Case Study
How a global pharmaceutical company reinvigorated an established drug brand with experience design insights
OUR CLIENT
This global pharmaceutical company is committed to delivering medical breakthroughs and improving patient outcomes by developing and providing medicines, vaccines, and other healthcare products. With a focus on rare diseases, oncology, diabetes, and numerous other conditions, the company prioritizes innovation, sustainability, and patient-centered experiences. The company operates in 100+ countries and generates nearly $50 billion in annual revenue.
THE CHALLENGE
Unlocking growth for a plateaued pharmaceutical brand
This life science company had established a particular drug brand as a category leader, yet growth slowed despite its strong clinical performance and market presence. Company leaders recognized that sustaining momentum for this drug required more than traditional marketing levers. It demanded deep research-driven insights into patient and prescriber experiences, as well as new strategies that could move beyond incremental gains to transformative growth. The company required a strategic partner to unlock new opportunities for engagement, adoption, and brand advocacy while enhancing overall patient experiences.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Delivering research-driven innovation in healthcare
The company engaged UST to lead a field-based research initiative to uncover hidden drivers behind prescriber and patient behaviors that may be limiting adoption. Our experience design team conducted over 100 contextual interviews across the treatment ecosystem, revealing 28 critical insights into adoption barriers, engagement dynamics, and unmet needs.
These pharmaceutical market research insights became the foundation for 16 co-designed solution concepts. The top 10 ideas were pressure-tested with prescribers and patients, refined through rapid iteration, and prepared for real-world pilots. Each concept was grounded in patients’ and prescribers’ lived experiences, ensuring relevance, credibility, and market readiness.
This initiative directly informed new marketing priorities aimed at improving adherence, increasing uptake, and accelerating brand growth, such as:
- A well-being app—It is designed to support patients and healthcare providers in managing the drug treatment. It offers capabilities to track physical and emotional wellbeing, injection reminders, educational resources, and integrated support services for patients and clinicians.
- An injection support network—This service assists patients who aren’t comfortable with self-injections. By offering alternatives, like in-home nurse visits and pharmacy injection sites, patients know they can get the treatment they need without unnecessary fear or anxiety.
- Dedicated treatment coordination services—This on-demand service helps healthcare providers alleviate the administrative burden of prescribing the drug to reduce treatment abandonment by patients. Services include managing pre-authorizations and approvals, navigating insurance plans and formularies, and accessing financial assistance programs.
- A direct-to-patient delivery service—This strategy ensures the drug is easily accessible to patients, especially those with transportation and mobility issues. By partnering with leading retail health distribution vendors, patients place their order online, and the drug is shipped to their home.
THE IMPACT
Setting a new growth trajectory for pharmaceutical sales
UST’s research effort transformed the pharmaceutical company’s go-to-market strategies. The initiative delivered actionable concepts that addressed critical adoption barriers, deepened stakeholder engagement, and reenergized brand advocacy for this mature, market-leading brand.
Additionally, UST’s engagement established a new internal standard for research-driven innovation. The company now has a repeatable, disciplined model for customer insight analysis that translates qualitative data into pilot-ready concepts and measurable outcomes, elevating expectations across commercial, medical, and brand teams.
By anchoring innovation in evidence and human experience, the pharmaceutical company has repositioned itself as a leader in drug delivery and patient engagement.
Customer Testimonial
"The analysis was excellent. There were a lot of new perspectives and nuances we had never heard before. It shed new light on the situation. This is the type of insight we need to drive change. We’re very happy."
-Global Brand Lead, Multinational Pharmaceutical Company
Want to find out how UST can help your company redefine customer engagement, uncover new opportunities, and drive measurable growth? Learn more here.
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/insights/how-digital-transformation-drives-tangible-customer-experience