Andrew Richmond

Headlining this week's CHC Newsflash: Our new report, which publishes today explores the untapped potential in the CHC Digestive Health market. Expanded benefits, format innovation, sustainability measures, switch, e-commerce and interactive or taboo-busting promotional strategies will all be central to driving growth in GIs and probiotics. The long-term picture is likely to see a shift towards the more holistic “health through digestion” model. Promotion of lifestyle benefits will help drive laxatives (heart health, weight loss) and ORTs (hangover relief, sports hydration), while the morning sickness niche in antinauseants may be ripe for further expansion. New strains (particularly prebiotics, postbiotics and synbiotics) and positioning – including immunity, energy, mood, sleep, weight management and skin health – will be at the heart of generating new demand in the maturing probiotics category, with more entrants from other CHC spheres utilising their brand equity to cross over. Custom probiotics is also a trend to watch. Digestive Health (GIs + probiotics) is a CHC category with great potential. My colleague, Ian Crook, who supervised the publication of this report, tells me that brands in large and mature subcategories will find it difficult to find real dynamism, particularly against a proliferation of generics and private labels, but growth can be found in format innovation, the opening up of new niches and imaginative advertising. The biggest winners will generally be lifestyle-related GIs, such as those for acidity, hangover and overindulgence, while fatty liver disease remains a significant and undertreated problem in several markets. Meanwhile, purposeful marketing will become more common as marketers increasingly back social and charitable causes and invest in sustainability to build better relationships with younger consumers. Reckitt is one of the most successful marketers in GIs with Gaviscon and indeed is the fastest-growing of the top global players in this category during the past 5 years. This week saw news of the company’s attempt to restore growth with a major reorganisation. I'm intrigued by the concept of “simplification”, as in my Strategic Narrative for 2024 this is one of nine major factors that will encourage the overall CHC market to return to the growth levels experienced in the pandemic. My proposition for many years has been that we have blunted the impact of our brands by launching too many line extensions. I always cringe when I hear clients tell me that they plan to disrupt a particular market. What consumers need is clarification not disruption and to understand what a particular brand stand for and why it is better than its competitors. To read more of my thoughts on this and other key CHC trends and developments, trial our combined news service by contacting Melissa #consumerhealthcare #CHC #CHCNewsflash #CHCNewDirections #DigestiveHealth #GI #gastrointestinal #Reckitt #probiotics

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Thoroughly enjoyed talking to PMGroup Worldwide Ltd about what it takes for pharmaceutical launch excellence today. The traditional launch playbook is outdated - the world moved on. To be business partners for our Pharma, BioTech and HealthTech clients we evolved to integrate higher fidelity data-driven approaches, better audience understanding together with standout creative campaigns and solutions that are more meaningful and effective. Smarter and more human. Read the piece below. Also includes expert perspectives from market access and rare disease specialists too! Havas Lynx Havas Health Network #launchexcellence #shiftleft #businesstransformation #pharmamarketing

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When NHS resources are stretched to the limit, time and cost saving opportunities can help funnel resources back into patient care - get in contact and find out how iethico can help community & hosptial pharmacy and dispensing doctors save time resource and costs iethico

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Interesting slide from the Reuters Events Pharma 2024 report. 📈 Only 6% of respondents felt that their organisation is leading the way in the personalisation of customer engagement. 😬 The industry can do better and clearly wants to do better. So, what’s stopping leaders from helping their teams to grasp omnichannel? Why isn’t the industry as a whole tailoring messages to suit the HCPs? Imagine the difference it would make to the customer experience. Be the change! The first easy step to personalisation is increasing the capability of the field team to adopt to HCP preferences. We know a thing or two about this topic! Want to learn more? Reach out for a chat, or read The Omni Advantage. #Pharma #Omnichannel #PharmaLeader

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The Top Ten Generic searches on the WaveData Live system are an interesting indicator of the focus areas for key players in the UK Pharma sector. Here's the countdown for May 2024........ You can see the Top Ten Brand searches, alongside other industry insights in the latest WaveData Bulletin. www.wavedata.co.uk/kb #pharmapricing #pharmatopten #wavedatabulletin

