Quintiles says payers driving demand for market access offering

Quintiles’ comments follow its acquisition of specialist US contract marketing firm VCG & Associates last week, which was the second time contract research organisation (CRO) has made an acquisition in the market access space this year​.

Spokeswoman Laura Wilson told Outsourcing-pharma.com: “Growth in demand for market access services is driven by the increasing influence of payers in health care decision making.​

Wilson explained that: "Payers must make complex decisions about a particular drug based on its safety, efficacy and value. They are increasingly relying on data collected from patients in real world settings in addition to clinical trial data to inform that decision-making​.”

She added that: “VCG brings expertise across therapeutic areas, contacts throughout health care providers, and expertise in the development and implementation of sales and marketing efforts​.”

Competitive concerns not a worry​

Quintiles also rejected the idea – put forward in a recent survey​ reported by Outsourcing-pharma.com – that pharmaceutical industry clients’ competitive concerns are limiting the growth of the market access sector.

“Our experience is that more customers are looking to outsource in the market access space. This includes smaller biotechs which may only have one brand and therefore do not have the requirement for a market access capability as well as medium to large pharma who are seeking flexibility and therapeutic expertise outside of their core specialties.​ “

Wilson added that: “Intellectual property remains with the customer and as an outsourcing company we have a relentless commitment to business ethics.”​

Quintiles contention about increasing demand fits with developments in the wider contract services sector which has, over the last 12 months, seen competitors like Icon​ and INC Research​ both make acquisitions in the sector.

More recently AmerisourceBergen has been building capabilities in the field with the acquisition of reimbursement consultancies Premier Source​ and Theracom​.