More than half of pharmaceutical launches fall short of their sales forecasts (56% in oncology and 67% in infectious disease). This article traces that pattern to siloed teams, limited real-time insight, and planning that reacts to problems rather than anticipating them. The stakes are rising as HCPs and patients increasingly consult AI tools for health information before any branded content reaches them, quietly eroding share of voice as a meaningful performance metric.
In Pharmaceutical Executive, Hemal Somaiya argues for retiring the traditional post-launch review in favor of optichannel marketing: a real-time, signal-driven model that draws on claims data, behavioral triggers, and live customer insight to personalize outreach in the moment rather than months later.
Hemal also introduces Share of Answer, a new benchmark for whether a brand becomes the trusted, citable source in AI-generated responses, and backs the case with a rare tumor therapy launch that beat analyst forecasts, tracing 60% of new prescribers directly to the campaign.
Brands that shift to real-time, AI-informed optichannel engagement and start optimizing for Share of Answer rather than share of voice are positioned to catch and act on buying signals as they happen, not after the forecast has already been missed.