The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving. Patients are seeking more information and getting involved in selecting and switching therapies. With the shift in power and influence, marketers are challenged to reach beyond their traditional product-orientation and conduct patient education, marketing and support across the patient journey. Best Practices, LLC conducted this benchmarking study to understand how the growing influence of patients in the biopharmaceutical market is impacting activities and spend for marketing communications with patients. Reliable industry metrics in the study include the current spending levels, key activities, and investment allocation patterns for marketing to and interacting with patients. This study employs a six-step “Patient Journey” framework that can serve as a benchmark for companies to acquire, convert, support, and retain patients for their medical products.

1. Patient-Focused Marketing:
Engagement Milestones
Along the Patient Journey
Stage V:
Disease
Management
Stage VI:
Patient
Empowerment
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Stage IV:
Treatment
(within HCP
office)
Stage III:
Consideration of
Therapeutic
Options
Stage II:
Diagnosis of
Condition
Stage I:
Awareness &
Screening Best Practices, LLC
Strategic Benchmarking Research

2.  Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
 Objectives & Methodology
 Participating Companies
 Key Findings & Insights
 Investment in Patient-Focused Activities & Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
 Future Investment Levels in the Patient Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
 Investment within Patient Marketing, Foundation & Leadership
Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
 Deployment of Patient-Focused Activities & Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
 Activities Timing Across the Patient Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
 Best Practices Shared by Benchmark Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
 Effective Patient Loyalty Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
 Pitfalls for Patient Marketers to Avoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
 Participant Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
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Table of Contents

3. Benchmark Metrics IdentifiedStudy Overview
:
 Six key stages of the Patient Journey
 Leading patient-focused activities by stage
 Percentage of total Marketing budget that
is earmarked for patient programs
 Percentage of patient program funds spent
at each stage of the journey
 Cost of patient marketing per $1,000 in
corporate revenue that programs support
 Comparative spend for patient marketing
vs. leadership and foundational activities
 Most effective patient loyalty programs
 Future spending trends
 Best practices for effectively engaging patients
 Pitfalls patient marketers need to avoid
This benchmarking study was designed
to produce reliable industry metrics on
current spending levels, key activities, and
investment allocation patterns for marketing
to and communicating with patients.
The study also investigates how companies
are adopting a “Patient Journey” framework
to acquire, convert, support, and retain
patients for their medical products.
Best Practices, LLC engaged 22 leaders at
19 companies through a benchmarking
survey instrument. Qualitative data came
from in-depth interviews with seven
participants.
Research Overview: Objectives, Methodology, Benchmarks
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This benchmark report identifies metrics around:Research Objective:
Methodology:
Best Practices, LLC undertook this benchmark study to understand how the growing influence of
patients in the biopharmaceutical market is impacting activities and spend for marketing
interactions with patients.

4. Benchmark Class:
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Large Company
Segment (LCS):
 Abbott
 Abbvie (2)
 AstraZeneca
 Baxter
 Boehringer
Ingelheim
 Gilead
 Lilly
 Novo Nordisk
 Sanofi
Diabetes Segment:
Bold, underlined
company names
indicate companies
included in the
Diabetes segment.
Nineteen Companies Participated in the Benchmark Study
Twenty-two Marketing and patient engagement leaders from 19 different companies participated
in this study. This report presents findings for all companies and for Large Company and
Diabetes segments.

5. • The Affordable Care Act and other market changes are challenging
pharmaceutical marketers. Power and influence are shifting among
market constituents.
• No longer do physicians alone determine market access and product
success. Patients are better informed and have more choices. Patients
themselves are central to decisions on starting, sustaining, or switching
therapies.
• In crowded markets, many factors in addition to efficacy and safety
influence patient preferences and choices. Patient-focused programs
and support are increasingly forms of differentiation.
• For many patients – especially with chronic care conditions – the journey
lasts for years. Pharmaceutical marketers are challenged to reach
beyond their traditional product-orientation and conduct patient marketing,
education, and support across a multi-period lifecycle.
Patient influence is ascending & marketers are challenged to invest wisely across the full patient journey.
Power Shifts Are Occurring within the Healthcare System
Patient-focus
Critical
in Crowded
Markets
Navigating
Requires
Process
Orientation
KEY FINDINGS
Many
Forces of
Market
Change
Patients
Remain
Central to
Success
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6. Marketers Must Engage Patients along Their Entire Journey
In competitive markets, marketers are learning to educate, communicate and engage patients
throughout the entire patient path. This benchmark analysis employs a six-step framework to trace
the patient journey.
The 6 Stages of the Patient Journey
Stage IV:
Treatment
(within HCP
office)
Stage I:
Awareness & Screening
Stage III:
Consider Therapeutic
Options
Stage II:
Diagnosis of
Condition
Stage VI:
Patient
Empowerment
Stage V:
Disease Management
(Adherence, Compliance &
Persistency)
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KEY FINDINGS

