As the adage goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. A successful product launch hinges on ensuring your new treatment enters a marketplace where its need and value are well understood. Each approval comes with its own unique set of circumstances related to the marketplace—for example, first to market, genericized space, company or industry baggage—but some fundamentals remain relatively immutable: those of patient advocacy engagement.

After years of supporting industry and advocacy groups in their quest to collaborate on better outcomes for patients, here are our top 10 recommendations for meaningful patient advocacy group (PAG) engagement on the runway to launch and beyond:

  1. Educate and align internally
  2. Learn the intricacies of the patient advocacy ecosystem
  3. Build PAG relationships based on clearly established expectations
  4. Seek input on research approaches early
  5. Continuously pressure-test your narratives, marketing materials and support programs
  6. Thoughtfully approach patient-focused giving
  7. Don’t forget about caregivers
  8. Identify and amplify strong opinion leaders and storytellers
  9. Be open and transparent around data and regulatory milestones
  10. Lean into pricing and access conversations


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