For the launch of Eli Lilly’s Cymbalta®, a new antidepressant and pain reliever, NovaQuest broke the mold of traditional outsourcing relationships and developed an innovative co-promotion model that involves dedicated human and financial resources.
Situation
Normally, pharmaceutical companies pay Innovex a fee to recruit, train and manage top-performing sales teams. Lilly wanted more – an outstanding services partnership with financial skin in the game, to execute well on a strategic asset. They also came to value the deep clinical, regulatory and commercial expertise of Quintiles and Innovex in central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics.
In addition, Lilly wanted us to provide dedicated personnel in key operational and governance roles, to ensure optimal execution of sales force operations and streamlined access to the full spectrum of Innovex and Quintiles resources.
Solution
NovaQuest is providing, at its expense, more than 500 Innovex sales representatives to supplement the extensive Lilly sales force in the promotion of Cymbalta. We are also coordinating data management services, Quintiles Strategic Research Services studies, board certified CNS medical advisors, outstanding medical regulatory and due diligence specialists and biostatisticians.
From the co-investment standpoint, NovaQuest is underwriting the cost of Innovex sales services for five years, in return for royalties on the US net sales of Cymbalta. NovaQuest also invested $110 million in marketing and milestone payments into the pre-approval Cymbalta program. Our total capital commitment to Cymbalta’s commercialization is over $400 million.
Value Added
The alliance provided operational expertise and horsepower during Cymbalta’s critical launch years, professional coordination of the full spectrum of Innovex commercialization services, and a right-sized co-investor to help ensure the success of a core strategic asset. Cymbalta sales are on target, and Eli Lilly has expressed satisfaction at the extraordinary experience and effectiveness of the team.