For Repatha, Amgen ought to concentrate on the tiny group of patients who have FH. Repatha’s Phase III studies showed that when used in conjunction with statin medication, it might lower LDL cholesterol by up to 75%, compared to a placebo, when taken alone. Repatha demonstrated a substantial 31% decrease in LDL levels when compared to a placebo in a study that only included HoFH patients (Calkins, 2017). The occurrence raised the possibility that PCSK9 inhibitors will lower cholesterol in FH patients where statins had less effect. This incident raises the possibility that Repatha may work especially well for FH patients. Amgen could get greater outcomes by focusing on this group rather than the whole population of patients who aren’t achieving their LDL objective.
Additionally, Amgen may make more money by focusing on FH patients. Due to the rarity of FH and the tiny number of FH patients, Amgen may be able to charge a higher price for Repatha since it would be targeting a more specialized, niche market. As a consequence, the business can make more money since it can sell the medicine for a greater price. Targeting the general community of persons who are not achieving their LDL objective is in contrast to this circumstance. Amgen would thus need to charge less to be competitive in the market. The plan would also improve the company’s reputation in the marketplace. Amgen may also charge a greater premium for Repatha when marketing to FH patients since this group may be more ready to do so if the medication successfully heals their illness. Amgen might earn more money as a consequence of this endeavor.
The FH patient or caregiver sector has two main adoption hurdles. The first difficulty is affordability. The most costly PCSK9 inhibitor on the market right now is Repatha. Additionally, certain FH patients could need health insurance, and insurance companies might not pay the full cost of the medication. This indicates that many FH patients may find the cost of the medicine to be prohibitive, making it difficult for them to get the therapy. Access to experts is the second hurdle. Due to the rarity of FH, many patients may not have access to doctors who can properly diagnose and treat the illness. Furthermore, there are now just a few number of professionals with knowledge in treating FH. Patients with FH may find it challenging to get the treatment they need and to get Repatha prescriptions because of this circumstance.
Repatha adoption may be hampered by these two obstacles for FH patients or their carers, posing a substantial obstacle to Amgen’s efforts to market to this group. Amgen should concentrate its efforts on raising the drug’s pricing in order to increase Repatha’s accessibility to FH patients. Giving FH patients discounts or financial aid might be one way to implement this concept. To guarantee that FH patients have access to the treatment they need, Amgen should also seek to improve access to FH experts and boost knowledge of the illness. These initiatives are necessary for Amgen to effectively target the FH patient or caregiver market. Amgen may be able to guarantee that FH patients get access to the treatment they need and can afford the medication by eliminating the two main adoption hurdles.
Amgen should concentrate on teaching FH patients and caregivers about Repatha and its advantages while speaking with them. Here, the company could stress Repatha’s affordability and its capacity to lower the long-term expenses related to FH. Amgen should also tell FH patients about the financial assistance programs, payment options, and discounts that are accessible. No of their financial status, patients of FH will be able to obtain the treatment they need thanks to our endeavor. Amgen should also stress the importance of getting treatment from FH experts. The business should utilize its direct marketing initiatives to raise awareness about FH and the medical professionals who treat it. Numerous platforms, including social media, print media, and direct mail, may be used for this effort. Amgen should also make an effort to establish a network of FH patients or carers so that they may exchange experiences and support one another. Through internet forums or support groups, this action might be carried out. Amgen should concentrate on developing an interesting website with information about FH and Repatha as well as services to assist FH patients or carers in obtaining the treatment they need.
Amgen can enhance the use of Repatha by employing a direct-to-consumer marketing strategy to get through the obstacles faced by FH patients or their carers. Amgen can make sure that FH patients can get the medication and afford it by educating FH patients and caregivers about Repatha and offering options to acquire the treatment they need. Amgen should also concentrate on developing a community of FH patients and caregivers who can exchange experiences and support one another.
The low understanding of FH in the medical community and payment concerns are two potential hurdles to adoption for doctors connected to the target patient segment of FH patients. The first obstacle is that there is minimal knowledge about FH among medical professionals. Given that FH is an uncommon and complicated genetic illness, many doctors may not be familiar with the diagnosis. Additionally, since many of the symptoms are vague and may be ascribed to other disorders, the diagnosis of FH is often overlooked. Due to this ignorance, patients may get the wrong diagnosis or a delayed diagnosis, depriving them of the proper care for their disease. As a result, doctors may only be ready to recommend Repatha to FH patients if they are aware of the condition or the diagnosis.
Reimbursement problems represent the second stress. Repatha is a costly prescription, and insurance companies often do not pay for its cost. Because of this incident, doctors could be less hesitant to recommend the medication to FH patients because they are worried about how it would affect their patients’ finances. Repatha’s reimbursement procedure might also be challenging since it needs step treatment or prior permission in order to be prescribed. Physicians may be unwilling to spend the effort to seek prior permission or step treatment in this situation, which might be a barrier to adoption. Overall, low knowledge of FH in the medical community and payment concerns are the two potential hurdles to adoption for doctors connected to the target patient segment of FH patients. Amgen should concentrate on teaching doctors about FH and its diagnosis as well as streamlining the Repatha reimbursement procedure in order to get over these obstacles.
Amgen should develop a thorough marketing strategy that focuses on enlightening doctors about FH and its diagnosis and streamlining the reimbursement procedure for Repatha in order to reduce physician hurdles and boost uptake of Repatha. Amgen should develop a thorough educational campaign that involves reaching out to physicians via webinars and seminars as well as instructional resources like booklets, pamphlets, and videos in order to educate doctors about FH and its diagnosis. Amgen should also develop a website where doctors may access books and clinical papers as well as other instructional resources. Additionally, this website need to provide doctors access to a dedicated hotline where they may inquire about FH and its diagnosis or acquire more information.
Amgen could develop a simplified procedure requiring less documentation and prior authorisation to make the reimbursement process for Repatha easier. Amgen should also coordinate with insurance providers to make sure Repatha is covered by their policies. This attempt might be carried out through bargaining with insurance providers or by providing prescription discounts. Amgen should also reach out to doctors via a variety of methods. Social media, email marketing, and direct mail should all be used as these channels. In order to reach more doctors, Amgen could also collaborate with medical associations and organize sponsored events and initiatives.
Overall, Amgen should develop a thorough marketing strategy that focuses on teaching doctors about FH and its diagnosis and streamlining the reimbursement process for Repatha in order to remove the physician hurdles and boost uptake of Repatha. This strategy should include reaching out to doctors through webinars and seminars as well as distributing educational materials including brochures, booklets, and videos.
References
Calkins, T. (2017). Amgen: Launching Repatha. Kellogg School of Management Cases, 1-16.
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