Launch Excellence Planning: Driving Market Access Readiness for Back-to-Back Product Launches

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“Our Market Access Team needed support to help us prepare for two upcoming complex launches. Magic Hat’s expertise and hands-on approach ensured nothing slipped through the cracks, from agency deliverables to Legal/Regulatory approvals to Day 0 deployment. They became an extension of our team and a key driver of launch success." 

— Director, Market Access 

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The Business Situation

A Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company was preparing for two consecutive launches in the Immunology space, each within six months of the other. These launches represented new indications and presentations for an existing, high-profile product. While the molecule was established, each new indication required a distinct Market Access strategy due to differences in patient population, payer expectations, and delivery settings. 

The compressed timeline created pressure on internal teams and external agencies to execute flawlessly, with overlapping deliverables across channel strategy, payer assets, EHR, patient support programs, and field enablement. The company sought experienced support to ensure that planning, coordination, and execution were seamlessly integrated across all Market Access workstreams. 

 

Our Approach: Precision Planning Through Expert Partnership 

To meet the demands of both launches, Magic Hat Consulting (MHC) provided launch planning and project management  services and expertise with a dedicated consultant who embedded themselves within the Market Access team. This planner served as the central coordination lead, working cross-functionally to align workstreams, drive timelines, and ensure deliverables were launch-ready. 

Key components of our approach included: 

• Central Coordination Across Workstreams MHC partnered closely with leads from Marketing, Customer Strategy, EHR, Patient Services, and Field Access to drive alignment, resolve interdependencies, and ensure a consistent flow of information across all Market Access functions. 

• Agency and Asset Development Oversight Acted as the liaison between internal teams and agency partners, managing asset development timelines and prioritizing key deliverables including payer value decks, formulary kits, and field training resources. 

• PRT (Promotional Review Team) Management Scheduled and tracked all Market Access-related submissions through the PRT process, proactively managing review timelines and approvals to avoid delays in launch-critical materials. 

• Launch Day Planning and Execution Developed and coordinated comprehensive Day 0 readiness plans, including deployment schedules, internal communication milestones, and field enablement activities to ensure full access activation during the launch. 

• Risk Identification and Contingency Planning Anticipated potential barriers such as resource constraints, late asset changes, or strategy adjustments, and led the development of mitigation plans to minimize disruption. 

• Leadership Reporting and Strategic Integration Provided senior leadership with ongoing status updates, readiness summaries, and escalation paths to ensure visibility, alignment, and strategic continuity across both launches. 

 

Delivering Successful Outcomes 

• Achieved On-Time Access Readiness for Both Launches All Market Access deliverables, including payer assets, pricing documentation, and field access training, were ready and deployed on time for each indication. 

• Improved Operational Efficiency and Accountability With MHC driving coordination, internal teams and agencies operated with greater clarity and reduced rework, increasing efficiency across shared assets. 

• Seamless PRT Navigation and Asset Approval Over 150 Market Access assets were successfully managed through the PRT process, with early identification of bottlenecks and rapid issue resolution. 

• Flawless Day 0 Execution MHC was instrumental in ensuring Launch Day activities were executed smoothly and without delay. Their proactive oversight helped identify and resolve issues in real time, enabling aligned stakeholder communications, timely approval and activation of assets, and enabled fully equipped teams to be ready to engage accounts. 

• Institutionalized a Scalable Launch Model The success of the MHC Launch Planner model led to its adoption for future pipeline launches as part of the organization’s broader launch excellence framework.