A review of the common challenges that co-promotion or co-commercialization teams face when establishing and implementing cross-company partnership agreements. RxC International provides their input on how to avoid the common challenges and optimize the chances of success for all parties.

1. 9 Common
Challenges for
Existing Pharma
Co-Promotions
And How to Avoid Them

2. Co-Promotion
Challenges
Arise When
These Key
Drivers are Not
Optimized
Governance
Brand Management
Performance Management

3. Existing pharma co-promotions face
challenges that can threaten their success
and longevity if not addressed.
Here are the 9 most common.

4. Optimizing Pharmaceutical
Brand Co-Promotion Programs
RxC International has leveraged its extensive experience establishing and
evaluating co-promotions to develop a white paper on the key drivers
and best practices of successful co-promotions. Download it today!
Get the White Paper

5. Size
Disparity
1

6. Size differences can
create tension over
critical co-promotion
issues including
resource allocation,
decision-making
processes, and long-
term planning.
A governance committee with
members from critical
functional areas such as R&D,
medical, and manufacturing
can help ensure that the
concerns of each co-promotion
partner are addressed
effectively and efficiently.
The Problem The Solution

7. Clash of
Company
Cultures
2

8. Co-promotions can
quickly evolve into an
“us versus them”
situation if not
managed properly.
Co-promotion leadership can
avoid “us versus them”
situations by building strong
team affinity, developing co-
promotion key metrics early,
and looking closely at skill
sets to determine team
behaviors.
The Problem The Solution

9. Ineffective
Decision-
Making
Process
3

10. Ineffective decision-making
processes can prevent the
timely resolution of
operational issues and
hinder daily operations.
Co-promotion leadership can
avoid decision-making
inefficiencies by establishing
good governance practices
early in the co-promotion.
The Problem The Solution

11. Operational
Misalignment
4

12. Co-promotion partners
may have difficulty
aligning on all tactics.
Leadership must evaluate key
differences between partner
companies to develop tactics
that each entity can agree to.
The Problem The Solution

13. Poor
Resource
Allocation
5

14. Resource allocation
becomes a complex task in
the absence of adequate
planning due to
stakeholders with different
objectives competing for
resources from the same
limited pool.
When allocating resources,
co-promotion leadership must
consider near-term financial
objectives, long-term
objectives around brand life
cycle management, and risk
management to ensure
sufficient resources for
success.
The Problem The Solution

15. Inadequate
Performance
Management
6

16. Diverging
performance
expectations can lead
to confusion and
resentment among
co-promotion team
members.
Leadership should clearly
outline the performance
expectations and measures
that are tied to producing
successful co-promotion
outcomes.
The Problem The Solution

17. Leadership
Transitions
7

18. A co-promotion that
relies upon the
leadership capabilities
of a few individuals
can be imperiled
during a leadership
transition.
To avoid operational disorder,
the co-promotion team must
develop effective
communication plans for
releasing information
promptly, facilitating smooth
transitions, and on-boarding
new team members.
The Problem The Solution

19. Good Faith
Agreements
8

20. Good faith agreements
often take the place of
legal documents
potentially leading to
disruption once the co-
promotion has evolved.
External support can help by
troubleshooting and
realigning co-promotional
agreements around key
drivers.
The Problem The Solution

21. Lack of
Outside
Insight
9

22. Many co-promotions
do not partner with a
third party to assist
with co-promotional
optimization.
Experienced third-party
organizations can evaluate an
existing co-promotion and
provide valuable insights on
better alignment and planning
across departments.
The Problem The Solution

23. About RxC International
We are a premier life sciences management consulting firm with deep expertise in Corporate Strategy,
New Product Strategy, and Commercialization. Learn more about us by clicking an image below:
Corporate Strategy New Product Strategy Commercialization
About the Authors
Subbarao Jayanthi is the Managing Partner of
RxC International with expertise in corporate
strategy, life cycle management, and M&A.
James Hoyes is an Executive Partner specializing
in corporate development and commercializing
pharmaceutical and biotech products.

24. Want More?
Visit our Co-Promotion Resource Center to access our library of
articles, case studies, and other resources or to download our
white paper on co-promotion success.
Visit Our Resource Center
Contact us at Info@RxCInternational.com