Novartis

• Novartis is the largest pharmaceutical company in Switzerland, and the seventh-largest biopharmaceutical giant by revenue, worldwide. The company manufactures an array of prominent commercial drugs, and its estimated revenue is about $52 billion.

Why the Company Pivoted

• According to the company CEO, Vasant Narasimhan, the company had to pivot because of the intense competition from other large branded biopharmaceuticals and emerging of the value-based care models.
• Therefore, to keep up with the trend and stay competitive, the company laid off 2,200 employees in September 2018 (this was when the company began pivoting), as a part of the ongoing restructuring plan through 2022.
• The restructuring plans are to move the company from a traditional high-volume blockbuster model to more precision-targeted medicines representing higher-value markets. To achieve this, Novartis is using new technology platforms to generate transformational drugs.

The Original Idea

•  Novartis' original focus was on consumer health, eye-care devices and contact lenses, traditional oral, and small-molecule generics drugs. Hence, to pivot, the company had to exit all these healthcare segments and invest in new technology platforms to transform its operating model and reduce the period of discovering and developing new and more effective drugs.

How the Company Pivoted

• The company pivoted by launching an innovation lab (The Biome), using digital technology under the hood, and acquiring companies that have advanced technology.
• The Biome was launched by the company so that it can keep up with the fast-moving technology and digital health ecosystem. The lab also helps Novartis to partner with other companies to create the most effective digital health solutions of tomorrow.
• To enhance its drug development efforts, clinical trial, and operations, Novartis is incorporating a lot of digital technology under the hood to achieve successful transformation. For example, the company is using a data analytics engine, Nerve, to generate data, make decisions, improve its operations, and achieve results faster than before.
• Novartis is using FocalView application in its ophthalmology programs to perform eye treatments and care. Also, it has partnered with Medidata, Shyft Analytics, and PathAl to use Al technology to improve breast cancer detection.
• Novartis acquired the Endocyte company in October 2018, which uses the drug conjugation technology of two platforms, Radioligand Therapy (RLT) and CAR-T, to accelerate the treatment of cancer.
• Novartis also acquired AveXis and Advanced Accelerator Applications technologies to boost its gene therapy and oncology business, respectively. However, these two companies were acquired before September 2018.
• Novartis CEO stated that this technology pivot would increase the company's sales by 20% before 2023.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

• GlaxoSmithKline is a global healthcare company that specializes in developing, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals drugs. The company's drugs focus on six areas, namely, oncology, respiratory diseases, Immuno-inflammation, rare diseases, vaccines, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/infectious diseases.

Why the Company Pivoted

• The plan of Karenann Terrell, GSK’s first chief digital and technology officer, is to digitize the company. Therefore, she is responsible for the company’s digital, data, and analytics strategies.
• Upon her appointment in September 2017 (this was when the company began pivoting), she was given an opportunity by GSK to invent and introduce new technologies to be used by the company.
• The main aim of inventing new technologies by the company is to improve the discovery, development, manufacturing, and performance of drugs.

The Original Idea

• The process of developing drugs is long, complicated, and very expensive. It takes companies years of research before they can try them on a human being.
• The original technology of GSK took an average of 5.5 years and over $2.25 billion to develop a drug; however, the company wanted to reduce this period to just one year. Hence, GSK introduced new technologies that could help in achieving this one-year duration.

How the Company Pivoted

• To reduce the cost and time involved in drug manufacturing and implementation, GSK signed a $43 million deal with a deep learning company, Exscientia, to use its supercomputers to develop new drugs. This process can find the potential treatment and cure at a much lesser cost and time compared to the older method.
• The company is also investing in in-silico methods, machine learning, and innovating its R&D to streamline and improve its medicine discovery and development strategies. Karenann also explains that using these methods leads to the development of drugs more quickly and with higher precision and quality compared to older technology.

Research Strategy

GSK's Move To 'Simplified' Distribution Model

• The leading pharmaceutical company GSK had announced in 2018 the revamp/pivot of its distribution channels by veering from its current direct-to-pharmacy (DTP) distribution model to using wholesalers to distribute its products.
• Under the new channel pivot, GSK tied up with pharmacy wholesalers such as Phoenix UK, AAH, and Alliance Healthcare for the first time to distribute its prescription medicines to community pharmacies, hospitals, and dispensing doctors across the country.
• Under the new distribution channel pivot, GSK customers could now purchase medicines directly from specified wholesalers as well as by leveraging GSK’s vaccine portfolio online ordering platform, thereby simplifying the purchase process.

