Culture, people, and an investment in innovation set AmerisourceBergen apart

The pharmaceutical commercialization space is changing rapidly, and biopharma companies need to align themselves with nimble partners to ensure product success.

The traditional models that were well defined for some products are beginning to evolve as those products move further through their life cycles. Meanwhile, novel therapies and modalities demand completely new approaches. A partner who can evolve as the go-to-market models grow and change is essential.

"AmerisourceBergen has the most diversified set of assets and businesses that can truly help manufacturers successfully commercialize a product," says Tom Doyle, Senior Vice President of Sales, Chief Customer Officer, Biopharma Services.

Innovation plus coordination equals success

Doyle, most recently of Eversana, champions AmerisourceBergen's willingness to innovate and coordinate myriad solutions throughout the commercialization journey as impressive factors that led him to join AmerisourceBergen. The culture of the organization, the caliber of the people, and the investment in innovation set AmerisourceBergen apart in the market.

Another key differentiator Doyle cites is a historical strength in distribution and downstream connectivity. Deep-seated relationships with health systems, providers, pharmacies, and payers guide the organization in helping biopharma companies make informed go-to-market decisions, starting in the pre-clinical stages. AmerisourceBergen is uniquely well positioned to take advantage of trends in the marketplace, more so than competitors who lack connectivity to sites of care and the backing of a powerful distribution network.

Leveraging AmerisourceBergen's full range of solutions in a more coordinated approach can create a unique value proposition for brand teams. As product support needs change through the product's life cycle, AmerisourceBergen's holistic coordinated approach provides the flexibility to respond to changing market or brand needs quickly.

 

Differentiating around trends

Doyle sees AmerisourceBergen as able to capitalize on its strengths around two burgeoning trends in the marketplace.

The first is a focus on patient affordability, which is going through a quantum shift. Affordability today needs to become multifaceted to create the most value for patients, have responsive designs to adjust to a changing regulatory landscape, and deliver optionality to refine or adjust programs without disrupting patients or providers. All of which extend well beyond traditional copay-type programs.

Doyle remarks, "We are a unique partner that combines world-class patient services with cutting-edge healthcare fintech solutions. The acquisition of FirstView Financial enables us to deliver financial services that provide our partners with unparalleled flexibility and control over their program design and funding."

Second is a focus on niche markets and smaller patient populations, whether through cell and gene therapies, rare and orphan product commercialization, or even novel products aimed at a crowded market. Biopharma companies need a partner with a wide range of assets that can support all the products within a partner's portfolio. AmerisourceBergen has expanded its focus on small and midsized companies by improving the coordination of solutions tailored to specific product needs. Doyle and his team are working closely with many emerging companies to accelerate their entry into both the U.S. and EU markets.

"As the models and the demands of providers or payers change, you have to offer flexible strategies and solutions. And that's something we can do very well," he says. As chief customer officer, he is building a team that sits with our Biopharma partners to create solutions that leverage strengths from across the organization, ensuring AmerisourceBergen is completely focused on the shared goal of improving patient access, and as a result, enabling better patient outcomes.

Separating the signal from the noise

Innovation is essential in this environment, and there is often a lot of market noise around AI, digital, and automation in general. But are those promises met with true results? "AmerisourceBergen has the commitment, the resources, and the experience to make sure those promises can and will be delivered and continue to improve over the life cycle of market changes," Doyle affirms.

Looking to the future, he acknowledges the organization's renewed interest in aligning with emerging companies that are bringing their first or second therapies to market. This focus extends beyond the physical distribution of the product to strategies and capabilities, starting in the clinical development stages.

Doyle says, "Launches today are too complex to do anything in isolation. It should be a coordinated effort, and having a team very focused on how we coordinate and leverage the strength of AmerisourceBergen will enable the brand teams to go faster and for the patients to have the opportunity for better outcomes."