Accelerating Growth in a Complex Launch Environment
Launching a first-in-class therapy in a rare disease space presents unique challenges—from limited prescriber familiarity to navigating unmet clinical needs. Following the approval of a novel oral treatment for a rare immunologic condition, our client partnered with KS&R to gain early insight into how healthcare professionals were responding in-market.
The goal: understand prescriber awareness, sentiment, and behavioral patterns in the critical early phase post-launch—insights that would help the client identify opportunities, address barriers, and shape a more informed and effective engagement strategy.
To deliver timely insights, KS&R designed a bi-monthly pulse survey as part of an ongoing research effort focused on specialists managing rare immunologic conditions. These recurring studies offer a consistent window into the field, capturing how prescribers are thinking, feeling, and responding throughout the post-launch journey.
In each wave, healthcare professionals share their perspectives on treatment awareness, prescribing behaviors, and perceived strengths and concerns. The pulse structure allows KS&R to track not only what’s happening in the moment, but also how sentiment and adoption patterns evolved over time.
By capturing insights from both prescribers and non-users, the client gained a grounded view into the engagement drivers, adoption barriers, and opportunities to optimize positioning and outreach.
Prescribers expressed strong interest in the therapy’s clinical profile—particularly the oral administration and its ability to address key treatment challenges. Positive emotional sentiment also emerged, with providers feeling confident in offering patients a new, convenient treatment option.
The study identified clear adoption barriers—including limited prescriber experience, questions around long-term data, and competing brand perceptions. These findings informed targeted messaging and future field strategy.
Ultimately, early insights empowered the client’s cross-functional teams to move from awareness to action, aligning on where and how to focus their next wave of outreach in a high-stakes, rare disease environment.
