The healthcare landscape is more complex than ever – and pharmaceutical companies are feeling the pressure. From pre-commercial drug development to post-launch performance, success hinges on a deep understanding of the full patient journey.
However, traditional approaches to patient mapping often miss the nuanced factors that shape real-world health outcomes. Enter real-world data (RWD) enriched with social determinants of health (SDOH). This powerful combination is reshaping how pharma and life sciences companies approach drug development, commercialization, and patient/HCP engagement.
In a recent PurpleLab webinar, What Are You Not Seeing? Navigating Nuanced Patient Journeys with SDOH-Enriched RWD, industry experts explored how pharma can harness this data-driven approach to improve commercial and market access strategies – and ultimately, patient outcomes.
Don’t have time to watch the full session? Don’t worry – we’ve recapped the highlights below. Read on to discover how integrating SDOH-enriched RWD can elevate your product’s market performance and drive meaningful healthcare impact.
Case Study: Uncovering the Kidney Disease Patient Journey
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a prime example of how RWD can transform drug development and commercialization.
Originally indicated for diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists have expanded into new therapeutic areas, including obesity and more recently non-diabetic CKD. Given the severity of late-stage CKD, and the invasiveness and high cost of current treatment options (such as dialysis and transplantation), slowing disease progression is crucial. But to develop effective therapies, life sciences companies need a detailed understanding of the CKD patient population – both for clinical trial recruitment and post-approval access.
In comparing Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients to non-diabetic CKD patients, we uncover critical differences. Non-diabetic CKD patients tend to be older and more frequently female. A larger proportion of non-diabetic CKD patients rely on Medicare/Medicare Advantage, whereas more T2DM patients have commercial insurance. Certain regions have higher concentrations of one patient group over the other, affecting trial recruitment and commercial strategy.
Because CKD is often undiagnosed until the disease has progressed to later stages, data can also help identify at-risk individuals who might qualify for trials but wouldn’t otherwise know they have the disease.
The Power of Patient-Level Data: Unlocking a New Era of Precision in Pharma
Healthcare data is more abundant than ever, but how can the pharmaceutical industry harness this vast pool of real-world information to drive smarter, faster, and more successful product launches?
The traditional playbook – one-size-fits-most clinical trials, marketing, and outreach – no longer cuts it. Instead, companies must leverage patient-level data to shape every phase of a drug’s lifecycle, from clinical development to commercialization and beyond.
- How RWD transforms clinical trials: Historically, finding and enrolling the right patients in clinical trials has been slow and costly. Leveraging RWD allows researchers to identify patient segments in real-time – pinpointing individuals who meet trial criteria, understanding where they receive care, and even addressing socioeconomic barriers that may hinder participation.
For example, RWD can help locate oncology patients who would benefit from second-line treatments sooner. Recruitment teams can integrate patient-level data with geographic and demographic insights, enabling them to engage healthcare providers (HCPs) in the right regions and ensuring that eligible patients aren’t slipping through the cracks.
- Personalized marketing and outreach: Pharma is catching up to what other industries have long known: personalization drives success. Consumers are more empowered than ever, and healthcare marketing must evolve accordingly.
RWD enables tailored messaging by factoring in:
- Regional treatment barriers (e.g., limited access to specialists in rural areas).
- Patient information preferences (e.g., online research, peer networks, physician recommendations).
- HCP prescribing patterns and treatment hesitations.
For example, a cardiologist in a rural area may have limited exposure to emerging therapies. RWD allows pharma companies to equip these providers with targeted education on treatment options, clinical trials, and patient support programs.
On the direct-to-consumer side, hypersegmentation is key. Traditional marketing channels may not reach all patient groups effectively – some engage with digital campaigns, while others rely on community-based education or advocacy groups. RWD ensures the right messaging reaches the right audience through the most impactful channels.
Overcoming Market Access Hurdles with RWD
One of the most overlooked benefits of RWD is its ability to uncover and address market access challenges.
Claims data, for example, provides a window into prescription patterns, revealing where drugs are being prescribed and where/why they are being rejected by payers. Analyzing this data enables pharma companies to proactively tackle issues such as prior authorization requirements and other disparities in insurance coverage.
RWD can also be the key to overcoming clinical inertia – the hesitancy of some physicians to adopt novel therapeutics. By using RWD, companies can engage HCPs with data-driven conversations, demonstrating the real-world benefits of treatments beyond traditional clinical trial results.
Bridging the Gap Between Pharma Perception and Patient Reality
A recurring challenge in the industry is the disconnect between how pharma companies perceive patient needs and what patients actually experience. While clinical trial data provides rigorous insights into drug efficacy and safety, it doesn’t always capture the real-world complexities that patients face – financial burdens, transportation issues, a lack of awareness about available support programs, and so on.
Pharma companies can overcome these gaps by integrating social determinants of health data with traditional clinical insights. This approach can enable them to:
- Identify underserved populations and ensure they are aware of available treatment options.
- Partner with advocacy groups to enhance patient education and access to financial assistance programs.
- Equip sales teams with region-specific insights so they can have more relevant, impactful conversations with HCPs.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the right patients receive the right treatment at the right time – reducing disparities in care and improving outcomes at scale.
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Want to transform your approach to RWD? Request a demo today and discover how PurpleLab can help you develop a smarter and more data-driven drug development process – from clinical trials to commercialization and beyond.