The Focus MS team conducted focus group research by targeting and recruiting six different people including patients with RRMS, patients with mild RRMS and caregivers. We studied the current marketing and patient support programs used within this paradigm to see if they were adequate and realistic interpretations of the patients' journey throughout the disease state.
Focus MS: Accessing the Use of a Patient Centric Model when Treating Multiple Sclerosis
1. Assessing the Use of a Patient
Centric Model When Treating
Multiple Sclerosis
Advanced Pharmaceutical Marketing Research
April 24th, 2012
Focus MS Team Presenters
Christian O‟Brien „13
Courtney Shannon „12
Diana Sulecki „12
Emma Venditti „12
2. No such thing as “Everlasting Love”
with Multiple Sclerosis
Listen to Audio
3. Discussion of Findings Agenda
Methodology Key Observations Participant Profiles
Neurology Analysis
1. Current Standard
2. Comparison of Therapy Options Message
3. Recommendations for Achieving Patient Centric Model
4. Methodology
• This assignment called for female
patients within the age range of
41-55 years old, and their
caregivers
• Recruitment methods utilized:
Social Media (LinkedIn &
Facebook MS Groups) & Original
webpage
• Specific Brands Analyzed:
Gilenya, Avonex, Copaxone
• All messages and promotional
themes, will be identified and
analyzed
Original Recruitment Website
5. Key Observations:
Current literature is not directed towards patient‟s emotional
rollercoaster with MS
• Gilenya is close, but Avonex, Copaxone and Tysabri missed by a mark as big as the Grand
Canyon
• What can we do differently to make the initial discussion and later discussions more
meaningful?
• How should doctors who specialize or treat MS more be trained?
• Should there be an investment in an MS institute? Constraints?
• Based on words that patients used are the current terms correct -- initial, relapse, remitting?
• How can we adapt their language so that real people with real disease can relate to it?
• Similar diseases that may benefit from updated patient centric model
6. Focus MS Participant Profiles
• 41-55 years old, NY, • 51 years old, FL, • 41-55 years old, PA,
Maria SPMS Jeri RRMS Faye RRMS
7. Focus MS Participant Profiles
• 20-30 years old, PA, • 41-55 years old, NY, • 56 and older, PA,
Kelli Caregiver Jill RRMS Debbie RRMS
8. Current Standard of Literature
• Comparative claims are good to defend market share against direct
competitors
What • Gilenya offers many resources through their Go Program, such as
transportation, exercises, wheelchairs and more
works • Gilenya images and copy provided hope without being misleading
• Fragmented support program, so resources and support are tailored for the
different phases of therapy and disease progression
• No elaboration of typical disease progression, especially because MS is so
personalized
What • Current support materials do not address the roadblocks to starting therapy
• The safety claims that were made were not impactful
doesn’t • Images and copy were highly disconnected from patients’ day-to-day
management
22. Recommendations for Improvement
• One person- or concierge, if you will-that each patient deals
with so they are familiar with that patients case instead of a
different person each time they call the hotline
• Continuous education
• Work with DO to find a BEST-FIT therapy and
exercise/lifestyle change combo to help patient live their life to
fullest potential with this new diagnosis
– DOs are generally more in synch with RX and alternative
therapies combined
• Current terms are OK, but glossary is helpful to help patient
dialogue with doctor
• Work with disability foundations for other disease to help
patient keep their autonomous so they do not feel like they
have lost their identity and independence
-If a new product was the market for MS with a similar price of entry; tablet, QD or BID; similar efficacy/safety profile as Gilenya-Perhaps a joint effort with an institution such as Hopkins, Harvard, Penn? Or SJU, PCOM (PCOM, I think would be a significantly better match, because DOs are generally more in synch with RX and alternative therapies combined) why or why not?
-If a new product was the market for MS with a similar price of entry; tablet, QD or BID; similar efficacy/safety profile as Gilenya-Perhaps a joint effort with an institution such as Hopkins, Harvard, Penn? Or SJU, PCOM (PCOM, I think would be a significantly better match, because DOs are generally more in synch with RX and alternative therapies combined) why or why not?
-not a 4 week free sample, roadblocks to starting therapy are ACCEPTANCE and an udnerstanding between patient/doctor of the road ahead and proper diagnosis -NOT why people stop therapy….even the worst side effects are more tolerable than MS itself. They stop because it doesn’t work or they have an antibody that forces them to do so-Our focus group patients specifically said they couldn’t do this alone (grocery shopping, etc)..on a good day.
-not a 4 week free sample, roadblocks to starting therapy are ACCEPTANCE and an udnerstanding between patient/doctor of the road ahead and proper diagnosis -NOT why people stop therapy….even the worst side effects are more tolerable than MS itself. They stop because it doesn’t work or they have an antibody that forces them to do so-Our focus group patients specifically said they couldn’t do this alone (grocery shopping, etc)..on a good day.
-Okay, but these are the “information seeking” proactive patients. This copy won’t move them based on what we saw….and even if it does, the neurologist doesn’t always listen-arent driven by “insticts”…they are driven by DATA and other MS patients/community/doctors- MS is so debilitating fitting into a patients lifestyle isnt an issue…their lifestyle as they knew is destroyed and they go and stay on treatment to preserve what they have left as long as they can.