
7. Page | 7
Key Findings:
Few of the key findings and insights that emerged from this study:
Responsibility of NPP Team Impacts Commercial Aspect: Commercial aspect of global and regional
NPP teams varies. For 56% of global teams, transition from NPP to inline marketing starts at the onset
or before submission for approval during phase III. In contrast, half of regional teams’ transition happen
at the end of phase III.
Branding Activities for Global & Regional Teams Start in Phase II and Phase III Respectively:
More than 67% of global teams start trade packaging, generic naming and positioning in phase II, while
close to 88% of global companies start brand development and trade naming in phase III. More than 75%
of regional teams start all but generic naming in phase III.
Global Teams Value Segmentation; Regional Teams Value Market Research: More than 70% of
global teams highly value segmentation and positioning, while 89% of regional teams value market
research activities. Other activities valued by global teams are TPP (57%) and market assessment
(57%) while segmentation (56%) and TPP (33%) are the activities valued by regional teams.
8. Page | 8
The central challenge is to ensure that the right new products get developed efficiently—
with minimum risk and maximum value—to allow senior management to make smart
decisions confidently.
New Product Planning
Bridging the Gap Between R&D and Commercial Interests
R&D COMMERCIAL
pipeline marketing clinical patent
brands molecules market competition
phase I me-too lifecycle commercial
pre-clinical co-promotion FDA submission
pharmaceutical New Product physicians
medical affairs Planning disease state
compounds phase II sales development
research forecast biotech blockbuster
therapeutic area phase III drug
“…with pressure on all stakeholders in the pharma industry and the
few new drugs that came to the market in recent years, NPP should
take on more and more importance in driving what projects to
dedicate resources to…”
9. Page | 9
Centralized,
10%
Decentralized
, 30%Hybrid, 60%
Centralized,
44%
Decentralized,
33%
Hybrid, 22%
3) New Product Planning Structure: How is your company's New Product Planning function organized?
NPP Function Organization
Global and regional level New Product Planning groups have different structures. Forty-four percent of
the global groups are centrally organized while 60% of regional New Product Planning groups have a
hybrid structure.
Global Groups are Centralized; Regional Groups are Hybrid
% respondents
N=9 N=10
Global Regional
10. Page | 10
1) When does the transition from NPP to inline (brand) marketing at your company occur?
Commercial Aspect of New Product Planning
Transition from New Product Planning to Inline Brands at Global &
Regional Teams Begins at Different Stages
% respondents
Global teams are a bit ahead of regional teams in the commercialization process. While 56% of global
teams transition from NPP to inline marketing occurring during start or submission at phase III, at 50% of
regional teams, it starts at the end of phase III.
N=9 N=10
11%
22% 22%
33%
11%
20%
10%
50%
0%
20%
During Phase 2b At the beginning of
Phase 3
At the end of Phase 3 Before submission to
drug approval agency
Other
Global Regional
*Others: I work in devices so that groupings above are not applicable. Launch
Readiness - after submission, Entry in development, ~3 years prior to launch
*
11. Page | 11
14) New Product Planning Activities –Brand Strategy: For questions 11-14, please check all phases for which your
NPP group is involved in each activity.
Timing of Brand Strategy Activities: Global
More than 67% of global teams start trade packaging, generic naming and positioning during phase II,
while more than 88% start brand development and trade naming in phase III.
Global Groups Start 3 out of 5 Branding Activities in Phase II
Medical
Affairs
15%
Market
Research
33%
N-Global=8-9 Pre-clinical Phase I Phase II Phase III Launch
Development of brand
Trade naming
Trade packaging/formulations
Generic naming
Positioning
33.4-66.6% of participants performing function
1-33.3% of participants performing function
66.7-100% of participants performing function
No participants performing function
12. Page | 12
Director/Global
Director, 33%
Head, 33%
Manager, 11%
Sr.
Director/Assistant
Director, 11%
Lead, 11%
1) Please provide the following information, which will be used for classification purposes and to ensure that you
receive a copy of the full study deliverable.
Participant’s Job Title:
More than half of the participants in the survey are at the Director level and above.
High-Level Executives Participated in the Survey
% respondentsN= 9
Global
VP
10%
Director/Global
Director
40%
Sr. Director/
Assistant Director
20%
Head
10%
Manager
20%
Regional
N= 10
13. Page | 13
Best Practices®, LLC is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of best practice
benchmarking®. We are a research, consulting, benchmark database, publishing and advisory firm that
conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior
economic performance by leveraging the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of
world-class companies.
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(Phone): 919-403-0251
www.best-in-class.com
Learn More About Our Company: