The radioligand therapy (RLT) space is entering a new era, as demonstrated by Eli Lilly’s recent $4.5 billion investment in a new research and manufacturing infrastructure. Pharmaceutical companies, typically focused on the development of intellectual property, are increasingly prioritizing their ability to produce, scale, and deliver these innovative treatments. Novartis has also doubled down on this shift, with an additional $200 million investment in the manufacturing of RLT and accompanying customer services. Together, these investments underscore the industry’s evolution towards mastering the intricate processes required for widespread RLT adoption, marking a new chapter in personalized cancer treatment.
Producing, shipping and delivering radioactive materials for these therapies requires unprecedented levels of logistics. Diagnostics, half life, logistics, and specialized requirements that are unique to RLT are forcing these companies to think beyond discovery, and examine how they are enabling delivery, scale and widespread adoption.
In a world where manufacturing and scale matter as much as discovery, pharmaceutical companies should examine their strategy and approach to winning in the radiopharmaceutical space. The transition to a service centric model is a necessary component to achieving full adoption of RLT, helping companies realize their investments into discovery and manufacturing.
To navigate this new landscape, companies must take action on the following:
Holistic service approach – A fundamental step is to examine all people, processes and platforms involved in delivering RLT end to end, in the current and desired state. This will illuminate opportunities both for new products and services, as well as new roles and responsibilities within the organization. This necessary mindset shift will break down silos and enable organizations to truly empathize with users, understand pain-points and ‘cliffs’ in the experience, and optimize for lifetime value.
Customer centricity – Pharma companies must now directly service their customers, which means they need to offer a simple and connected service experience by building a comprehensive understanding of the needs of customers, patients, and all other actors involved. A unified system for gathering data and insights will help to inform and evolve service features.
Capability building – An over-reliance on third party capabilities makes it almost impossible to control the end to end experience of customers. Companies will have to review existing capabilities and determine the most efficient pathway to building new, in-house capabilities to manage and control the full RLT lifecycle, (eg. precise logistics, scheduling, patient care, training) and the internal skills and culture to optimize them and create impact.
Service integration – Companies must move from separate systems and teams to an integrated model consisting of services, operations and systems. They also have to face the challenge of connecting all data to create a single source of truth and enable the personalized experience their customers have come to expect. Teams also need to collaborate to pursue a shared ambition, and align roadmaps to deliver a unified experience – from referral to ordering, logistics and customer support.
Sustainable funding and governance – Lastly, organizations need to move away from the traditional ‘cost/ deliverable’ model in order to incrementally, and sustainably develop an integrated service. Funding needs to be invested in a team over time and measured against outcomes in order to reduce risk, and allow the plan to change. Leaders need to have a regular window into the process and have the level of understanding required to make decisions when they count.
To fully realize their investments into discovery and manufacturing, these leading companies must change at the organizational level, as traditional models of drug and service delivery will fall short of addressing the complex logistical challenges that RLT presents. Companies that take decisive action to streamline these complex logistics and build customer-centric capabilities will position themselves as leaders in the evolving radiopharmaceutical landscape, driving the adoption of RLT at scale.
Photo: Dilok Klaisataporn, Getty Images
Molly McGaughan is the co-founder and Managing Director of Firm, a consultancy specializing in designing the services and building the capabilities that enable pharmaceutical companies to deliver advanced therapies at scale. She has 15 years of experience leading research, strategy, design, and technology programs for some of the world’s largest companies. She leads Firm’s programs, partnering with clients to design the right process and team to achieve their goals while overseeing the delivery and success of each project.
Estelle Ricoux is the co-founder and Service and Design Director of Firm. She has 15 years experience partnering with clients and leading teams to improve customer and employee experiences. Estelle combines a holistic service design practice with product methodologies to bring focus on business goals and key metrics. She leads Firm’s design teams, assessing current experiences and operations, crafting visions for future experiences and products, and guiding in the design and delivery, helping companies adopt new approaches and ways of working in the process.
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