CARVYKTITM Market Access Team
Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Legend Biotech
Agency Partner: Entrée Health Princeton
Janssen Biotech Team Members:
Shikha Sharma, Group Product Director, Market Access Marketing on the CARVYKTITM Brand Team
Scott Carberry, Product Director, Market Access Marketing on the CARVYKTITM Brand Team
Rebecca Bennett, Product Director, Market Access Marketing on the CARVYKTITM Brand Team
Legend Biotech Team Members:
Steve Triant, Senior Director, CAR-T Operations
Sam Lee, Senior Director, CAR-T Market Access
(Photo above: Tow row: Shikha Sharma, Scott Carberry, and Rebecca Bennett. Bottom row: Steve Triant and Sam Lee.)
A Co-Promote with a Plan
Launching a new product in a complex treatment paradigm comes with enough challenges, but when you combine that with the launch product being a co-promote during a global pandemic you better have the right team in place with a solid plan for success. That was undoubtably the case with Shikha Sharma, Scott Carberry, Rebecca Bennett, Steve Triant, and Sam Lee.
To prepare for the launch of CARVYKTITM (ciltacabtagene autoleucel), a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after four or more prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, the team stepped into high gear. They knew they needed to understand the complexities of provider treatment decisions, the patient journey, coverage and access pressures, caregiver considerations, and more. They knew they needed to have a plan for communicating the efficacy, safety, and value of CARVYKTITM to a wide-ranging group of decision makers. The team focused tirelessly for months, thinking through and planning every detail.
For traditional payer customers, the team focused on a foundational efficacy and economic story demonstrating the anticipated cost savings versus usual care alone, even when accounting for wraparound and subsequent treatment costs. Because healthcare costs are an area of focus by payers, the team worked collaboratively with their clinical and health economics partners across the two companies to craft an impactful narrative.
Outside of the traditional payer stakeholder, the team also realized the importance of integrated delivery networks (IDNs) and the need for their coordination with payers. Due to the details of how CAR-T treatment is administered, the team diligently worked cross functionally with their IDN specialists, care coordinators, and patient services colleagues to get ahead of the challenges and keep their institutional partners engaged in discussions
Navigating launch challenges successfully proves easier with a plan. And a launch plan is only as good as the team that builds it. Thanks to the experience, dedication, and heart of this team, the CARVYKTITM launch was up to the challenge.