• Under the direct-to-pharmacy model which was earlier used by GSK, the company sold products directly to pharmacies and appointed a limited number of logistic service providers (LSP) to deliver the medicines on its behalf.
• The traditional wholesalers (or logistics service providers) were primarily leveraged to hold their stock on a consignment or agency basis rather than transferring title of the goods.
• The company primarily undertook the channel pivot to change the way it's distributed its pharmaceutical medicines and vaccines in the UK and help reduce complexity for its pharmacy, hospital, and dispensing doctor customers.
• GSK's channel pivot received extremely positive industry response and was termed as "historic" and "incredibly positive for community pharmacy" wherein it would help pharmacies deliver consistency in service and increase patient loyalty and hence become effective.

AstraZeneca's Shift To Single Agency DTP Distribution Model

•  AstraZeneca, which is an English-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, had announced in 2019 the revamp/pivot of its distribution channels by veering from multiple agent DTP distribution model to single agent DTP distribution model.
• Under the new channel pivot, the company entered into an exclusive direct-to-pharmacy (DTP) distribution agreement with AAH under which AAH became the sole distributor of AstraZeneca products to all pharmacies in the UK.
• Under the new distribution channel pivot, all AstraZeneca customers, including pharmacies, hospitals, and dispensing doctors across the UK, would only be able to purchase AstraZeneca products through AAH, thereby consolidating the entire distribution channel of the company to a single agent.

• The company earlier leveraged a multiple agent DTP model for the distribution of its medicines in the UK and had adopted the same back in 2008.
• Under the DTP model, the company itself sets the price paid by pharmacies and pay wholesalers a fee for delivering their medicines according their required service standards. There was no convention covering the level of discounts to pharmacies in these circumstances.
• The new channel pivot was primarily undertaken by the company to simplify its existing distribution network model and help meet "sustainability, environmental and economic objectives".
• AstraZeneca wished to provide to its customers and approximately one million patients using its medicines with an effective, less complicated, and efficient distribution network, and hence it undertook this channel pivot.
• As per the company, the channel pivot is extremely effective as it allows them to have a direct channel of communication and to better understand the needs of its customers and the UK pharmaceutical supply chain environment.
• Additionally, it allows the company to partner more directly with its customers to ensure that a modern effective supply and delivery service is in place at all times.

F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd's Pivot in Viral Engine of Growth

How and Why The Company Pivoted:

• McKinsey research shows that customer satisfaction truly matters in the pharmaceutical sector. By paying more attention to the customer experience, companies can not only increase satisfaction but also boost sales and market share.
• Many pharmaceutical companies have launched an application that addresses pain points along detailed information on patient and prescriber journeys. In this way, the companies can increase customer satisfaction, improve adherence, and boost revenues with the use of the application.
• In the United Kingdom, more than 690,000 people are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and have received treatment. Patients are more interested in tracking and proactively managing their disease and thus they have decided to find a digital solution that would help them do this.
• Working with National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., the pharmaceutical company recognized that in the UK, rheumatoid arthritis patients needed to be able to more easily track and proactively manage their disease, and decided to find a digital solution that would help them do this.
• Roche UK and the NRAS worked together to develop a mobile app which allows users to monitor their disease with self-assessments in between consultations.
• Roche, along with other pharmaceutical companies, launched an application that acts as a digital companion for patients which in turn leads to an 8% growth in revenue for its new rheumatoid arthritis therapy.

The Original Idea:

• Traditionally, pharmaceutical companies launched new drug or medical device with its clinical efficacy, safety, superiority to alternatives, and its ease of use. Originally, the goal was to address patients’ medical needs and prescribers’ professional needs.
• Initially, researchers at Roche began to investigate the causes of rheumatoid arthritis, which resulted in the discovery of innovative new therapies that target the key drivers of inflammation in this disease and address a considerable unmet need. These solutions have helped change the way that rheumatoid arthritis is treated and make a positive difference to patients’ lives.
• Focusing too narrowly on clinical value often leads the company to neglect a powerful driver of launch success; that is, the customer experience which in turn increases the awareness of their product or service they use by their experiences.
• Roche has shifted from traditional treatment, "MabThera/Rituxan and RoACTEMRA/ACTEMRA", to new and innovative digital application which helps to monitor the disease effectively.

