Pharma often treats access as a regulatory hurdle: tick the box, submit the dossier, wait for approval, and hope payers follow. Tech and consumer industries, by contrast, treat access as the game itself. That distinction is why there’s so much for pharma to learn.
Consider Apple. Regulatory clearance for the iPhone didn’t make it a success. What made people buy it was how it was sold, designed, priced, marketed, and how easy it was to use. Tech companies obsess over adoption curves, targeting innovators, early adopters, and laggards with tailored strategies. They iterate quickly, respond to feedback, and adjust pricing and features dynamically. Consumer brands focus obsessively on distribution, making sure products reach hands efficiently, with minimal friction.
In pharma, the “launch” often ends at regulatory approval. A drug can be scientifically brilliant, perfectly priced, and clinically effective, but if the system isn’t ready to absorb it, adoption stalls. Payers may hesitate. Clinicians may not be trained. Patients may face logistical or financial barriers. The result? Lost revenue and delayed patient benefit.
Pharma can take several lessons from the tech and consumer industries:
- Access is distribution. Don’t treat launch as a document submission. Think like a product manager: how do we ensure every stakeholder can access, understand, and adopt this therapy?
- Segment audiences early. Tech firms understand different users need different approaches. Payers, clinicians, and patients are not a single monolith. Tailor messaging, evidence, and support to each segment.
- Iterate fast. Consumer brands constantly test campaigns, offers, and channels. Pharma can’t change molecules post-launch, but pathways, support programmes, and communications can be refined quickly based on real-world feedback.
- Remove friction. The most sophisticated therapy in the world is useless if it’s buried under approval processes, complex prior authorisation, or confusing patient pathways. Simplify access, streamline administration, and anticipate obstacles.
- Measure adoption, not just approval. The tech and consumer industries track uptake metrics daily. Pharma should track real-world adoption similarly: who is prescribing, reimbursing, and receiving treatment — not just who has regulatory clearance.
And for a dash of British realism: celebrating approval without adoption is a bit like popping the champagne because your football team got a new kit. Sure, it looks great, but it hasn’t won the match yet.
Ultimately, the lesson is simple: drugs don’t change lives until they’re in people’s hands, reimbursed, prescribed, and used correctly. Access isn’t a hurdle; it’s the business model. Pharma can borrow playbooks from the tech and consumer sectors to ensure that the brilliant science actually translates into real-world impact.