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Let's move away from #pharma for a bit and have a look at cars and #content. So unless you are under a big rock, Jaguar announced and showcased its rebrand to let's just say mixed opinion. Some compare it to the infamous Bud Light moment in the press, while others said it was brave. There are plenty of use cases where brands get it right and sometimes get it wrong. I would like to think in the recent past Facebook got it right with Meta as did X with Twitter. If data and insights are not informing your branding, #marketing and content then it is just a whim from some creative spark that has been asked to do something different which itself can be disastrous (n of less than 100, like a shampoo ad with n of 37 that goes out to 50 million people). Looking at the industry background, we can see that the brand is losing pace to the likes of Tesla and some of the newer players. It kind of finds itself in a difficult position. Not really mass market, not super luxury, kind of in-between positioning, some diesel, petrol, some electric, arggh nightmare (what do you stand for) I like the cars, I always have (James Bond vibes!) but then that's just me. But I guess they felt a change was necessary to keep someone happy. However, alienating your core customer base may be a difficult pill to swallow for them if we are to believe what we are seeing in social media. Let's see how this one pans out in the future. I am keen to see if I am right or wrong on this. Can they replace the customers they will lose, and quickly enough. Here are some basic search data points they could have looked at to see what people are searching for when they think Jaguar? Yes some of its animals of course, with the new logo out now, you can ignore those. My favourite one here is what Jaguar did Bond use in Spectre. (Really screams the new branding for that customer type huh?) I think the customer personas that Jaguar are going after for their ICP would say that these questions they are searching for are not being answered and are they really talking to me and my needs? Change for change's sake? What do you think? For an informed post on this topic, check out the great post from Gellan Watt. Content that Connects ❤️ , (or not as the case may be here). (Image source: Answer the public, dated 21.11.24, all copyrights are their respective owners)

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Read our latest blog post to learn more about the key updates to pricing policies in the UK: https://bit.ly/4dWmBrn

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MSD Pharma gets CDSCO Panel nod to update prescribing information of Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Recombinant Vaccine MSD Pharmaceutical has got approval from the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) functional under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to update the prescribing information (PI) of the Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Recombinant Vaccine (Serotypes 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) in line with EU SmPC. This came after MSD Pharmaceutical presented its proposal for an update of prescribing information (PI) of the Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Recombinant Vaccine (Serotypes 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58). The 9-valent HPV vaccine, which protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, is safe and effective and will further reduce the incidence of HPV infection, as well as HPV-related cancers. It can also indirectly protect unvaccinated individuals through herd immunity. With an effective vaccination program, most cervical cancers can be prevented. Analyses show that the cost-effectiveness of the 9-valent HPV vaccine in female patients is comparable to the original quadrivalent HPV vaccine (which protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18) currently in use. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus with strains capable of causing anogenital warts, as well as cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis, oral cavity, and oropharynx (level II). Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Recombinant Vaccine helps protect individuals ages 9 to 45 against the following diseases caused by 9 types of HPV: cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers in females, anal cancer, certain head and neck cancers, such as throat and back of mouth cancers and genital warts in both males and females. At the recent SEC meeting for vaccine, the expert panel reviewed the proposal to update prescribing information (PI) of the Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Recombinant Vaccine (Serotypes 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58). After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended an update of prescribing information (PI) in line with EU SmPC. #msdpharma #cdsco #vaccine #humanpapillomavirusvaccine #humanpapillomavirus9valentrecombinantvaccine #prescribinginformation

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An exercise in market access nationally in the UK is only half the story. England's 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) commission NHS services locally. They hold the budget, they set their priorities. In effect, they ration healthcare and set their criteria for access, as this report highlights. How do you win with the NHS in England despite NICE's endorsement? Well, one view is to ensure that you enlist the help of a market access specialist in the launch preparation and planning or earlier phase of the product development. Gaining NICE endorsement will be one strand for access. BUT: This is only HALF the solution. Let me tell you why and where the other missing 50% is. As this example demonstrates, the other 50% answer is that you must have a strategy for market access at a LOCAL ICB level. To do that, pharmaceutical companies must have effective, practical account management skills. They must treat ICBs as large accounts, with numerous stakeholders playing different roles in setting healthcare priorities. This is not easy, given that ICBs do not want to be seen as involved with pharma and want to be seen as independent and beyond the industry's influence. Changing the rep's title to Medical Sales Liaison or NHS Liaison does nothing for credibility with ICBs who can see through this veneered sales rep disguise. Managing large accounts requires a move away from transactional selling to consultative selling in a complex sales situation. This is analogous to selling techniques that (good) consultants deploy to large organisations. It can be learned. It requires a different approach—one that I use to win big pharma clients. I can share and teach it. My process evolved from my time in big pharma selling to the NHS. I also think that this large-account consultative selling requires a different salesperson profile to work with and influence ICBs. Does pharma have the right approach to succeed with ICBs in today's cash-strapped, complex NHS? I have a view. But what do senior commercial decision-makers think?

