Challenge
The World Health Organization ranks migraine as one of the most debilitating illnesses associated with loss of school or workdays, poor quality of life, medication overuse, and increased healthcare utilization and costs. The migraine space is extremely crowded, with many treatment options. Our global pharmaceutical client has filed for Biologics License Approval for a new class of medication and three new medications, both for preventive and acute care, and needed a robust understanding of the dynamics of a crowded therapeutic category.
Approach
Kantar designed and executed a longitudinal patient registry for the client, supplying sample for two cohorts of 20,000 migraine patients and tracking them across two years. Each cohort will be surveyed five times at six-month intervals. The study requires vigilant monitoring of panels, careful merging of unique respondents, meticulous tracking of respondents across waves, and the ability to pipe in multiple waves of data.
Insight
Currently, the study is in its second successful year. Although the study has not yet concluded, we have already begun to see how the collected data offers the ability to track medication changes, and new medications started across an extended period of time. This information will be paramount to the pharmaceutical company as it determines which steps to take next and where patients need the most support.
Impact
The study has already made a tremendous impact for the client and the medical community, resulting in accelerated client decision making, improved touchpoints with payers and providers, development of advertising/branding campaigns, and 16 conference abstracts presented and accepted, with more than five manuscripts in process.