Why Biotech Companies Need to Think Beyond Development Earlier

For emerging biopharmaceutical companies, preparing a therapy for the market involves more than demonstrating clinical efficacy. Increasingly, companies need to consider real-world data, economic modeling, payer expectations, and commercial strategy well before a product reaches the point of regulatory or reimbursement discussions. In this second part of a two-part interview with BioPharm International^©, Kirsten Detrick, chief representative, USA, at Basel Area Life Sciences Supercluster, discussed why bringing these considerations into development earlier can help companies prepare for the realities of commercialization, and why Basel’s concentration of experienced, cross-functional talent can be particularly valuable.

Why should companies bring commercial and market access strategies into development earlier?

For biopharmaceutical companies developing products for European markets, questions about value, real-world evidence, and health economics can emerge well before commercialization. According to Detrick, companies that anticipate those questions early can be better prepared when they eventually engage with European health authorities and ministries of health.

“You never wanna get into a situation where you're negotiating with the Ministry of Health in Europe and they ask you a question about, ‘Well, how have you baked in real world data?’” Detrick said.

Companies may also need to demonstrate how economic modeling has been incorporated into their development work to help establish the value of an asset and support its potential utilization.

Detrick said some of the more experienced companies are already bringing these strategies into development earlier, rather than waiting until they are approaching commercialization. She described this as an important step in a company's maturation because it requires organizations to identify and thoughtfully evaluate these issues while there is still time to incorporate them into their plans.

The Basel region offers one example of how companies can access expertise across these functions. Detrick pointed to the region's long scientific history and the presence of major pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis and Roche as contributors to a deep pool of talent.

According to Detrick, the region is home to approximately 180 biotechnology companies, including startups that have attracted people who previously worked at larger pharmaceutical companies and are looking for opportunities in smaller, emerging organizations.

But Detrick said the value of Basel's talent pool is not simply its size. The region also brings together people with experience across the functions needed to move a product toward commercialization.

“As someone who's launched, you know, billions of dollars' worth of new products in multiple categories, I can tell you that the most important secret to success is cross-functional talent working together,” Detrick said.

That means bringing commercial, development, market access, manufacturing, finance, and market research teams into the process rather than treating each function as a separate part of the organization. In Detrick's view, the ability to bring those different perspectives together can be particularly important during product launches.

She sees that combination of talent as one of Basel's distinguishing characteristics. The region not only has a substantial concentration of experienced professionals, but also a mix of expertise across the functions needed to support emerging companies.

Looking ahead, Detrick said emerging companies will need people who combine experience with an openness to new approaches, particularly as advanced therapies continue to develop.

“You really want to have people on the commercial side who deeply understand the science and can translate that into business advantage,” she said.

Experience with different European payer systems can also be important, particularly when companies are preparing for negotiations across multiple markets.

Ultimately, Detrick said, companies will need people who understand their individual functions while also knowing how those functions connect. For emerging biopharmaceutical companies, that combination of experience, cross-functional collaboration, and willingness to explore new opportunities could be an important factor in successfully bringing products to market.

“As always, it always comes down to the talent,” Detrick said.

Watch part one of this interview here.

About the Speaker

Kirsten Detrick, chief representative, USA, Basel Area Life Sciences Supercluster

Kirsten Detrick has more than 30 years of experience in biopharmaceutical leadership, commercialization, and portfolio strategy, with roles at leading companies including Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Takeda. She has supported the launch and growth of major therapies across immunology, oncology, cardiovascular, and rare disease areas, including Enbrel, Entyvio, Plavix, and Prolia. Detrick has also served as CEO and chief commercial officer for early-stage biotech companies and currently is an adjunct professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.