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Big Pharma Sharma's avatar

Great points throughout this post, especially re: diminishing returns. Can't tell you how many market research projects I or other BioPharma colleagues have reviewed proposals for, where consulting firms have ratcheted up the number of KOL interviews to unnecessary amounts. It's a great mechanism to bloat project costs and often adding little value after a certain point number.

Crazy anecdotes re: PDW. I knew that disease was uniquely challenging, but those patient stories were shocking. The ice cream truck one specifically made me think of the "Clickers" from HBOS' "The Last of Us". Just a terrible disease. Congrats to the Soleno team for getting a new therapeutic over the finish line.

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Adu Subramanian's avatar

People can’t understand the real unmet need without talking to a doctor but every single one costs and looks the same. It’s why it’s so tough to source and do these calls

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aharon levy's avatar

Very insightful/useful breakdown as always; thanks.

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Saul's avatar

All valid points. The other point to bear in mind is that most KOLs view a new drug with a novel MOA as fitting within the treatment paradigm when it’s the sponsors role to ideally change the paradigm.

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Adu Subramanian's avatar

100% docs aren’t meant to predict paradigm shifts. They have a specific use case and knowledge base which is valuable but isn’t perfect for how some may view them

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Saul's avatar

For sure although they’re often asked to predict the proportion of their patients would be suitable for drug X and the analyst often uses this anecdata to support a forecast.

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Adu Subramanian's avatar

Bad practice to just draw a straight line from one KOL to the model inputs

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