Niche Brands Spend Big on Market Research

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Market research
dominates early-phase commercialization, especially among niche brand
products surveyed in a recent study published by pharmaceutical
business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information.

Between Pre-Clinical and Phase II, niche brand teams allocated 53% of
their total commercialization budget to market research, according to
"Pharmaceutical Product Commercialization: Pre-Clinical to Phase III
Resource Allocation" (http://www.PharmaCommercialization.com). Even
late phase market research spending for niche brands surpassed
mid-level and blockbuster brands, at 14.7%.

Companies tend to spend heavily on market research during these early
stages regardless of whether they are promoting a future blockbuster
drug or a small, niche brand. However, niche and mid-level brands
allocate higher percentages of their budget to market research in
comparison to blockbusters. The study did show a few exceptions to the
rule, but for the most part niche brand teams depend on big research
budgets to tackle marketing challenges early in development.
Challenges such as outlining the competitive landscape, identifying
unmet needs, and spotting potential problem areas that could stall
commercial development in the years ahead need to be tackled early.

"The project team members we interviewed report that it's nearly
impossible, especially in early phase development, to recognize and
address key commercial challenges without market research," says Jon
Hess, project team leader at Cutting Edge Information.

"Pharmaceutical Product Commercialization: Pre-Clinical to Phase III
Resource Allocation," available at
http://www.PharmaCommercialization.com, includes more than 350
metrics, more than 145 charts and graphics, and detailed analysis of
16 brands' commercial spending and staffing levels from Pre-Clinical
through Phase III development. The report also details resource
allocation processes, marketing team structures and portfolio
decision-making processes from several of the industry's top companies
including Eli Lilly, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers
Squibb.

To download a free summary of "Pharmaceutical Product
Commercialization: Pre-Clinical to Phase III Resource Allocation,"
visit http://www.PharmaCommercialization.com. For more information on
this report, please call Oveda Slade at 919-403-6583 or e-mail
info@cuttingedgeinfo.com.

Jon Hess is a project team leader with Cutting Edge Information. Mr.
Hess' expertise includes clinical trials operations, early-stage drug
development and commercialization, medical publications, manufacturing
quality control and the generic drug market. His research has
bolstered portfolio planning and optimization at several top
pharmaceutical companies. SOURCE Cutting Edge Information