Maximizing the Impact of Infectious Disease Analytics and Insights Teams

Industries Profiled:
Biotech; Pharmaceutical; Research; Consulting; Health Care; Diagnostic


Companies Profiled:
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.; Biotest AG; CSL Seqirus; Janssen; Lonza Inc.; MEDiSTRAVA; Merck; Qiagen; Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 10 Analytics & Insights leaders across 10 top biopharma companies with a focus on the infectious diseases segment. This report includes segmentation by company size (mid vs. large pharma) and features deep-dive interviews for added qualitative insights. Notably, over 20% of benchmark participants serve at the director-level or above.

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Core responsibilities and clients supported by Infectious Disease A&I teams
• Strategic practices, critical skill sets, and high-demand expertise areas
• High-value analytics types, methodologies, platforms and outsourcing models
• Streamlining market research through advanced analytics
• Internal branding programs
• Innovation centers of excellence: Usage, staffing, services and alignment
• Common A&I pitfalls, challenges, and lessons
• Innovative pilots, design thinking and patient-centric engagement

• Top-Ranked Challenges: Infectious Disease A&I advisors say the biggest obstacle facing the group’s success is “achieving receptivity of insights by stakeholders”. Related challenges include: #2) cultivating right relationships, and #3) deriving actionable insights and recommendations.

• A&I Methodologies Used: Commercial stakeholders are most often supported by infectious A&I groups, typically with visualization (80%), forecasting (80%), data mining (70%), and conjoint analysis (70%) activities. Fewer than 1/3 of internal clients (Corporate/brands, HEOR & Medical Affairs) are supported by these same analytics activities.

• Time allocated by Infectious Disease A&I teams across key internal groups – Total benchmark class
• Comparison of A&I support across key internal groups – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Voices from the field: Holistic planning in infectious disease strategies
• Role of Infectious Disease A&I groups in fulfilling organizational capabilities
• Role of Infectious Disease A&I groups in fulfilling organizational capabilities – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma

• Strategic initiatives driven by Infectious Disease A&I teams use to drive stakeholder value
• Voices from the field: Making consensual and collaborative plans and recommendations to clients
• Effective practices used by Analytics & Insights groups to provide greater value to stakeholders – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Soft skills and prior experiences essential for Infectious Disease A&I professionals
• Interview narratives around staffing an analytics organization
• Soft skills and prior experiences essential for Infectious Disease A&I professionals – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Most important technical skills for Infectious Disease A&I professionals
• Most critical technical skills for Infectious Disease A&I professionals – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Top barriers to the future success of the Infectious Disease Analytics & Insights function
• Interview narratives around what can drive the approach to analytics capabilities
• Interview narrative around analytics and different therapeutic areas
• Pitfalls and common missteps in Infectious Disease A&I strategy execution
• Methods to foster continuous innovation across Infectious Disease A&I

• Methodologies employed in infectious disease analytics
• Methodologies employed in infectious disease analytics – Strategic A&I teams vs. total benchmark class
• Interview narrative around determining “Next Best Action” in promotional mix
• Methodologies employed in infectious disease analytics – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Interview narrative around predictive analytics in R&D
• High-impact analytics projects supporting brand, HEOR, and other key internal partner teams – Total benchmark class
• High-value analytics projects supporting brand, HEOR, and other key internal partner teams – Strategic A&I teams
• Interview narratives around the outputs from new analytics platforms
• Interview narratives around data mining and usage with digitization
• Value-driven analytics projects for informing brand, HEOR and other key internal partner teams and driving measurable results in the market – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Interview narrative around characterizing the activities that are enabling to connect the dots, in terms of analytic operations and methodologies performed
• Insource vs. outsource approach for infectious disease analytics projects – Total benchmark class
• Insource vs. outsource approach for infectious disease analytics projects – Strategic A&I teams
• Interview narrative around benefits of insourcing analytics
• Insource vs. outsource approach for infectious disease analytics projects – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Insource vs. outsource approach for specific methodologies and processes
• Insource vs. outsource approach for specific methodologies and processes – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Use of analytics as a substitute for market research in infectious disease
• Interview narratives around opportunities for more boutique research methodologies
• Interview narratives around approaches that tend to stifle innovation
• Use of analytics as a substitute for market research – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Most widely adopted analytics and reporting platforms for infectious disease
• Benchmark peer assessments (pros and cons) of leading analytics platforms
• Interview narrative around an ideal analytics platform in infectious disease

• Internal branding campaign rollout to shape perception of the Infectious Disease A&I function
• Key objectives behind internal branding in Infectious Disease Analytics & Insights functions – Total benchmark class
• Structural challenges, different data sources, and interview narrative around Analytics & Insights from medical perspective
• Interview narratives around measurement and overall impact of formal branding efforts

• CoE penetration and alignment with infectious disease strategy – Total benchmark class
• Interview narrative around digital solutions by innovation centers of excellence
• CoE penetration and alignment with infectious disease strategy – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Relationship between innovation CoE (or similar department) and Analytics & Insights groups – Total benchmark class
• Number of FTEs working in infectious disease-focused innovation CoEs or similar departments
• Effective services delivered by innovation CoE (or similar groups) in supporting the overall organization
• Critical background and skills required for staff working in an innovation CoE or similar department

• Design thinking adoption in infectious disease A&I innovation efforts
• Direct patient engagement efforts to understand real-world infectious disease needs
• Disease areas in which benchmark partners have made a positive impact using patient engagement programs to better meet patient needs – Primary care, specialty, and rare diseases
• Disease areas in which benchmark partners have made a positive impact using patient engagement programs to better meet patient needs – By drug routes and drug types