A Hybrid Approach to the European Pharma Market - Quintiles

Breaking into the European market can be a difficult endeavor for smaller biopharmaceutical firms who may have a valuable product to bring to market but lack the experience, infrastructure or deep pockets to be comfortable with such an undertaking. Uncertainty about reimbursement policies, multiple language barriers, and the lack of market access standardization across Europe – even within countries – can become overwhelming for firms with limited resources and no infrastructure or network in the region. 

In response to these pressures, smaller biopharma companies generally take one of three paths: they either give up the European market altogether, try to go it alone, or out-license their product to another company, none of which is perfect model. Though there is another option. Many small firms today are taking a hybrid approach to cracking the European market, by partnering with an outsourcing vendor, rather than out-licensing the product all together, which allows them to take advantage of that provider’s existing network of human and capital resources without giving control over their product. This hybrid approach is less expensive than building infrastructure in a new country; it increases the smaller firm’s probability of success by giving them access to people with extensive market knowledge; and because they are tapping into their partner’s human resources, they gain access to top talent for marketing efforts but avoid residual labor issues once the roll-out is complete. This reduces a lot of operational risk, while ensuring their labor needs in every market are skillfully addressed. 

- See more at: http://www.quintiles.com/blog/a-hybrid-approach-to-the-european-pharma-market#sthash.rWHdi5JT.dpuf



A Hybrid Approach to the European Pharma Market - Quintiles