Case Studies

Anti-cancer Agent

A small Japanese biotech company had difficulty as its product was being used off-label to treat cancer and it feared repercussions from the MHLW.

Research indicated that as much as 30% of sales were derived from illegal use of the OTC product, and the company could not afford to lose these sales. There was concern as dosage levels and treatment durations for the product had never been tested in cancer and it was possible that patients could use the product hoping for a cure instead of seeking professional advice. The course that was taken was to start a major campaign using the Internet to inform users of the correct use of the product and that other uses could be dangerous. The result was that ironically total sales increased.

Medical Device

The manufacturer of a hand-held testing device had difficulty in expanding themarket.

The product was used to determine Dry-Mouth Syndrome (xerostomia), especially in the elderly. Research showed that the testing device was seen to be expensive for what it did, especially as doctors preferred a chewing test where the patient was asked to chew on a piece of gum for one minute and the saliva was measured. It was decided to reduce the cost of the device but raise the cost of the disposable hygiene covers that protected the mouthpiece. The result was that sales increased and a large part of the profit comes from the disposable covers.

Medical Education

A U.S. company with an innovative on-line CME service was looking for a partner to help launch the service.

A medical publishing company with a large sales force and a strong on-line presence was introduced, but after much research it was felt that the industry is not yet ready for CME for doctors, and so a different product focusing on Nurses' education was launched and it now has major sales in Japan, ranking among the top three in its field.

Other Recent Projects

• Sales team development for a pharmaceutical database provider
• Low cost sales, marketing and PR planning for a medical device importer
• Researching the regulatory requirements and documentation to import a unique medical device
• Sales targeting for a service provider
• SEO plan for an on-line healthcare provider
• Developing an on-line community to communicate with client's end users
• KOL and doctor interviews for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer.
• Finding a new product/service for a cosmetic service provider