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Ask small business owners what they are afraid of most in their businesses and you typically get one of two responses: marketing and bookkeeping. We’re going to t

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

ackle just the marketing side today and leave bookkeeping for another day.

It’s all too common for small business owners to avoid marketing their businesses until

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

they “need” to. “Need” meaning that they need more money and, therefore, additional clients. In reality, small business owners are no different from larger com

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

anies in that they should be marketing themselves all the time.

Despite that fact, I often hear the following from my clients:

“I hate marketing.”

“I don’t like t

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

e thought of having to sell myself to people.”

“I’m not comfortable cold calling.”

The above all boil down to the same thing: a lack of understanding about what

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

marketing can and should be.

Marketing is not about opening the phone book and calling everyone to see if they want your services or spamming every email add

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

ess you can get your hands on.

Marketing allows you to get the word out about your business. It allows you to tell people who you are and what you do so t

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

at when they need you and your services, you’re there. You’ve already established a “relationship” through your marketing, even if you’ve never actually spoken

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

ith them before. Studies show that it takes a person seeing/hearing about you 7 to 10 times before they remember you. Consistent marketing to your target audie

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

nce is critical.

Developing a marketing plan that fits not only your business, but you personality is a critical part of being a successful business. Maybe you’r

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

the type of person who loves networking meetings, running a trade show booth and participating in lots of public events. Conversely, you may detest networking ev

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

nts and shun anything remotely related to the public. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is to know yourself before you write your marketing plan.

Are

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ou an extrovert?

If so, go to the networking events; arrange to have a booth at your target audience’s trade shows; host teleclasses. Work these types of cam

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

paigns into your marketing plan.

Are you an introvert?

Send newsletters (online or offline), participate in online forums (such as Yahoo Groups or Ryze), do

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

direct mail campaigns to your target audience.

You get the idea – make your marketing plan and activities work with you rather than against you.

The overall goal

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

of your marketing plan is to create campaigns and action steps that reflect your personality while insuring that your marketing funnel remains full at all times.

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

A full marketing funnel has all of the following:

Prospective clients who have just heard about you.
Prospective clients who recognize your nam

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

e when they hear it.

Prospective clients who feel they know you and that you’ve developed a relationship with them.

If the time is right for yo

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

both, prospective clients who become clients.

It will take some time to get to this level – particularly if you are just starting out. And that’s ok

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

y.

Just remember that marketing your business is a full-time activity and should reflect you – just as performing your service does. Have some fun with it!

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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