It’s well known that many pharma product launches fail to meet sales expectations in the first two years. We all know that the product itself is a key reason for launch failure, but it’s not the only one. Out of those failed launches, top reasons include poor customer insight and resource allocation.
This means that thousands of hours of work, years of R&D, and investment can still result in patients potentially missing out on life-changing solutions — simply because we’ve overlooked these two key people-focused elements.
The secret to sustained success lies beyond just the product.
WHAT’S THE COMMON DENOMINATOR?
Behind every failed insight or misallocated resource is a human story. Whether it’s a lack of understanding of the patient journey or internal teams misaligned on priorities or overwhelmed, the core issue is the same: a disconnect between people.
It may sound obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Products are launched by people, for people. Yet, in the rush to market, pharma organisations can lose sight of this fundamental truth and neglect the external and internal people focus that ultimately determines success.
IS PEOPLE-CENTRICITY YOUR MISSING INGREDIENT?
The harsh truth is that a great product alone doesn’t guarantee a great launch. Pharma companies that focus solely on the product, without embedding people-centric thinking into every stage of the launch, are setting themselves up to fail.
Being truly people-centric means more than just ‘patient-centricity’:
- Deeply understanding the real needs, behaviours and pain-points of patients, healthcare practitioners, payers and other key stakeholders in the ecosystem
- Empower and support internal teams with clarity, autonomy and purpose
We all know what good looks like. The challenge is building the systems, culture and mindset to deliver on that vision consistently and at scale.
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We help get you launch-ready, combining a clear strategy with solid execution. Our focus is on four key areas to tackle the people and performance challenges that will make or break your launch.
IN PRACTICE: HUMIRA
Let’s take a look at Humira, a successful large-scale pharmaceutical launch. AbbVie’s approach wasn’t just about the drug, it was about the people.
Their Humira Complete programme offered patients personal, human support: navigating insurance hurdles, answering questions and providing comfort. This empathetic approach wasn’t a marketing tactic, but a core strategy. And it paid off: Humira peaked at $21.2 billion in sales in 2022.
AbbVie’s success wasn’t magic. It was built on a foundation of genuine people-centricity:
- Externally, they implemented comprehensive patient support programmes including financial assistance, nurse-led training, medication reminders and disposal support – driving patient adherence and loyalty
- Internally, their organisational structure and resource prioritisation enhanced strategic decision-making and cross-functional collaboration.
Even as biosimilars entered the market, AbbVie maintained their market share, thanks to its relentless focus on people, both inside and outside the organisation. This is what we call the People-People Theory in action”
LESSONS FROM OUTSIDE
Outside of Life Sciences, many other industries are leading the way with their people-centric approaches, further proving the importance of the People-People Theory”
Coca-Cola: A global brand with a personal connection
Coca-Cola is often the first brand that comes to mind when we think of global success. Yes, it’s a great product, but it also connects with people on a personal level.
Coca-Cola has built its brand around understanding consumer preferences, from taste to emotional connection. It segments its audience, listens to feedback and acts on it. For example, Coca-Cola Peach is popular in Japan and China, where fruit-flavoured sodas are in demand, but it’s rarely seen in Western markets.
And then there’s the Share a Coke campaign—replacing the logo with people’s names. It tapped into Gen Z’s desire for authentic connection in an increasingly digital world.
Internally, Coca-Cola empowers its people to think global and act local. Its structure supports global consistency while allowing for local flexibility. It invests in employee training, open communication and meaningful recognition, ensuring that frontline staff understand how their work contributes to the company’s mission.
Spotify: Personalisation and agility in action
In the tech space, Spotify is a standout example of people-centricity in action.
Spotify excels at understanding its users by analysing vast amounts of listening data. Features like Discover Weekly are built on deep insight into individual preferences, creating a highly personalised experience that keeps users coming back.
Internally, Spotify’s teams are organised into autonomous, cross-functional squads, each focused on a specific aspect of the customer experience. This agile structure allows them to move fast, iterate quickly, and stay ahead in a competitive market.
IF SPOTIFY AND COKE CAN DO IT, WHY CAN’T PHARMA?
The best practice launches, like Humira, connect on a human level, because of their deep understanding of the customer through insight, and the focus on their own employees.
But commonly in pharma, that level is not reached. We’re not doing what this consumer world is doing. These companies show us that a great product alone doesn’t guarantee success.
A harsh reality is that failure occurs when we focus only on the product.
HOW CAN YOU BE MORE PEOPLE-CENTRIC? (NOT JUST PATIENT-CENTRIC)
Pharma companies must move beyond a product-only focus to better understand and engage with patients, HCPs and payers externally. At the same time, you should equip internal teams with clarity and autonomy, aligned around a shared vision.
1. Keep it simple
- Ditch the jargon and speak the straightforward language of your customers.
- Ensure teams have clear priorities and simple tools. Simplicity fuels action, and complexity kills momentum.
2. Collaborate
- Engage with customers and advocates, and co-create solutions with them.
- Create agile, cross-functional launch squads.
3. Act on insights
- Establish a dynamic feedback loop between your customer, sales, and commercial teams.
- Close the ‘insight-to-action gap’ – implement systems to convert insights into strategic decisions, rather than letting valuable data sit idle.
How launch ready are you?
We surveyed 80 senior leaders across the pharma industry at Reuters Events: Pharma 2025, and few believe they are truly ready for a people-centric launch.
- Internally, only 18% of leaders believe they have a fully cross-functional approach to launch and even fewer (11%) say teams are fully equipped with the necessary skills and capabilities.
- Looking externally, the problem is even more apparent, with only 10% of respondents consistently acting on customer insights to improve the patient experience. Additionally, only 2.5% feel they have a deep understanding of customer pain points.
Take our Launch Excellence Maturity Assessment to see how your organisation compares. Plus, receive tailored feedback and actionable steps on how to improve your launch readiness today.
The path forward
The pharma industry needs more megabrands. Not because of their commercial impact, but because of their impact on people’s lives.
It’s always possible to launch the next Humira —but you must think beyond the product, focusing on the people at the heart of each launch.
Take our quick Launch Excellence Maturity Assessment to see how your organisation compares. Plus, receive tailored feedback and actionable steps on how to improve your launch readiness today.
