Launch of a prescription-only medicine

Market launch of a prescription medicine for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy

Accompanying measures for comprehensive continuing medical education. A case study from our network partner Dr Martina Hänsel

#Medical training
#Produktlaunch
#Rx
#Strategy consulting

Initial situation

Up to 80% of women experience nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy. Since the introduction in 2019 of this combination of active ingredients – which was unique in Germany at the time – affected women have had access to an effective treatment option that had already been in use worldwide for more than 50 years and had been used in over 33 million pregnancies.

Task

The product should be promoted among general practitioners in Germany and incorporated into the first-line treatment for NVP. To this end, discussions were held with experts from hospitals and practices regarding the current treatment landscape and the potential applications of the new product even before its market launch. The results were published in a special supplement to the journal “Frauenarzt”. In addition, gynaecologists should be informed about this new treatment option and encouraged to adopt it through press relations, symposia at conferences for gynaecologists and obstetricians, and certified medical continuing education (CME).

The project was carried out as external support in the field of Medical Affairs until the client company had successfully established itself in the market with further gynaecological products.

Implementation/Results

Together with the experts, the expectations and goals of doctors and patients were discussed in a total of five advisory boards, each with a different membership. A network of opinion leaders and speakers has been established.

Over the next three years, seven industry symposia were held at national gynaecological conferences, featuring a total of 19 presentations on three gynaecological indications, with the treatment of NVP consistently being one of the main items on the agenda. In total, over 1,400 participants attended.

The pandemic posed a particular challenge, as it meant that three of the conferences, along with their associated symposia, had to be moved entirely online. At the same time, during the pandemic, a large number of digital workshops involving doctors in small groups were organised in order to maintain contact with the target audience.

A four-part, CME-accredited online training course on the topic of ‘Pregnancy in the Age of COVID-19’, attended by a total of 1,261 participants, rounded off the training series.

The training sessions were supported by an extensive press campaign featuring detailed reports on the presentations, as well as a successful and well-trained sales force.

The product has been successfully launched on the market and established as a brand among obstetricians and pregnant women.