Pfizer 's Pivot in Paid Engine of Growth

How and Why The Company Pivoted:

• Pfizer pushed out commercials for its breast cancer therapies, regeneron pharmaceuticals launched a direct-to-consumer campaign for its blockbuster eye treatment and many other pharmaceutical companies pivoted into the world of virtual reality marketing.
• To target companies population in their 30s, Pfizer pivoted to a digital mode of channel. This is because they get enough time to tell both the story behind a drug and the safety and efficacy information required by regulators.
• Due to this, the awareness for their cancer and immunology treatments has increased. Moreover, some of the brands in HIV are also focusing a larger share of their spend on digital advertisement.
• In 2016, Federal Trade Commission mentioned the relationship between DTC advertising and online search frequency. The effects of advertising are varied by media type by broadcast and internet having the strongest associations with increased searches.
• As digital and social media increase in ubiquity, DTC pharmaceutical ads have proliferated on these platforms and research has shifted its focus to match producing scholarly content analyses of digital ads with social media content.

The Original Idea:

• According to Jon Swallen, Chief Research Officer, Kantar Media, TV ad spending by pharmaceutical companies has more than doubled from 2012 to 2016, making it the second-fastest-growing category on television.
• Earlier, the focus of advertisement was for the 65-year old and above, and that’s the population that was interested in watching television only.
• According to marketing analytics provider iSpot.tv, in terms of television ads, 187 commercials for about 70 prescription medications have been collectively aired almost half a million times in early 2018 by Pfizer.
• Pfizer spent $1.52 billion, down 5% in TV ads from the previous year 2017 and shifted its focus on digital ads to target younger generations more.

Research Strategy:

Company #1: Pfizer

• Pfizer, founded in 1848 and based in New York, NY, USA, is "a leading research-based biopharmaceutical company." The company's primary-care medicine segment is what made it one of the world's biggest drugmakers.
• Currently, the company is pivoting and focusing more on its oncology segment to boost its revenue growth. Pfizer decided to value capture pivot because its facing competition for its generic-drug, Lyrica (Pregabalin), one of its top-selling drugs to treat nerve pain, which lost its US patent exclusivity in June 2019.
• The company is focusing on oncology because it requires a smaller sales force to market it to hospitals and cancer doctors compared to the energy needed to market and sell cholesterol and hypertension medicines to primary-care physicians. Additionally, global cancer medicine sales are growing at 11% per year.
• Pfizer started focusing on cancer drugs by hiring leading scientists and collaborating with prominent cancer experts in academia to build its cancer capabilities and speed up its drug developments.
• Pfizer's current oncology-drug portfolio includes small molecules, biologics, and immunotherapies across wide-range of cancers, such as Ibrance (Palbociclib), one of the company's leading product, and was among the ten blockbusters drugs (or drugs that generated $1 billion or more in terms of sales) in 2018. The drug is used to treat HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer; in 2018, Ibrance generated $4.12 billion in sales globally.
• Pfizer's oncology-drug portfolio segment generated $7.20 billion in terms of sales in 2018, which was second to its commercial drug portfolio behind internal medicine which earned $9.996 billion in 2018.

Company #2: Daiichi Sankyo

• Daiichi Sankyo, founded in Japan and has over 100 years of scientific expertise. It's a global pharmaceutical company which "provides innovative products and services in more than 20 countries around the world."
• In March 2016, Daiichi Sankyo announced its "2025 Vision", which was a result of its extensive discussions, accumulated drug discovery capabilities, and revenue growth.
• In 2014, the annual sales of cancer drugs in Japan was over 9.5 trillion JPY. Due to extensive and increasing global sales of drugs that are effective in treating cancer, the company decided to value capture pivot to the oncology business.
• Additional reasons for the value capture pivot by Daiichi Sankyo to oncology business was to overcome revenue decline due to loss of exclusivity for mainstay products such as olmesartan, and also the "impacts of National Health Insurance (NHI) drug price revisions in Japan."
• The company's "2025 Vision" also defined its pivot into a "specialty area business centered on oncology business as the core business", with the overall goal of becoming a "global pharma innovator with a competitive advantage in oncology". Daiichi Sankyo's previous core business structure and original focus up to FY2015 was on Cardiovascular-Metabolics and primary-care medicines.
• To achieve the 2025 Vision, Daiichi Sankyo has six strategic targets in order to accomplish its performance targets. The six strategic targets include growing edoxaban, became the No. 1 company in Japan, expand U.S. business, establish oncology business, continuously generate innovative new medicine changing standard of care (SOC), and enhance profit generation capabilities.

