The Research Partnership News

London office organises charity collection

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:51:09 GMT

12th August 2010

Throughout the month of July staff at our London office came together to collaborate on a project on behalf of our nominated charity Forever Angels, which works to promote and raise awareness of abandoned and orphaned babies in Africa.

Every year the UK branch of the charity aims to send a container full of gifts, treats and basic essentials to the baby home in Tanzania, and of course contributions are always welcome. Our social committee took the lead to ensure The Research Partnership was able to lend ample support to this year's shipment, and over the course of several weeks employees were tasked with filling a large hamper and several Christmas shoe boxes with a variety of much needed items.

Everyone was extremely generous and donations ranged from teddy bears and jigsaw puzzles to clothes and crafts, as well some rather less playful but equally important items such as scissors, nappies and milk bottles! A group of our researchers took time out of their busy work schedules to carefully wrap and package the gifts for delivery to the Forever Angels team; who were very appreciative of our efforts as was evident from the warm note they sent us:

"Wow, thank you all so much for the amazing boxes of goods that arrived today. Everyone has been so kind and thoughtful and obviously taken so much time and effort to send exactly what is needed. Please thank everyone on our behalf."

The Research Partnership is proud to support Forever Angels and wishes them continued success with their important work.

The Research Partnership recruits new Research Manager for its expanding Singapore office

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:23:07 GMT

11 August 2010

The Research Partnership – the global pharma market research specialist – has strengthened its expanding Singapore team with the appointment of Pei Li Teh who joins the company as Research Manager.

Pei Li most recently enjoyed a three year tenure at Kantar Healthcare, firstly as a Research Executive before being promoted to Senior Research Executive in 2008. Throughout her time in this position Pei Li worked across both ad-hoc and tracking studies, gaining considerable expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Her high-level skill set includes techniques such as conjoint, pricing and projective research and her healthcare experience spans a range of therapy areas encompassing diabetes, asthma, hypertension and oncology.

At The Research Partnership Pei Li will be responsible for client servicing and the day-to-day management and execution of projects.

She holds a degree in Communications, New Media and Business from the National University of Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment, Marc Yates, Managing Director, Asia Pacific said: “We are thrilled to welcome Pei Li to the company. Our Singapore team is undergoing a critical phase of expansion and her appointment is in direct response to the increasing demand for our services across the Asia Pacific region. Pei Li is fluent in Chinese and her strong research skills and knowledge of the healthcare industry are second to none. These combined attributes mean she is ideally positioned to provide our growing roster of clients with the service and insights they expect from a specialist research agency”.

PBIRG Conference 2010

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:41:16 GMT

9th June 2010

The Research Partnership had a strong presence at the 2010 PBIRG conference which was held on May 16-19 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Florida. Our representatives in attendance were Mary Assimakopoulos (Founding Director), Harriet Kozak (US President) and Andrew Stokes (Director), all of whom were on hand at the agency fair to provide delegates with an overview of our capabilities.

Visitors to our booth were also invited to participate in a fun-filled crane grabbing competition to win a range of exciting prizes. Congratulations to Nancy Mancini of Merck & Co who was the recipient of the top prize – a Kodak Pulse interactive photo frame!

This year we also sponsored the Monday night after-dinner entertainment which took the form of an interactive games session on the beach! It was a welcome opportunity to lend our support to PBIRG, but it was also great to see our branding very much in evidence as people revelled in high-energy activities such as bocce ball, beach golf and beach volleyball!

Lastly, we always welcome the opportunity to share our expertise and learning with colleagues, so Andrew Stokes and Harriet Kozak presented a paper as part of the "university sessions" programme entitled “Meeting changing demands”. This insightful presentation used a recent in-depth case study to illustrate how free choice profiling can be used to provide quantitative style output from qualitative research, thus enabling richer insights to be obtained.

View the presentation

Community Day 2010

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 17:45:39 GMT

4 June 2010

The Research Partnership recently held its annual community day, whereby our staff offer their services to a local charity or community. This year volunteers travelled to the River House resource centre in Hammersmith, located on the banks of the Thames.

The centre offers a wide range of services to both adults and children living with HIV and AIDS. It aims to provide a home from home by enabling people to socialise over a hot meal, relax with a massage, enjoy a music lesson or simply learn more about how best to cope with their condition.

The Research Partnership was keen to work with River House after hearing about the wonderful work the charity undertakes with limited budgets!

The task at hand was to spruce up the dining area and entrance hall with a fresh coat of paint. The day started with the first group of RP employees heading down bright and early to drop off materials, before throwing themselves into the painting so they could get the first coat done by lunchtime. The second group then took over, and after enjoying a quick lunch prepared by River House’s resident Chef, they managed to complete another coat and also make all the finishing touches to the woodwork.

All this would not have been possible if a few of our hands-on employees hadn’t agreed to give up their time to help out on the day. Inka, Jenny, Himanshu, Angela, Christin, Lucy, Anthony, Tom, Rachel and Marie all embraced the project with enthusiasm and found the whole experience extremely rewarding!

It’s safe to say that the River House staff were very grateful for the work we did for them, as is evident from the thanks we received afterwards.

"Thank you all so much for your time, support and humour – it has been much appreciated!”
Kathryn Dombrowicz, director of the River House Trust

About the charity

The River House Trust is a pioneering resource centre for local people living with HIV and AIDS. The charity works to empower, assist and educate sufferers through the delivery of high quality social support services.

If you’d like to learn more about River House then please visit riverhousetrust.org.uk

The Research Partnership strengthens global presence with two senior appointments

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 15:32:06 GMT

4 June 2010

The Research Partnership – the global pharma market research specialist – has strengthened its global network of offices with two senior hires. Philippe Pouliot has been appointed as an Associate Director in the Philadelphia office and Kah Huey Loh has joined the company’s Asia hub in Singapore as a Research Director.

Philippe boasts in excess of ten years’ market research experience and is skilled in both quantitative and qualitative techniques. He began his career working client-side at Air Canada before moving to Synovate, and more recently he enjoyed a four-year stint at Genactis, where at the time of leaving he held the position of Project Director. Philippe has worked across a range of therapy areas, with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease and respiratory ailments. In his role at The Research Partnership he will work within the US account management team, with responsibility for designing and executing both global and US-only projects.

Kah Huey’s background is equally as accomplished and also spans ten years. A chemistry graduate, she started her career as a Laboratory Officer before making the move to healthcare research. Firstly at Synovate and then TNS where she helped to establish the Asia Pacific Healthcare team (now Kantar Health).Throughout her five years with the company Kah Huey enjoyed a global remit and managed key accounts across Asia.

Kah Huey is also adept at developing commercially focused products, as she was most recently employed as a Director of Syndicated Services at GFK Healthcare Asia. At The Research Partnership she will focus on business development, client services and operational excellence, and will play a pivotal role in developing the business across key emerging markets.

Commenting on the appointments, Mary Assimakopoulos, co-founder of The Research Partnership said: “I am thrilled to welcome Philippe and Kah Huey to the team. At The Research Partnership we consistently strive to attract first-rate talent, as it is only through the efforts of our employees that we have been able to build such a successful international business over the past thirteen years. Both Philippe and Kah Huey are accomplished pharma specialists and possess the winning combination of research and consultancy skills which will enable them to fully engage with our strategic vision for the future”.

The Research Partnership appoints Harriet S.Kozak as US President

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:39:12 GMT

13th January 2010

The Research Partnership – the global pharma market research specialist – has recently appointed Harriet S. Kozak as US President. Based at the company’s Philadelphia office, Harriet has been tasked with developing and strengthening the business across the United States, with particular emphasis on research operations, client relations, strategic planning and product innovation.

Harriet is a well respected and highly regarded professional within the pharma research industry, boasting more than twenty-five years experience in the sector. Her background includes both agency and client side roles, and spans a range of methodologies and therapy areas, encompassing CV/Metabolic, CNS, AI/AV, Oncology and Immunology.

Harriet started her career in global research at two of the world’s most renowned pharmaceutical companies i.e. Johnson and Johnson and Bristol- Myers Squibb. She then moved agency side, firstly as a Vice President at GFK Healthcare and most recently as Vice President, Commercial Development at Adelphi International Research, where she enjoyed a five year stint.

A former President of PBIRG (Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence & Research Group), Harriet holds a BSc in Finance from Temple University and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Philadelphia University.

Commenting on the appointment, Mary Assimakopoulos, one of the founding Directors of the Research Partnership, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Harriet to the team as she brings with her a wealth of expertise in bespoke pharma research, combined with an excellent track record for delivering actionable data and insightful consultancy.

Our US office continues to go from strength to strength and we have ambitious plans for the future, so Harriet is certainly joining us at an opportune time. As we enter our next phase of expansion, I have every confidence that her vision and fine leadership skills will ensure The Research Partnership continues to forge its place as a credible player within the US marketplace.”

Shortlisted for Growing Business Awards 2009

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 17:26:51 GMT

5th October 2009

The Research Partnership has been recognised for its international success, having been shortlisted for the Global Outlook and Expansion award in the 2009 Growing Business Awards presented by Real Business and the CBI.

The company has been recognised for its successful growth over the past 12 months, with substantial growth figures achieved by its innovative online market-tracking tool, Therapy KnowlEdge. The syndicated product, which provides real-time market share performance indicators for its subscribers, has expanded across Europe, North and Latin America in many therapy areas including RA, CKD, HIV, asthma and Crohn’s Disease, amongst others.

The Growing Business Awards were established ten years ago to pay tribute to the future stars of the UK economy. This year’s judges include Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, John Caudwell, founder of Phones 4 U and last year’s winner, Will King, founder of King of Shaves. The Awards ceremony will take place at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on 26th November 2009.

Mark Jeffery, Founding Director, commented, “I am delighted that The Research Partnership has been shortlisted for this award. Our global business has been going from strength to strength, despite difficult world economic conditions. We have increased our workforce by 15% in the past year and expanded our operations in the US. Therapy KnowlEdge has been very successful and was recently described by one of our clients as the “gold-standard” in patient record data tracking.”

In March this year, Therapy KnowlEdge was a runner-up in the award for “Best Use of Technology” at the Fast Growth Business Awards 2009.

Dr Chris Gaj appointed a Director within our US office

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 16:10:30 GMT

3rd September 2009

The Research Partnership has appointed Dr. Chris Gaj as a Director at the company’s US operations in Philadelphia. Dr. Gaj has been actively involved in qualitative and quantitative studies, predominantly in the healthcare arena, for over 10 years and was previously employed at research consulting company, National Analysts Worldwide. His work has focused primarily on oncology, virology and autoimmune disease, with hematologic malignancies a particular area of expertise.

Dr. Gaj’s experience has ranged from in-depth qualitative research with physicians, nurses, patients, hospital administrators and managed care providers to evaluate the potential market for new products, pricing levels and positioning strategies, to quantitative high-end advanced analytics, customer satisfaction and tracking studies for established products and services.

Dr. Gaj obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Nutrition from Virginia Tech in 1991. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he graduated summa cum laude with academic honors. Chris completed his Ph.D. on drug resistance to anti-cancer compounds at Yale University in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry in 1998. He joined the staff at National Analysts in 1999 after a brief postdoctoral period studying the pharmacology of anti-hepatitis B agents.

Ajit Baid, Managing Director of The Research Partnership US remarked, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Chris on board at a time when we are expanding our US operations and venturing into new and exciting areas. We look for individuals who possess strong business acumen, excellent market research skills and a passion for delivering insight. Chris has been described by his previous clients as being a deep thinker who is capable of grasping complex business issues, going beyond the brief to deliver additional value by clearly analysing the market environment. With these testimonials, we are confident Chris will be a very strong asset to our organization.”

EphMRA Conference 2009

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 12:41:01 GMT

14th July 2009

The Research Partnership welcomed a large number of delegates to this year’s conference in Disneyland Paris. Four top level directors from our London and Singapore offices were present to discuss the company’s new service offerings and latest developments.

Marc Yates, Managing Director (Singapore Office), presented his paper “Research as an Agent of Change in pharmemerging Asia” in a Parallel session.

Karen Swords, Quantitative Director (UK Office) discussed Brand Clarity – our new approach for removing the Halo Effect, an occurrence that distorts true brand performance. This is a valuable, innovative methodology that will be useful in improving brand research and received considerable interest from delegates.

Mark Jeffery, Founding Director and Angela Duffy, Senior Director were also in attendance to discuss our experience and developments in the European pharma market. The agency fair was an opportunity for our representatives to talk to past, present and prospective clients directly, demonstrating our products and services.

Delegates were invited to participate in our crane grabbing competition to try to win an ASUS Netbook, amongst other prizes. Congratulations to Linda Grosjean of Roche, who was the lucky winner. Fenna Gloggner of Novartis and Eva-Maria Bossong of Solvay also won an iPod Shuffle each.

PBIRG Annual Conference 2009

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:02:04 GMT

9th July 2009

PBIRG 2009 (The Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence and Research Group) came to a close almost 2 months ago, but the dust has yet to settle on the discussion and learning that went on between some of the greatest minds in the Pharma Market Research industry.

As delegates, we were treated to 3 world-class speakers, Dr. James Canton, Joe Flower and Charlotte Sibley. Not to mention the 14 University Sessions, as well as the 3 In-Depth talks that were given in PBIRG’s Research Excellence Series, including The Research Partnerships own Marc Yates (MD Singapore), who gave his paper on Countering Patient Reluctance in Asia to a full crowd.

The conference touched on the pulse of the pharmaceutical industry by focusing on innovation, a key success factor for big Pharma as well as its agencies, especially in these turbulent times.

Ajit Baid, Managing Director (US Office) commented:
“The use of Innovative approaches and methodologies are critical for today’s market research industry – they enable us to provide deeper insights and ultimately offer more value to our clients.”

Whilst at the conference, Ajit was able to discuss RP Brand Clarity – our statistical approach for removing the Halo Effect, an occurrence that can distort true brand performance. This is a valuable, innovative methodology that will be useful in improving brand research and received considerable interest from delegates.

Mary Assimakopoulos, Founding Director (UK Office), discussed expansion of our real-time market tracking tool Therapy KnowlEdge into Latin America, and additional therapy area offerings including RA, CKD, Crohn’s Disease and Oncology. Having a presence at the conference also gave us the opportunity to discuss new markets that we could potentially expand the product into.

As well as presenting a paper at the conference, Marc Yates met fellow delegates to discuss growth opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The agency fair gave us the opportunity to network with current and prospective clients as well as showcase our latest products and services. Visitors to the stand were invited to enter our prize draw to win a Dell Mini Netbook. Congratulations to Michele Fuller of Alcon Labs, who was the lucky prize winner.

Community Day 2009

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 14:48:14 GMT

8th April 2009

The Research Partnership recently held its annual community day, where staff offer their services to help a local charity or community. This year volunteers travelled to Saint Mary Abbots Rehabilitation and Training (SMART) centre, a local charity affiliated with the Hammersmith and Fulham hospital that helps people with mental health problems to learn life skills.

The SMART centre was in desperate need of a sprucing up, both the interior and exterior building. Our volunteers had a big task ahead of them for the day, but they successfully managed to make a positive difference, by:

Re-painting the cafe & garden tables
Clearing flowerbeds & adding fresh compost
Replacing flowerbeds with vegetable/herb patches
Building a trellis
Framing SMART artwork for display
Planting vegetables and herbs in the greenhouse
Preparing hanging baskets for the front exterior

All of this wouldn't have been possible without the help of a few of our hands-on executives, Marie, Nicky, Rachel, Lucy, Marietta, Sam, Laura, Angela and Jenny who all gave up their time to help out for the day.

SMART were very grateful for the work that we did, as is evident from the thanks we received afterwards:

“Thank you so much for all your help with SMART - your team were great and we loved having them here. The place looks fantastic and all the members are keen to help out in our lovely garden. It has made such a difference! We're working on a new garden project where we can teach members some practical skills and give them some paid employment in our gardens. Eventually we hope to unleash a full gardening service on our neighbours!”

About the charity

SMART runs bridge-building projects and training sessions to encourage people to participate in community activities and get back into mainstream employment, whilst giving members a sense of purpose and self-confidence.

If you’d like to learn more about SMART then please visit smartlondon.org.uk

Founding Partner shortlisted for business award second year running

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 10:03:17 GMT

1st July 2009

Mary Assimakopoulus, Founding Director of The Research Partnership, has been shortlisted for the prestigious First Women Awards for the second year running.

The First Women Awards, held in association with Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, were established to recognise:

Women who are trailblazers and pioneers in business; genuine "glass ceiling breakers". The First Women Awards are not just for general business achievement.
Women whose achievements/"firsts" and individual actions have helped and are helping to remove barriers and open up opportunities for others to follow.

Mary was shortlisted in the Science and Technology category for her instrumental role in developing and launching an innovative research tool into the pharmaceutical industry and for championing women in her employ throughout her career.

The winner of the Award was Paula Bell, Group Finance Director of Ricardo Plc. Congratulations to her and the other shorlisted candidates from The Research Partnership.

More information about the Awards can be found here.

Runner-up for business award

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 16:55:27 GMT

25th March 2009

We are delighted to announce that Therapy KnowlEdge was runner-up in the award for 'Best Use of Technology' at the coveted Fast Growth Business Awards 2009. The awards were established to recognise the UK's fastest growing businesses and the people who run them.

To be shortlisted, companies needed to demonstrate quantifiable evidence of growth, increased profitability and customer satisfaction. In the technology category, a clear demonstration had to be given of how the technologies used resulted in a positive impact on the growth of the business and its customer base. Therapy KnowlEdge was able to show that its technologies enable critical business information on market share and switching to be delivered in real-time to marketing teams around the globe. Its reporting capabilities enable anybody to access, analyse and view the data in numerous highly graphical and easy-to-use formats. It is the only product in the marketplace offering this form of instantly available market-tracking information.

The team, led by Founding Director Mark Jeffery, attended the awards dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel on 18 March 2009. Commenting on the award, Mark said, "We are delighted that Therapy KnowlEdge was runner-up for the category "Best Use of Technology". We have seen demand for this innovative online tool rise considerably this year as we expand therapy areas and territories so this is a great acknowledgement of the product's success."

Find out more about Therapy KnowlEdge here.

Raising funds whilst the sun shines

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 16:04:08 GMT

8th July 2009

June was a month of fundraising for The Research Partnership, whose employees were helping our charity Forever Angels raise money to transport a container of essential goods to their baby home in Tanzania.

The social committee organised a series of fun games and activities to encourage employees to get people involved. Events included a quiz night, where staff were tested on their knowledge of RP colleagues; a silent auction, with donated gifts sold to the highest bidder; and a logo competition, where employees were invited to take a photo of our logo in unusual surroundings.

As well as raising over £420 for Forever Angels, this initiative has taught us a lot of interesting and unusual things about the people who work at The Research Partnership. For example, did you know that our founding Director Mark Jeffery is related to George Stephenson – the father of the railways? Who would have guessed that Mark Braund appeared on TV to talk about elk-hunting in Sweden? And who knew that Emilie Mandin made such tasty apple crumbles? Her cooking is so good the dessert was auctioned off 8 times, raising over £40 for the baby home.

Our colleague Mark Braund’s step-brother recently visited the charity and asked the children if they would participate in the logo competition. They immediately rose to the challenge and we were delighted to receive these gorgeous photographs.

The Research Partnership is proud to support Forever Angels and wishes them continued success with their important work.

Quantitative Director appointed

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 15:41:28 GMT

The Research Partnership has made another senior appointment in January 2009 to strengthen its quantitative offering. Karen Swords has joined the company as Director of Quantitative Research.

Previously a Director and Deputy Head of Health at Ipsos UK, Karen has 15 years experience in healthcare research, covering both audit and ad-hoc techniques. Karen's research experience spans all methodologies, however, she brings significant expertise in global tracking programmes and communications testing. Karen will have responsibility for generating new business in the company's key markets, as well as supporting the company's research teams with their quantitative programmes. Karen said, "The Research Partnership has a heritage and reputation for its high-end qualitative research but almost half its business is now quantitative. My appointment reinforces the message to our clients that we can and do offer quantitative expertise and a one-stop shop for their global research programmes."

The Research Partnership has been making a number of new appointments in the past few months to broaden its capabilities and expand its offering to our clients. Matthew Newman has joined as Associate Director from GSK, where he was Business Intelligence Manager for Optima and Oncology. Gunther Meert (Associate Director) and Guy Smith (Senior Research Executive) both joined from Branding Sciences, bringing with them expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research for pharmaceutical, business and consumer markets. On 1st February Prema Gopal joins the Singapore office as Associate Director, having previously been at TNS in Hong Kong and IMS Asia.

Mark Jeffery, Founding Partner, said, "I'm delighted to welcome Karen Swords during what is a very exciting period of growth for the company. We've been asked by clients to expand our capabilities and that is what these new appointments will do. We now have a very talented team of 50 pharmaceutical research specialists and we are in a strong position to support a significant amount of new business in 2009 and onwards. We've seen high demand for research in our Singapore office over the past eighteen months, which we expect to continue apace. We have recently opened offices in Toronto and now Berlin to support some major research programmes being managed out of these regions. And our online syndicated tracking study Therapy KnowlEdge has experienced excellent growth since the appointment of Tim Robinson and his team just a few months ago. I look forward to a very successful future for The Research Partnership and its clients."

Immersion in Asia - Singapore Conference 19th February

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:48:09 GMT

The Research Partnership held its 2nd Annual Asia Conference at the Singapore Botanical Gardens on the 19th February 2009. Seventy guests from leading pharmaceutical companies and specialist medical communications agencies participated in the event.

The theme of the conference was on achieving customer centricity through immersion. Three papers were presented discussing the benefits of ethnography and how it can help pharmaceutical companies get closer to their customer. The first paper, presented by Marc Yates, Managing Director Asia, set out the importance of customer centricity in increasing marketing ROI by as much as 30 per cent. Speaking on Immersion in Action, The Research Partnership's Founding Partner Mark Jeffery demonstrated the application of key principles from ethnography in healthcare research; by engaging key stakeholders in the key stages of the research process – Definition, Exploration, and Distillation – greater insights into the customer can be obtained. This allows pharma to achieve more focused results and ultimately assists in the development of more realistic and actionable strategies.

The evening’s Keynote address, entitled Through the Physicians Lens, was given by Dr. Benjamin Mow, Consultant Oncologist-Haematologist, Mount Alvernia Hospital and National University Hospital Singapore. During his paper Dr Mow shared the misconceptions and challenges that a physician faces, giving an insight into the life of a specialist, and presenting opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to achieve closer ties with their customers.

The evening ended with a reception of canapes and drinks, where guests networked and quizzed the speakers on immersion in research, discussing potential areas that they can delve into to achieve customer centricity.

Managing Director appointed in the US

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:16:48 GMT

The Research Partnership has appointed Ajit Baid as Managing Director for its US operations and has re-located its offices to Philadelphia.

Previously a Senior Director of Client Services for Genactis, Ajit has a strong global market research and consultancy pedigree. Prior to joining Genactis, Ajit was a senior consultant with the business research and consulting firm, Frost & Sullivan, researching US and global markets. He also has experience client-side, having spent six years in pharmaceutical marketing and two years in sales.

Ajit has a strong command of product management and marketing, which includes positioning, segmentation and communications research and marketing strategies in the pharmaceutical industry.

Mary Assimakopoulos, one of the Founding Directors of The Research Partnership. said of his appointment, “We are delighted to welcome Ajit on board at a time of exciting growth and development within the company. Ajit’s leadership abilities, strategic business experience and sound research skills will place him well to grow our US office into a significant and reputable practice. He has a reputation in the industry for fostering strong long-term relationships with clients and we have no doubt that with his enthusiasm and drive he will inspire both his team and his clients.”

Ajit is accomplished in the design, execution and management of complex global market research studies that require strategic insight mining and analytic rigor. He has sound knowledge, experience and understanding of many therapeutic categories, including but not limited to cardiovascular, endocrinology and metabolic, central nervous system, oncology, vaccines, respiratory, gastrointestinal, blood products, wound management, and lifestyle products.

Ajit will be based at newly established offices in Horsham near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (which has been re-located from New York). He will be attending the PMRG Annual Conference in Las Vegas 8th March 2009.

The Research Partnership selects charity to support this Christmas

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:49:08 GMT

Monday 15th December 2008

This Christmas, employees at The Research Partnership have been busy collecting items for a hamper to send to Forever Angels, a charity in Tanzania whose objectives are to promote and raise awareness of abandoned or orphaned babies and support initiatives to alleviate these problems. The Research Partnership has chosen Forever Angels as its official charity in 2008 and going forward. Employees have been helping to collect essential items needed for the charity’s baby home, such as nappies, milk formula, bed sheets and antibacterial hand gel.

Forever Angels was set up in 2007 by Amy and Ben Hathaway, a British couple with extensive experience of volunteering for orphanages. They are responsible for the day-to-day running of the baby home and are supported by a board of trustees, which includes two Tanzanian business people.

The first successful project they undertook was to open the baby home in Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. This baby home provides stable, loving shelter for up to 40 orphaned and abandoned babies and infants who are severely disadvantaged. It is staffed by trained and dedicated Tanzanian carers and trainees and provides nutrition, love, health care, physical and emotional support until a child is either fostered, adopted or reunited with their family. They continue to work on other projects to help support local families to care for their children.

The Research Partnership has made a considerable financial donation to the charity on behalf of its clients and the panels of doctors who participate in their Therapy KnowlEdge syndicated studies. The company has also made a commitment to make further contributions via its customer satisfaction surveys and from other initiatives in 2009.

Mark Jeffery and Mary Assimakopoulos are joint partners of The Research Partnership. Mark explained, “Mary and I wanted to be able to support a small charity in a way that would make a big difference. As Forever Angels is seeking to improve the health of babies in Africa, it’s aims fit well with The Research Partnership, which supplies global market research to major pharmaceutical companies in order to help improve world health. We look forward to learning more about the charity and supporting its initiatives as we continue to grow our business. We both really admire what Amy and Ben have managed to achieve in such a short space of time and hope that the donation allows them help even more children in the future.”

For more information about the charity and its aims, visit www.foreverangels.org.

Please participate in our readership survey and we will donate US$2 to Forever Angels.

8 new starters and 2 promotions

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:03:35 GMT

22 October 2008

The Research Partnership has made 8 new appointments and 2 promotions this autumn. We have taken on five very talented, bright new graduates: Angela Hoffman, Rachel Ashman, Lucy Davies, Laura Pearce and Olivia Nixson. In addition, Marietta Fernandes joins as Research Executive from Aequus, Guy Smith joins as Senior Research Executive and Gunther Meert joins as Associate Director. Both gentlemen are from Branding Science.

Christin Firchau has recently been promoted to Director and Paula Tyler has been promoted to Associate Director. Both these promotions were made in recognition of the strong relationships both members of staff have built up with their clients.

Congratulations to Christin and Paula and a big welcome to all the additions to our fast-growing team, which now comprises 50 dedicated healthcare research professionals based in Europe, the US and Asia.

New regional office opens in Toronto

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:08:25 GMT

13 November 2008

The Research Partnership is pleased to announce the opening of a new regional headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Katrina Johnson, Associate Director, runs the office, which has been established primarily to provide right-time Therapy KnowlEdge support to clients in North America and also acts as a co-ordination hub to support other ad hoc projects across the USA.

Mei Chen Lee, who will be focusing on developing client services, will shortly be joining her. Therapy KnowlEdge is a syndicated, online tracking study, which provides real-time market share and switching data on various therapy areas including HIV, RA and CKD. For more information, click here.

Market research as an agent of change in emerging markets

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:07:42 GMT

30 October 2008

In this feature, Marc Yates, Managing Director of Research Partnership Asia, discusses how robust market research can be more than just a commercial tool, and actually acts as an agent for change in emerging markets.

Growing the market

For marketers in the pharmaceutical industry trying to enter emerging markets, the challenge is less about gaining market share and more about growing the total market. But they have some pretty big obstacles to overcome. Governments are reluctant to pay the market price for branded pharmaceutical products unless they can see credible, compelling evidence of increased patient benefit.

The challenge does not lie solely with payers. Healthcare professionals can display a reluctance to prescribe based on misperceptions. For example many physicians in Asia limit their use of anti-thrombotics due to their belief that DVT is a western disease, with little relevance to Asian populations. In addition, patients, especially in self-pay markets, base their decisions to adhere to medication on imperfect knowledge. These misperceptions and knowledge gaps can translate into sub-optimal treatment, resulting in increased disease burden.

These issues are compounded by the image of the pharma industry in Asia. Some share the negative view held by parts of the West that pharmaceutical manufacturers are profiteers who cannot be trusted. This scepticism means that data coming directly from manufacturers is not always believed. Unfortunately, the medical community in the Asia region has little alternative, credible treatment data they can rely on.

Bridging the information gap

Increasingly, the industry is turning to market research to bridge this data gap. The benefits of using market research to provide an independent assessment of the current treatment approach can be significant. The findings can used to lobby policy-makers, reimbursement officials and healthcare professionals, and change beliefs and attitudes of patients, care givers and the general public.

However, because of this, market research studies in Asia must adopt a rigorous approach similar to a clinical trial, even though ultimately their purpose is commercial. Painstaking efforts must be taken to ensure that the research design is robust, that the questionnaire has been carefully and constructed, that validation checks have been carried out and that the data has been rigorously analysed and accurately reported.

The results can then be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at international conferences and at company-sponsored symposia to educate stakeholders in the medical community about treatment benefits. The data can also be used in detail aids and released at press conferences. As the data comes from a third party, it is generally more trusted as it is seen to come from an impartial and reliable source.

Building acceptance

The greatest challenge lies in convincing the medical community of its validity. Understandably, some opinion leaders regard commercial market research with a degree of scepticism. If the findings are to be widely accepted, any scepticism must be addressed in the early planning stages of a study.

To ensure maximum credibility, we recommend following these steps:

1. Appoint an influential key opinion leader in the therapy area to act as a Principle Investigator (PI).

2. Involve PIs as early as possible in the study design stage and communication of findings. Do not limit their role to the interpretation of results but involve them in the design of the study and materials.

3. Ensure that the study is conducted to the highest professional standards

a) Pilot all research materials
b) Back translation of patient questionnaire
c) Validate any questionnaire to be used

4. Communicate in the language of the investigator
5. Pay close attention to the sampling frame, detailing selection/inclusion criteria
6. Record response rate

a) Number originally targeted,
b) Number successfully contacted,
c) Reasons for refusal/non-participation

7. Allow PIs sufficient time to review and approve all materials

In summary, market research, if done correctly, with a careful and rigorous approach, can be more than just a commercial tool - it can become a compelling agent of change in emerging markets, benefiting not just the study sponsor but the healthcare and patient community at large.

Community Day 2008

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:37:23 GMT

Minford Gardens under 5's pre-school

18 August 2008

The Research Partnership’s Community Day was held at Minford Gardens under 5’s pre-school this year. Staff volunteers got their hands dirty and made their backs ache gardening and re-painting the local nursery. The day was a great success as everyone involved pitched in and contributed towards re-decorating the school.

This initiative by The Research Partnership was established a number of years ago in order for staff to be able to put something back into the local community. Staff get to do something they wouldn't normally do and enjoy a day out of the office, whilst local community services are provided with free manpower that they wouldn't usually have.

A previous Community Day took The Research Partnership to a special needs school in Putney, where we were able to offer volunteering for the day.

Minford Gardens Nursery is located in West Kensington and is staffed by qualified teachers who encourage and supervise educational play. Teaching children personal, social and emotional development as well as introducing children to mathematics, languages, literacy and communication.

Expansion plans announced for Therapy KnowlEdge

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:03:48 GMT

2 October 2008

The Research Partnership has made a number of appointments and expanded its portfolio of services for Therapy KnowlEdge, the company’s innovative international online tracking panel. In response to increasing market interest and demand for the service, which provides immediate online access to market share and switching data, the company has appointed a new Director, and two additional executives to support and expand the offering.

Tim Robinson has joined as Director of Therapy KnowlEdge. Previously an Account Director at P/S/L Group, Tim has 6 years experience running global tracking programs and syndicated patient audits. Tim’s research experience spans therapy areas, however, he brings significant expertise in autoimmune disorders, having started his career as a Molecular Immunologist at Novartis. He also holds a professional diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Tim said: “I’m looking forward to making further announcements about Therapy KnowlEdge in the near future. We have ambitious plans in development to expand the portfolio of services both geographically and by therapy area, with particular investment in Dermatology, Gastroenterology and Diabetes.”

Diarra Peereboom joins the team as Panel Manager. She brings her depth of experience of panel management from over 5 years experience in fieldwork management including over 3 years at Fieldwork International. Diarra will support current development initiatives by engaging with the specialist respondent communities across the various therapy areas.

Mei Chen Lee will shortly be joining Katrina Johnson in our new Toronto office (Katrina is an Associate Director on the Therapy KnowlEdge team, and she moved to Canada to run this new office earlier this year to provide right-time Therapy KnowlEdge support to clients in North America). Mei will focus on enhancements to our client services and co-ordinate North American recruitment. Mei recently completed her MSc in Marketing and Consumer studies with particular focus on sensory cue effects on memory in online research.

Therapy KnowlEdge - Rheumatoid Arthritis is the latest addition to an expanding portfolio of therapy areas now available. Building upon the success of Therapy KnowlEdge programs in HIV, Asthma, CKD, and Hepatitis C, Therapy KnowlEdge RA provides pharmaceutical market researchers and brand managers with real-time detailed patient treatment information for Rheumatoid Arthritis (and the related diseases of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis).

Since its launch in May 2008 Therapy KnowlEdge RA has already collected data from over 5,500 RA patients across Europe and Canada. All data is collated and charted online, in real-time, for clients to access and analyse whenever and wherever required. Unlike other competitor services, which can take up to three months to report, Therapy KnowlEdge provides accurate market data almost instantaneously so brand managers can stay informed of any changes in share.

For more details or a demonstration of Therapy KnowlEdge please contact:
Tim Robinson +44 207 386 4786 (Europe)
Katrina Johnson +1 416 860 6231 (North America)
www.researchpartnership.com

Online patient survey highlights problem of patient compliance

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:09:53 GMT

30 June 2008

An online poll has revealed that 20% of people, when asked about their last visit to the doctor, stopped taking their prescribed medication when they started to feel better, with 5% of people deciding not to take it at all. The survey, which was designed by The Research Partnership and carried out by online pollsters Toluna, was undertaken by over 2,000 respondents.

Low patient recall

The survey also revealed that many people find it difficult to remember what they have been told by their doctor. Over half the respondents said that either they couldn't remember some things the GP told them and had to look at the medicine to recall the exact prescription, or they didn't remember anything at all. Six percent didn't even understand the instructions on the medicine box.

The survey highlights the problem of patient compliance and the huge numbers of prescription medicines which are not used correctly, if at all. Patient non-compliance costs the NHS and other countries' payors billions every year and can result in healthcare complications or even death.

Position paper now available

The Research Partnership has published a position paper entitled "freethinking - Maximising Patient Adherence by leveraging the patient/physician/pharma relationship". The paper looks at the problem of patient compliance and discusses how market research can be used to develop a better understanding of the complex relationship between patient and doctor and the pharmaceutical industry. Improved understanding, it is believed, is likely to result in more effective marketing strategies for improving patient compliance. The paper is free of charge and can be viewed online here.

Shortlisted for top business award

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 11:38:50 GMT

The Research Partnership's founding director Mary Assimakopoulos just missed out on winning the Science and Technology category of the First Women Awards 2008 for which she had been shortlisted. However, Mary and other members of the team enjoyed a wonderful evening at the gala dinner meeting other inspirational business women.

Football finalists

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:07:47 GMT

Forget Euro 2008, the most exciting football event this year took place at Stamford Bridge on Friday 30th May 2008. The Research Partnership joined 15 other teams to participate in a knockout tournament organised to raise money for CLIC Sargent – a charity dedicated to caring for children with cancer. Our team, made up of six of the best from The Research Partnership’s employees and clients, put in a fantastic performance on the day, making it all the way to the final before they were beaten by The All Stars, a talented team of ex semi-professional footballers. The event, which was concluded with dinner and an auction, raised over £20,000 for CLIC Sargent and was enjoyed immensely by everybody involved.

Stimulating Debate in Singapore

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:34:23 GMT

Research Partnership Asia recently hosted a highly successful discussion forum entitled "Effective Healthcare Communication", which was attended by 90 representatives from over 20 leading pharmaceutical companies.

The forum investigated current issues facing the pharma industry in the pan-Asian environment and discussed how marketing insight can be used to help organisations develop effective strategies in these complex, but rewarding emerging markets.

Special thanks must go to Dr Jeffrey Chew, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, who gave two powerful presentations, one of which gave delegates a fascinating insight into the pharmaceutical industry from the physician's perspective. He discussed the difficulties many doctors face in keeping pace with medical advancements and new drugs and believes that in the future the sales rep will play a greater role in the education of doctors. In his second paper Dr Chew addressed the problems of patient non-compliance and discussed potential ways for pharma companies to encourage adherence with treatment regimes.

Research Partnership Asia is led by Marc Yates, Manager Director, a 23-year vereran of the market research industry. Marc said, "This event provided an excellent opportunity for developing a greater understanding of our clients' business challenges. This, in turn helps us provide the added-value service you would expect from a specialist healthcare market research organisation with expertise in the region."

Marc is supported by an experienced team of Asian pharmaceutical researchers with in-depth knowledge of the key Asian markets, including China, India, Korea and Taiwan. The team has extensive experience in pan-Asian studies, using their sound knowledge and research expertise to deliver projects in place as diverse as Australia to China, the Philippines to India.

Reports of the discussion topics: "Maximising patient engagement and therapy adherence" and "Through the physician's lens" will shortly be made available free of charge. Email JulieM@researchpartnership.com to reserve your pdf copy, stating which reports you would like.

10 Year Celebration!

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:13:23 GMT

The Research Partnership celebrated 10 years in business this autumn. Festivities took place in London (see photo above), New York and Singapore to mark the occasion.

...and on the move in London

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:13:18 GMT

We're getting bigger!...After ten years of continual growth, The Research Partnership is celebrating its tenth anniversary by moving its main London HQ to new, larger premises in Fulham.

New offices open in Asia...

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:15:26 GMT

The Research Partnership is pleased to announce the opening of our new regional headquarters in Singapore. Serving the whole of the Asia Pacific Region, RP Singapore joins London and New York in offering ad-hoc and syndicated services, giving The Research Partnership a truly global reach. Heading the office is Marc Yates who has worked in market research for over 23 years, the past nine years based in Asia.