Basic Policy for Sales and Marketing
Mindset: Integrity
- We think and act from a patient perspective.
- We endeavor to ensure the correct use of pharmaceutical drugs.
- Whatever we do, we do in all sincerity.
In 2019, the Japanese pharmaceutical industry adopted the Guidelines on Ethical Drug Detailing Activities. To win and maintain society’s trust, all Nippon Shinyaku personnel work in conformity with the Guidelines and always with integrity.
Action: Contribution
- We provide necessary and accurate information, always accompanying and listening to patients and their families.
- We endeavor to inform and enlighten the general public on the subject of rare diseases.
- We actively participate in the formation of healthcare provider alliances in ways most suited to respective local needs and characteristics.
We always think and act toward our primary goal of contributing to patients’ health and wellbeing. To this end, we provide healthcare professionals with accurate information on our drugs to ensure their correct use.
Goals: Satisfaction & Smiles
- We try to put a smiling face on patients and their families.
- As their partners, we try to put a smiling face on healthcare professionals.
- We strive to contribute to enhancing people’s health and quality of life.
We act to bring satisfaction and smiles to patients and their families so as to realize Nippon Shinyaku’s Business Philosophy, “Helping people lead healthier, happier lives.”
FY2022 Overview
In FY2022, we focused our activities on our most important strategic products, Uptravi in the area of pulmonary hypertension and Viltepso in the area of pediatric neurology, both of which were discovered and developed in-house. Since providing information to specialists alone is not enough to deliver drugs to potential patients, we also conducted disease awareness and medical coordination activities geared toward non-specialists to ensure that patients receive optimal treatment as soon as possible.
As for new products, in 2022, in the area of pediatric neurology, we launched Fintepla for the treatment of epileptic seizures in patients with Dravet syndrome, a disease designated as intractable by the Japanese government. This is the first new drug for the treatment of Dravet syndrome in ten years and has been eagerly awaited by many patients. In March 2023, in the area of gynecology, we launched MonoVer for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia. Many patients with anemia suffer in silence as they believe that their illness is common. Left with no treatment option, they choose to simply accept the disease. Since both drugs meet the needs of patients and have a significant role to play in fulfilling our social mission, we will achieve early market penetration in FY2023.
In the area of pulmonary hypertension, we launched the patient support program “Sherpa” in April 2022. “Sherpa” provides regular support by telephone to patients by nurses who have received specialized training in the program. We have received comments such as, “It is such a relief to have someone who understands my situation listen to me talk about my problems and anxieties,” and “I’m very grateful to be able to get accurate answers for the questions I have between appointments about the disease and the medications.” We will continue to provide the program for patients in FY2023.
FY2023 Initiatives
Developing human resources to strengthen information provision activities
MR human resources
In order to implement high-quality information provision activities by MRs, we have continued training in problemsolution based detailing since FY2021, in which MRs communicate the benefits that our products bring to physicians and patients based on an understanding of each patient’s background, values, and treatment issues. In FY2023, we will promote further improvement of problem-solution based detailing by focusing on training for sales office managers, who are the main actors in OJT, and role-playing drills.
In addition, each branch office has an area product marketing (aPM) personnel who serves as the main area marketing contact. aPM personnel are focused on specialty products, while MRs oversee all products, so that a synergistic effect can be achieved by accompanying MRs and aPMs.
Digital human resources
In FY2023, we established the Digital Solutions Department to expand and further strengthen our digital operations. This department will, in collaboration with the Product Marketing Department at the head office, produce and distribute digital content to strengthen information provision activities utilizing digital technology. Digital content will be expanded and enhanced to meet challenges and objectives, ranging from disease awareness for the purpose of market expansion, to evidence supporting the selection of Nippon Shinyaku’s pharmaceutical products, and measures to prevent side effects ensuring proper use of drugs. By analyzing the delivery data and implementing the PDCA cycle, we will promote the use of digital content so that medical professionals can obtain the information they need, when they need it.
We have also established a system that allows MRs to use iPads equipped with all our digital content to deliver information, and we are working on a system that enables high-quality information provision by combining MR activities with digital content.
Disease Awareness Initiatives
Among Nippon Shinyaku’s focal areas, intractable and rare diseases present a particular need for providing information to medical professionals and patients, as there is often insufficient information about patients, symptoms to watch out for, and treatment methods. In addition to enhancing digital content for MRs to exchange information face-to-face with medical professionals and strengthening information provision activities, we are focusing on providing information through digital media such as websites. We will approach patients in need of treatment through disease awareness efforts to ensure that necessary medications reach those who need them as soon as possible.
In addition, the area-specific aPM personnel assigned to each branch office work with MRs to promote disease awareness initiatives suited to regional characteristics and conditions. We believe that providing medical professionals with specialized information in their areas of expertise, accurately identifying problems that patients face based on information collected on a case-by-case basis, and promoting initiatives to solve these problems will lead to patient centricity. We aim to become a trusted presence by working together as a united Sales and Marketing Division team and taking the correct approach to the problems faced by medical professionals and patients.