• Daiichi Sankyo's oncology R&D sub-unit established the three pillars of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) franchise, antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) franchise, and breakthrough science, which it will focus on to become a world-leading science organization. It also aims to provide seven valuable new molecular entities (NMEs) by 2025.
• Through its accelerated oncology R&D, its target is to grow its oncology business revenue to "more than ¥40.0 billion in fiscal 2020, ¥150.0 billion in fiscal 2022, and ¥500.0 billion in fiscal 2025, when this business will function as a core business."
• Daiichi Sankyo was able to grab its first U.S. cancer nod since 2011, which is also the first FDA-approved drug, Turalio (Pexidartinib), for treating rare joint tumors in adults with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT).

1) Pfizer's Pivot From Volume to Value-Based Model

• Pfizer Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation established in the year 1849 and headquartered in New York City.

How the Company Pivoted

• Pfizer offers a value-based business model by identifying various customers according to the value proposition. The value proposition provided by the company varies for each customer, but in general, they present a value proposition that is "either clinically differentiated, or safer," and a quality metric as part of their product offering.
• In moving from volume to a value business model, Pfizer employs both quantitative and qualitative studies to determine the metrics clients seek individually, as well as identify if they utilize EMRs or physicians. By the time they identify their customers, they present a business-to-business model that would assess their unique requirements to make judgments on ways to supply value to them.
• According to Pfizer, businesses must have insight into the things customers seek, and it is important to reject the one-size-fits-all method so the company can convert to a value-based business model.
• For Pfizer, comprehending the overall patient journey is vital to transitioning from volume to a value-based model because a pill is merely a segment of the equation, and what matters most is enhancing patient adherence, advising providers on certain protocols, or alerting physicians of the need for additional screening due to them under-diagnosing a specific issue.

Why the Company Pivoted

• The company pivoted its business architecture because the industry is being compelled to decrease care expenses without jeopardizing quality or safety.
• Also, the company pivoted its business architecture from paying for volume to paying for value, centering the exchange around customers since U.S. healthcare is spending higher (18% of GDP vs 9-11% for other developed nations), and costs are increasing remarkably.

Original Idea

• The original idea was to shift from a traditional business model, which is a volume-based model, into a value-based one, determine suitable clients, and comprehend their requirements.
• The company's original idea concentrated on evolving alongside their clients and conforming to their shifting demands.

2) Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pivot From Mass-Market Drugmaker to Specialist Niche Player

• Bristol-Myers Squibb is a worldwide biopharmaceutical entity aiming to discover, create, and provide innovative medicines that assist patients in combating severe illnesses.

How the Company Pivoted

• Bristol-Myers Squibb pivoted its business architecture by concentrating on transforming into a manufacturer of specialty drugs for intricate illnesses while divesting its company's stakes.
• The company's restructuring plan involved the sale of its share of the diabetes alliance joint venture it had with another business, AstraZeneca. For its share, Bristol-Myers Squibb was set to be awarded approximately $4.3 billion.
• It was improbable that Bristol-Myers Squibb's transition would involve buying or selling assets since the company's previous blockbusters (e.g., Plavix and Avapro) were affected by generic drug sales.

Why the Company Pivoted

• Despite the company's increased drug sales revealed by its Q4 2013 results, there was a 21.5% downfall in its profits over the same quarter in 2012.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb pivoted its business architecture, hoping this action would allow it to generate higher margins in the long term.
• The company also believed, though results were unsatisfactory, the progress with restructuring would lead to shareholders ultimately benefiting from the process.

Original Idea

• Bristol-Myers Squibb's original idea was to proceed in witnessing notable progress concerning its restructuring program and to transform the company "from mass-market drugmaker to specialist niche player," hoping that it would improve margins for the business.

