E-Medical Market Research
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Internet-based market research has become the norm in many areas of commerce, but the pharmaceutical industry is only just beginning to adopt the practice. The trend is being pushed forward by young companies that claim they can help drugmakers get from doctors the sorts of information they value--only more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before. The web will also enable the collection of new types of information and insights, these start-ups claim.
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MedPanel Inc.
MedPanel Inc. is running on-line focus groups of 12 to 15 well-regarded physicians. The panels take place over two weeks, at the doctors' convenience. The start-up says its methodology and analysis can bring pharma companies key insights, cost-effectively.
TargetRx Inc.
The founders of TargetRx think pharmaceutical firms ought to start early and continue doing marketing research throughout a product's life cycle. The start-up plans to seek the opinions of a wide range of specialists--negative as well as positive opinions, from prescribers and non-prescribers alike--which management says will yield vital strategic insights..
Jstreetdata.com Inc.
JStreetdata.com Inc. is positioning itself as a provider of infrastructure that can help health care companies do more effective market-research. It's focusing particularly on the recruiting and data-management aspects of research. Customers can use the firm's software to adapt their traditional survey instruments to the Internet, and they can pick from JStreet's databases the types of physicians they'd like to have surveyed. JStreet is also conducting syndicated studies of therapeutic areas; it hopes to sell these widely.