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An unprecedented seismic shift in the political landscape of the UK may occur in tomorrow’s general election, if a slew of recent opinion polls is correct. What will a new government mean for the National Health Service (NHS), which has been struggling to meet demand in recent years? What are the implications for the prescription drug market in particular? And how does the pharmaceutical industry perceive the UK market and regard the next government and its key policies?   I’ll address these questions in conversation with Ian Chamberlain in my latest webinar on UK market access for the Life Science Access Academy. Given its importance, the general election and its implications for pharma will be the focus of the discussion, but I’ll also touch on some other significant developments in recent months, including what has been happening with the Innovative Medicines Fund and how NICE is evolving as it marks its 25th anniversary. Unusually for this series of webinars, I’ll additionally consider what neighbouring countries in Europe are doing to enhance the attractiveness of their markets, and what that might mean for the UK.   I hope you can join us for the webinar at 1:00 p.m. UK time tomorrow, 5th July. You can register at https://lnkd.in/e8RpE5Vx #UK #pharmaceutical #marketaccess #election #webinar

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The Top Ten Branded searches on the WaveData Live system are an interesting indicator of the focus areas for key players in the UK Pharma sector. Here's the countdown for May 2024........ You can see the Top Ten Brand searches, alongside other industry insights in the latest WaveData Bulletin. www.wavedata.co.uk/kb #pharmapricing #pharmatopten #wavedatabulletin

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Dear Market Access Leaders, Imagine you're on the cusp of launching a ground-breaking drug —a product that could transform patient outcomes and revolutionise treatment paradigms. Your team has meticulously crafted value propositions. Honed messages.  And prepared robust evidence for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) submissions. But here's the catch . . . What if I told you that despite your best efforts, a crucial ingredient that could make or break your market access strategy is slipping through the cracks — left untapped and unused? As Market Access Leaders, we pride ourselves on our strategic skills and our ability to navigate the complexities of HTA processes. Yet, in our mission to secure reimbursement and market access, we often overlook this fundamental ingredient that could make Reimbursement & Access quicker — faster — and easier. 🙋🏼‍♀️❓❓❓ Question: Can you guess what the missing ingredient is? Please share your answers in the comments below. 👇 👇👇 #MarketAccess #CustomerInsights #Payers #HTA #MarketResearch

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The Top Ten Generic searches on the WaveData Live system are an interesting indicator of the focus areas for key players in the UK Pharma sector. Here's the countdown for April 2024........ You can see the Top Ten Brand searches, alongside other industry insights in the latest WaveData Bulletin. www.wavedata.co.uk/kb #pharmapricing #pharmatopten #wavedatabulletin

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Returning from the refreshingly open and insightful #Pharmageddon meeting in Amsterdam and, while it’s fresh in our minds, here are 11 thoughts that Fiona McCready and I took away from the sessions… 1. Pharma folk at the most senior levels - across all functions - are ambitious to do things differently, for a whole host of existential threats, and this was a genuinely caring/sharing forum. 2. The value set or ‘scorecard’ of your CEO will determine if it’s sales, margins or outcomes that are the most important measure of success. 3. There’s real awareness of the tricky position of helping people’s health while also making a profit. But the capitalist approach isn’t going anywhere so we need to be more open and transparent about why things cost what they do and how regulation plays a role. 4. Medical Affairs are becoming more and more important within each company (and within the industry) as they hold the keys to the science and outcomes - but they need to be more commercially minded. 5. Fuckups and failures need to be shared and celebrated, not just best case examples. It helps everyone learn, breaks down siloes and actually improves the industry’s image. 6. There’s a need to move away from product based key messages (they’re generally not that differentiated) and this is not what most customers or patients are that bothered about. Change the narrative or become irrelevant. 7. If you’re going to change things then you have to win hearts and minds of massive internal audiences, and co-creation with them is key. 8. Karaoke bars in Amsterdam tend to boot you/us out at 2am. 9. Pharma are worried about sustainability and the environment. Greater use of AI for drug discovery means much greater use of energy which means greater carbon footprint which means greater pollution which leads to health complications (let alone ESG complications). Plus, HCPs are also worried about the environment and are increasingly making treatment choices based on it, so pharma need to act. 10. If you want to do something different you have to bring compliance with you. Zero risk means zero innovation. There’s also a direct correlation with in increasing compliance headcount and instances of non-compliant activity 11. There’s nothing in the Code about AI, so it’s an opportunity to try new things rather than avoid them (keeping within the spirit of the Code’s basic tenets). Big thanks to Impatient Health for putting on a cracking event with such high levels of honesty and energy.