Research Strategy:

McKesson Corporation

• On April 8, 2019, McKesson Corporation announced a technology partnership with Google Cloud to scale up the creation of next-generation "applications and products, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and enhanced analytics" to advance the corporation's strategic growth initiative, which is to transform care delivery and increase profits.
• Following the collaboration, Google Cloud became McKesson’s preferred cloud provider, which implemented the GCP throughout its entire enterprise. The platform would then act as the cornerstone of McKesson's "new infrastructure, platforms, applications, and analytics workloads."
• According to Andy Zitney, senior vice-president, CTO of McKesson Technology, Google Cloud would free up McKesson to problem solve for tomorrow. Equally, the new platform will help the corporation deploy new products and services faster; thus, decrease the company's time to value.
• Again, GCP would drive greater efficiency across McKesson’s technology and help save costs. The partnership will also enable McKesson to more effectively gather, analyze, and transform data into actionable business insights, while also focusing on automation to free the time of its engineers’ and developers.’
• The idea to platform pivot stemmed from a 2017 decision by McKesson regarding a strategic growth plan on multiple areas, including "supply chain solutions, medical supply manufacturers, digital solutions for the specialty pharmaceutical market, and new offerings that will improve the role-played by retail pharmacy in patient care delivery, all requiring data and analytics support".
• Likewise, McKesson's idea to pivot was to evolve to a cloud-first approach platform that would transform how the corporation manages its information services by transitioning from a primarily on-premises system to a hybrid — cloud-based platform for increased productivity.
• Overall, the transformation provides many benefits to McKesson, including the ability to accelerate the deployment and implementation of cutting-edge technologies to market, enhancing long-term performance, and delivering customer value that is "secure, scalable, and fast."

Sigma Healthcare

• Sigma Healthcare is an Australian-based wholesale pharmaceutical company. It owns two pharmacy retail brands, namely Amcal and Guardian Pharmacy.
• The pharmaceutical company pivoted its legacy platform to a cloud-based solution as part of its broader digital transformation initiative to replace its 20-year-old legacy platform. On that note, it contracted Accenture to build its new platform, Sigma Connect, which is "integrated with SAP Commerce Cloud and Qualtrics."
• Sigma Healthcare had many reasons to pivot. Notable ones include over-reliance on antiquated and ineffective technology platforms that were primarily based on the needs of warehouse and traditional ways of operating. Another reason to pivot was the need to try to service customers and offer them unique experiences that the legacy system could not.
• Additionally, the pharmaceutical company needed to offer customers personalized experiences and expand the capabilities of SAP Commerce Cloud and Qualtrics to service its drug suppliers and manufacturers. Another reason was the need for a system that can provide real-time insights and feedback to help inform actionable business decisions.
• Regarding the original idea behind the platform pivot, Sigma Healthcare had experienced major faults with the previous system, such as the inability to deliver accurate pricing information to pharmacists and hospitals that had to wait until the submission of their orders.
• Another reason was that Sigma Healthcare needed a modernized platform that it could grow with along with its evolving business model and a flexible system that could plug into its 20-year old legacy technology platform.

Research Methodology

Gilead Science: Odefsey

Original Idea:

• Ripilvirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide were all HIV medicines. Ripilvirine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), while emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide were both nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI).

How And Why It Was Pivoted:

• Gilead Science was exploring the efficacy and safety of a new drug Odefsey they were developing by combining Gilead’s emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide with rilpivirine which was contained in their existing products Complera and Atripla.
• This drug comprises 3 different drugs that were combined in one tablet which will help HIV patients to live "longer, healthier lives" and also minimizes the risk of transmitting HIV.
• According to Gilead's executive, "there is an increasing need for safe and tolerable treatment options to help address the long-term health needs of people living with HIV" which is the reason the company is exploring new drugs to help patients. This is evidenced with the company's mission in developing new treatment options that address the unmet needs of HIV patients.
• In March 2016, Odefsey was approved by FDA.

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical: Abilify Mycite System

Original Idea:

• Otsuka America Pharmaceutical's Abilify MyCite is originally intended for treating "schizophrenia in adults, the acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar/disorder in adults, and adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder in adults".
• This product was approved by FDA in 2017.

How And Why It Was Pivoted:

• The company is aware that most patients with major psychiatric disorders have low medication adherence either because of side effects of the drug or the patient's denial on their prognosis. Thus, there have been poor health outcomes among patients.
• Due to this, the company developed a system which is a "drug-device combination of products consisting of aripiprazole tablets embedded with an ingestible event marker (IEM) sensor, MyCite app, wearable sensor patch" and web-based portal for tracking drug ingestion and adherence. 
• The medicine aripiprazole has an embedded sensor in the tablet which when taken transmits signal to the patch. Adherence can be monitored through the app in which caregiver or healthcare professional can monitor it via web portal.

