Book excerpt: A comprehensive guide to optimizing the lifecycle management of pharmaceutical brands The mounting challenges posed by cost containment policies and the prevalence of generic alternatives make optimizing the lifecycle management (LCM) of brand drugs essential for pharmaceutical companies looking to maximize the value of their products. Demonstrating how different measures can be combined to create winning strategies, Pharmaceutical Lifecycle Management: Making the Most of Each and Every Brand explores this increasingly important field to help readers understand what they can—and must—do to get the most out of their brands. Offering a truly immersive introduction to LCM options for pharmaceuticals, the book incorporates numerous real-life case studies that demonstrate successful and failed lifecycle management initiatives, explaining the key takeaway of each example. Filled with practical information on the process of actually writing and presenting an LCM plan, as well as how to link corporate, portfolio, and individual brand strategies, the book also offers a look ahead to predict which LCM strategies will continue to be effective in the future. While the development of new drugs designed to address unmet patient needs remains the single most important goal of any pharmaceutical company, effective LCM is invaluable for getting the greatest possible value from existing brands. Pharmaceutical Lifecycle Management walks you through the process step by step, making it indispensable reading for pharmaceutical executives and managers, as well as anyone working in the fields of drug research, development, and regulation.