Axioma Group, Inc.
International Business Development for BioPharma

Launching Your Product Abroad: Key Considerations for International Business Development in BioPharma

Launching a biopharmaceutical product into an international market requires a thorough analysis of various factors that may affect the product's success. In addition to the competitive landscape, companies must consider external factors that could influence the market entry and create barriers to success. Using a PESTLE framework, companies can assess the potential impact of Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors on their product launch strategy. In this article, we will explore the top ten considerations when launching a biopharmaceutical product into an international market using this framework.


Here are ten considerations biopharmaceutical companies should keep in mind:

  1. Political factors: This includes the political stability of the country, the level of government regulations, and the policies and laws governing drug import and distribution, pricing and reimbursement.
  2. Economic factors: This includes the level of economic development, the health care infrastructure, and the purchasing power of the target market.
  3. Sociocultural factors: This includes the demographic composition of the country, cultural norms, and attitudes towards health, medicine, and alternative treatments. Attitudes toward universal healthcare, the role of government, private insurance, and patient responsibility should also be considered.
  4. Technological factors: This includes the availability and level of sophistication of healthcare technologies in the target market.
  5. Legal factors: This includes regulatory framework, intellectual property laws, and patent protection.
  6. Environmental factors: This includes the impact of the product on the environment, sustainable supply chain practices, and corporate responsibility.
  7. Market factors: This includes the level of competition, market size, and market growth potential based on things like disease prevalence, age, race and ethnicity and health trends.
  8. Business environment factors: This includes the ease of doing business, level of corruption, and the strength of the supply chain.
  9. Medical factors: This includes the disease prevalence in the target market, clinical trial requirements, and the regulatory approval process.
  10. Pricing and reimbursement factors: This includes the pricing of the product in the target market, the insurance and reimbursement policies, and the level of affordability.


These considerations can be analyzed through a PESTLE framework, which is an acronym for Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors.


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