Research Strategy:

Background

•  Zoom-in pivots designates a change in marketing strategy to focus on one aspect of a product (as a result of consumer research/testing) rather than all aspects originally intended. For example, Justin.tv was a live streaming site that focused on how an audience was reacting to the content they were watching. In product testing, the company decided to focus the product on live streaming gamers while they were playing video games because this was the market most likely to use the product.
• On average, it takes 10 years and $2.6 billion to develop a new medication. Hence, early market testing of a drug designed for a specific purpose (perhaps a drug that can treat a variety of diseases of syndromes) to pivot--zooming-in--to a more narrow focus is not likely to be profitable.
• In the pharmaceutical industry, a recent trend that most resembles the zoom-in pivot is drug repositioning or repurposing. This strategy saves time and money because the compound/molecule/biologic tested has already passed expensive hurdles of clinical trials. And, when off-label uses are serendipitously discovered in clinical trials, the pivot to marketing it for an off-label use most resembles zoom-in pivots.
• Two famous serendipitous discoveries of off-label or secondary uses (repositioning) of medication are Viagra and Rogaine.
•  Viagra (Sildenafil), was developed to treat angina, but during Phase 1 clinical trials, the compound did not show an effect on angina, but it did cause unintended erections. Pfizer then pivoted to market this drug to treat erectile dysfunction.
•  Rogaine (Minoxidil) was originally developed to lower blood pressure in patients. However, during clinical trials, 60-80% of patients reported unusual hair growth. Hence, minoxidil was repurposed to treat alopecia.

Zoom-in pivot #1: ketamine/Spravato

•  Ketamine was originally developed by Parke-Davis pharmaceutical company, in the 1970s, as an anesthetic--to be used in surgeries. Ketamine continues to be used in surgeries to this day.
• However, researchers have observed that one unintended effect of a ketamine dose is a very dramatic, spontaneous recovery from crippling and untreatable depression. Many antidepressants take two weeks or more to start working, whereas ketamine's effects were immediate.
•  Janssen, a pharmaceutical company owned by Johnson & Johnson, recently got FDA approval to sell Spravato, which is a variation on the ketamine molecule, to treat depression that is otherwise resistant to other medications.
• Marketing projections predict that Janssen will enjoy a $600 million profit due to Spravato by 2022.

Zoom-in pivot #2: Saracatinib/Alzheimer treatment

• AstraZeneca originally developed this compound to treat various cancers but discovered in clinical trials that it was not effective.
• AstraZeneca then chose to collaborate with Yale researchers to discover other, serendipitous effects of the medication through its Open Innovation program.
• In animal studies, a Yale researcher had identified an enzyme, Fyn, that plays a crucial role in disastrous cellular changes resulting from Alzheimer's. This same enzyme was found to block this enzyme and its effects during clinical testing of saracatinib.
• Hence, AstraZeneca partnered with Yale researchers to develop the drug to treat Alzheimer's.

Research Strategy

Myovant

• Myovant is in the process of creating Relugolix, a drug aimed at prostate cancer patients. Phase 3 clinical trials illustrated that around 96.7% of patients treated with Relugolix enjoyed a sustained testosterone suppression.
• While Relugolix was first designed for a male audience, the company looked for more applications of the drug, and it was tested for treating uterine fibroids in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. The Motley Fool noted that the drug is situated to transform into a "leading treatment option for women with uterine fibroids."
• Seeking Alpha noted that there is about a 75% chance that the FDA will approve the drug for uterine fibroids, which will boost Myovant's sales revenue.
• With its Relugolix GnRH inhibitor, Myovant aims to directly compete with pharma giant AbbVie in the women's health application space. However, the company is waiting for the "12-month safety data from its SPIRIT phase 3" program with results due in 2020.

Purdue Pharma

• Purdue Pharma's OxyContin is used for severe pain and was initially targeted towards the adult population. In 2015, the FDA approved its use in children aged 11-17.
• Sharon Hertz, the FDA's CDER director of the Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Addiction Products, stated that the opioid drug OxyContin is safe to use if developed appropriately, and it is the first such drug to be administered in pediatric patients.
• Drug tests and clinical trials on children can be costly and troublesome, which is why pharmaceutical agencies usually bypass evaluations, except for cases where a sizable pediatric market is available. To counter this trend, the FDA approves an additional six-month extension of patent protection on any formulations involving studies on children, and that is one of the primary reasons why Purdue Pharma pushed for the testing of OxyContin among children.
• Experts and lawmakers criticized the company as children could become addicted to the drug while in a physicians care or when they are older.

Research Strategy: