Amgen builds commercial organisation for new product launches in the Netherlands
Biotech company Amgen has been creating innovative medicines for serious illnesses for 45 years. Over the coming years, the company plans to launch several new biomedical products in the Netherlands. How did Amgen approach this commercial challenge and how did Impact Stewards support the project?
Amgen is a global leader in biotechnology. Its treatments currently reach more than 10 million patients in around 100 countries. These include both innovative biological medicines and biosimilars for people with severe illnesses. In the Netherlands, Amgen has built a reputation as a pioneer in collaborative healthcare value chains.
At Amgen, improving the lives of people living with serious illnesses is at the centre of its mission – not just through medicines, but by working together to deliver appropriate care.
Barry Wittenhorst, Commercial Director at Amgen, explains: “We always start from the patient journey. At every stage, we look at how we can add value – with our medication and by collaborating within the care chain. Over the past few years, we’ve worked closely with hospitals and learned a great deal about our added value in these kinds of partnerships.”
Working together in the healthcare chain
One example of such collaboration? Robbert Schuijbroek, Chief of Staff at Amgen, shares: “We’re able to support the interaction between doctor and patient throughout the care process – from diagnostics to improving treatment adherence. In diagnostics, for instance, we’re working with the cardiology association to better identify risk factors for cardiovascular events.”
Barry adds: “In oncology, collaboration is also hugely valuable. Patients with certain gene mutations benefit from specific Amgen therapies. Can we identify these mutations earlier, during the diagnostic phase? But it goes beyond that, too. For example, we already have 20 years of experience in home-based care for patients – which is also valuable.”
Smarter organisation
From medicines for widespread conditions to orphan drugs for rare diseases, the type of product and the way stakeholders engage with them varies widely. What’s more, Amgen expects to introduce a large number of new products in the Netherlands over the next few years. So how best to organise the commercial team around these activities?
Robbert explains: “Traditionally, our teams were structured around Amgen’s existing products. But with so many new product launches ahead, it’s time to think differently. How do we organise these launches effectively? And does our current organisational structure still work for that?”
Barry adds: “We always start from the patient journey. At every stage, we look at how we can add value — with our medication and by collaborating within the care chain.”
Bringing in external expertise
That’s when Impact Stewards came on board. Consultants Patrick Filius and Edwin de Fouw already knew Amgen well and had helped many other biomedical firms build successful organisations. They interviewed leaders from the commercial, medical, market access and customer capability teams, and organised a series of workshops to jointly develop the ideal structure with a core project team.
Patrick and Edwin also brought best practices from across the sector. Barry recalls: “They offered fresh perspectives. Thanks to their experience with similar organisations, we were able to explore different scenarios to choose from.”
Choosing the right scenarios
These scenarios were based on several factors, such as the degree of product differentiation, inclusion in clinical guidelines and the level of scientific innovation. In a step-by-step process, the core team examined the different options. Which products naturally belong together? What capabilities does Amgen already have – and which need further development? What roles fit with that?
Robbert: “In the end, we landed on three archetypes for our six therapeutic areas. We chose a structure where units are built around customer needs and the anticipated pipeline development. One team focuses on being a reliable supplier to hospitals and procurement organisations. Other teams are designed to foster more intensive partnerships with healthcare providers.”
Sharing expertise
These units will be supported by internal functional centres of expertise – in areas such as Medical, Customer Engagement, Value & Access, and a new Launch Excellence team.
This was essential, given the packed product pipeline, says Robbert: “It helped enormously that we made decisions together with the core team during the workshops. That created real involvement and led us to the right setup.”
Barry adds: “We’re also rethinking how we collaborate with healthcare providers. How can we make the greatest impact? For example, if we improve diagnostics or patient communications, we’d rather do it for multiple care institutions at once – perhaps through specialist federations.”
Robbert continues: “We’ve also introduced a new role: Healthcare Partner. Previously, several people might visit a doctor at different times. Now there’s a single point of contact, saving time and effort for everyone involved. Naturally, we’ve maintained a clear separation between our medical and commercial operations.”
A careful process
Once decisions about the new teams and roles were made, Robbert and Barry carefully moved forward with implementation. Robbert: “We took a very personal approach with each employee – how can we keep the impact on individuals as low as possible? So, as little change as possible in terms of the product you work on, your role, and your line manager. Early on, we involved operational teams to quickly gather feedback and address questions or challenges. We also coordinated closely with the Works Council throughout the process.”
Involving people early
As a result, the rollout of the new organisational structure went relatively smoothly. Barry notes: “It helped enormously that we made decisions together with the core team during the workshops. That created real involvement and led us to the right setup.”
And his key piece of advice for other organisations facing similar challenges? “Be transparent and involve people early in the decision-making process.”
Patrick concludes: “What makes Amgen unique is its constant drive to evolve. It’s been a real privilege to be part of that journey for so many years, helping the organisation deliver even better outcomes for patients.”
