In today’s launch environment, pharmaceutical teams have no shortage of metrics—but are they the right ones?
In the recent Impatient Health webinar, The Metrics, or the Truth?, expert panelists from Chiesi, Takeda, and Johnson & Johnson explored a growing disconnect: the gap between the data pharma teams collect and the decisions they actually need to make. The conversation raised a critical question: Are we measuring what matters—or just what’s always been measured?
Below are key takeaways from the discussion—paired with live poll results and expert insights—on how to move from static metrics to strategic, real-time launch intelligence.
1. Metrics are important—but they’re not the whole truth.
Traditional KPIs still serve a purpose, but without context, they often fall short of driving real decisions. Without real-time signals, population insights, and broader system awareness, even the most robust dashboard can miss the mark.
Chris Easton offered this reflection:
“Sometimes we make the mistake that we’re knowingly asking the questions we know we’re going to get the answers to, rather than asking the questions that we need the answers to.”
That concern was echoed in poll responses. When asked what’s most dangerous to launch success, top responses included:
- Teams ignoring signals they didn’t expect to see (42%)
- Insights arriving too slowly to make a difference (23%)
- Overconfidence in clean dashboards that hide messy reality (21%)
Despite growing awareness, old habits persist:
- 1 in 5 respondents said they “rarely act on insights” or “only respond when signals are escalated.”
- 1 in 3 responded that they “use insights mainly to refine tactics, not change direction.”
These results suggest that while intent is shifting, many teams still fall back on legacy thinking when it comes to data.
2. Launch success requires agility
Pharma’s approach to launch must evolve from rigid timelines to adaptive navigation. Instead of setting a course and hoping conditions don’t change, teams should respond to live market signals—like a GPS recalculating in real time.
But agility depends on infrastructure—and most teams aren’t there yet. Damien Nero explained:
“Information’s only useful if you can act on it. And I think that’s the bigger challenge here, because… fundamentally, I think we’re not really set up in a way where we can respond quickly to anything, regardless of the nature of the problem.”
Live polling revealed that most organizations are still lagging:
- Insight systems are fragmented and slow to act (38%)
- Good insights available, but limited predictive power (27%)
- Only 10% described their approach as advanced.
Even when signals do emerge, teams struggle to move quickly:
- Just 9% said “We investigate immediately and adjust if needed.”
- Most reported either waiting for stronger data or being stuck in a decision bottleneck.
3. Health equity and access must be built into the data strategy
Launches don’t fail solely due to poor targeting—they also falter when teams overlook real-world barriers like healthcare access, reimbursement, or infrastructure.
Chris Easton challenged the way insights are often used:
“We’re doing the insights work in a way to keep confirming we’re doing the right thing. But realistically, that’s the wrong question… You need to adapt and change course.”
When asked what types of signals had caught their teams off guard, attendees said:
- HCP pushback or hesitancy that didn’t show in early data (37%)
- Internal misalignment: one team saw it coming, others didn’t act (32%)
- A competitor move that reframed the conversation (29%)
- Local markets diverging sharply from global assumptions (28%)
The takeaway? These blind spots can’t be fixed with better KPIs alone—they require deeper, region-specific understanding and stronger cross-functional alignment.
4. Having the right data isn’t enough—it has to be used.
Teams often collect valuable data, but fail to integrate or act on it. Too often, insights remain buried in reports or outsourced to consultants—rather than embedded in day-to-day decision-making.
Liv Nixon called out the operational reality:
“If you haven’t got the resources, and you haven’t had the correct communication in place to support the implementation… it’s a complete waste of time.”
Even widely accepted metrics aren’t immune to skepticism. When asked what types of insights they trust least but wish they could trust more, 18% of respondents pointed to quantitative feedback without context—a reminder that numbers alone don’t always inspire confidence or action.
To enable smarter, more adaptive launch strategies, teams must close the gap between insight and execution—with clear ownership, stronger communication, and systems that turn information into impact.
Are insights prompting change—or just validating the plan?
The takeaway was clear: data alone doesn’t change outcomes. Launch success depends on how effectively organizations can connect insights to action. To move forward, pharma teams must interrogate long-held assumptions, challenge inherited KPIs, and invest in frameworks that support smarter, faster, and more equitable decisions.
Each panelist closed by sharing what they would like to see changed in the industry:
Chris Easton, Global Commercial Leader, Pulmonary, Johnson & Johnson: “I think the perfect world is longer time frames with strategic investments over multiple years.”
Lance Hill, CEO, Within3: “Humans act on the data, humans change things, and humans make decisions. You can have wonderful data, but without that mechanism of being able to communicate it and convince folks to move quickly, it creates so much internal challenge.”
Damien Nero, Head of Data, Takeda: “We need to stop looking at things as if we don’t exist in a very complicated world. We need to adjust to the world that we live in.”
Liv Nixon, Head of CRM & Customer Insight, UK, Chiesi: “Less theory, more action. We need to stop talking about stuff and get on with doing—we just need to get better and faster at acting.”
Ready to see how Within3 can help your team act on the right insights—at the right time? Book a demo.