7. Spend Is Greatest at Consideration; Least at Diagnosis Stage
On average, companies spend more than half their patient engagement funds by the end of
Stage III (Consideration). The lightest spend is for patient activities during Stage II (Diagnosis).
Percentage of Total Patient Marketing Spend Invested at Each Journey Stage
Stage II:
Diagnosis of
Condition
Stage III:
Consideration of
Therapeutic Options
Stage V:
Disease Management
Stage IV:
Treatment (within HCP
office)
Stage VI:
Patient Empowerment
Stage I:
Awareness & Screening 20%
10%
23%
17%
14%
17%
(n=19)
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Q. For your most recently completed fiscal year, what percentage of total patient marketing resources for your franchise
(or brand) was invested to reach patients at each stage of the patient journey?

8. 8
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Q. What changes, if any, do you anticipate for the next 12 months in spending levels for marketing activities to reach
patients at each stage of the patient journey? (Choose one for each stage)
Investment Level Change Next 12 Months: Total Benchmark Class
13%
6%
13%
13%
6%
6%
27%
29%
13%
27%
25%
6%
20%
18%
25%
7%
19%
19%
33%
41%
44%
47%
31%
63%
III. Consideration of Therapeutic Options
V. Management
VI. Empowerment
IV. Treatment
I. Awareness & Screening
II. Diagnosis of Condition
Increase > 25% Increase 11-25% Increase 1-10% Stay the same
(n=16)
%
Increasing
60%
53%
51%
47%
50%
31%
% Responses
Majority Plan to Increase Patient Spend in Next 12 Months
Overall, 83% of participants expect to increase spend in at least one stage of the journey in the next
year. A majority plans increases in four of six stages, with Consideration seeing the biggest gain. For
some, spending increases will exceed 25%. Few expect any cuts. The exception is Awareness, where
19% anticipate spending decreases.
%
Decreasing
0%
6%
4%
6%
19%
6%

9. Top 5 Most Common Activities for Patient Engagement
Nearly all companies provide physician education and have begun to create partnerships with advocacy
groups. Website portals, in-office branded product information and (in the US) DTC advertising each
involve more than two thirds of participants.
Q. Which of the following activities are included in the Patient Marketing spend for your franchise/brand? (Choose all
that apply)
Top 10 Patient-Focused Activities: US & Global Responses (#1-5)
89%
89%
78%
67%
67%
100%
77%
77%
8%
46%
HCP education & tools in support of patients
Partnerships with patient advocacy groups/
associations
Website portal about the disease
DTC Advertising campaigns
In-office branded product information
US Only Global Responses
US, (n=9) Global, (n=13)
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% Responses

10. Stage I – Awareness – Most Often Involves Advocacy Activities
Most Common Stage I Activities: Awareness & Screening
53%
37%
32%
26%
26%
I:Partnerships with patient advocacy
groups/associations
I:HCP education
I:Market research to understand patient
I:Unbranded educational handouts
I:Website portal about the disease
(n=19)
% Responses
During the Awareness & Screening Stage, partnerships with patient advocacy groups are the dominant
activity among benchmark participants, with 53% of companies involved.
Q. At Stage I of the patient journey —Awareness— which of the following Patient Marketing activities do you
conduct in support of your franchise/brand?
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11. BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC
Best Practices, LLC
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.best-in-class.com
About Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the simple yet
profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying
the best business practices, operating tactics, and winning strategies of world-class companies.
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