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Writing in The Times today, David Gauke, set out some valuable insights into what makes for successful public/private partnerships:   https://lnkd.in/dUFvVYVQ   All too often, public and private sector players do not understand each other, with industry frustrated that the public sector doesn’t appreciate commercial realities, and the public sector suspicious that industry can only be interested in making a ‘fast buck’ and never the broader public good.   Both sides are plain wrong about this far more often than they are right – but overcoming such assumptions takes trust, collaboration and good communication.   David was also right to underline the need to think creatively and to hold up the five-year voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) agreed between The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England as an example of what is possible. https://lnkd.in/dKG7EqPM   Just this month, the VPAG agreement reached a significant milestone, with the joint announcement of up to £400 million to support faster patient access to cutting-edge treatments, strengthen clinical trials, and improve medicine and vaccine manufacturing in the UK. https://lnkd.in/dDR4ajsM   But such partnerships don’t stop at the national level. All across the country, our members work with local NHS and patient organisations to help improve and develop key public services and patient care – using this fantastic guidance we have produced with the NHS Confederation. You can find 100s of examples in our partnership case study library. https://lnkd.in/e4t-Wk_i https://lnkd.in/dgSucMjd Finally, a partnership deal may get agreed at the negotiation table, but it needs to be seen through to be a real success. Through continued partnership in delivery, as well as a mindset of continuous improvement, trust can be maintained and the foundations of further agreements made. In different forms, we've had negotiated voluntary schemes for branded medicines in the UK for around 70 years. Particularly in tough economic times, these deals are tough to reach, but the stakes are too high (for patients, the NHS and industry) not to do everything we can to succeed.

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The Top Ten Branded searches on the WaveData Live system are an interesting indicator of the focus areas for key players in the UK Pharma sector. Here's the countdown for September 2024........ You can see the Top Ten Generic searches, alongside other industry insights in the latest WaveData Bulletin. www.wavedata.co.uk/kb #pharmapricing #pharmatopten #wavedatabulletin

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Headlining this week's CHC Newsflash: TPG and Blackstone have partnered to work on a joint bid for Bausch + Lomb, according to the UK Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter. The newspaper reported last month that the eye care business was working with Goldman Sachs advisers to explore a sale. This attracted interest from other private equity groups including Advent International, KKR, CVC Capital and Hellman & Friedman, although they have dropped out of the running, according to sources. Private Equity is becoming the dominant player in our industry’s M&A. I’ve spoken to several firms in the past few weeks, who tell a similar story: healthcare is an important growth pillar, but most are underweight in consumer health and with a little gentle persuasion can readily see our charms. Now TPG and Blackstone are looking to make a bid for Bausch’s eyecare subsidiary, while CD&R and PAI are scrapping over who will take majority control of Sanofi’s CHC business. With very few exceptions, M&A doesn’t grow the market, those exceptions being related to companies with underdeveloped or neglected brands – and we see plenty of those in our own M&A boutique. Financial institutions bring rigour to the companies they own, but this often involves cutting out longer-term NPD, especially Rx-to-OTC Switch, and brand-building. But where PE excels is using a “buy to build” strategy to give a marketer international scale. Cooper is a fine example, and its PE owner CVC championed the acquisition of the Viatris OTC business which has put Cooper on the European map in a substantial way. But Private Equity is not a long-term market builder. For that we have to search for a different type of company, such as Valbiotis, which launched its first product in 2024 after many years of basic research. This truly innovative product is a 100% natural dietary supplement for the management of mild-to-moderate LDL hypercholesterolemia and is a good example of what the future holds for evidence-based VMS brands. To quote co-founder Sébastien PELTIER: “Valbiotis has all the attributes to … establish itself as a future European champion in 100% plant-based dietary supplements with strong scientific credentials.” It is not surprising that the company is in advanced discussions with a view to signing international licensing agreements with players in the nutrition and healthcare sectors. Bringing these to a successful conclusion will be a template for serious competitors at the cutting edge of VMS. To read more of my thoughts on this and other key CHC trends and developments, trial our combined news service by contacting Melissa #consumerhealthcare #CHC #CHCNewsflash #CHCNewDirections #Valbiotis #BauschLomb #TPG #Blackstone #privateequity

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