I’ve always believed the purpose of market access is to deliver what I call the Triple Win: ensuring patients can access the treatments they need, enabling healthcare systems to manage resources sustainably, and generating the commercial results that allow organisations to innovate and thrive.
I began my career in the UK’s public healthcare sector before transitioning into various commercial and market access roles in the pharmaceutical industry. Along the way, I’ve seen how difficult it is to achieve all three outcomes simultaneously. Product launches are complex, spanning multiple therapy areas, evolving policy environments, and diverse health systems, each with its own demands and expectations. Daily headlines about rising costs, workforce shortages, and funding constraints underscore the pressures our customers face. Patients are navigating increasingly stretched systems, and our role is to help ensure they don’t fall through the cracks.
As part of a consultancy that partners with global teams and affiliates, I’ve noticed these challenges emerging more frequently, and with greater urgency. Securing the Triple Win is central to driving lasting impact for patients, health systems, and business performance.
Global ambition vs local reality
Reconciling global ambition with local reality remains one of the toughest challenges in market access. Every country has its own policy landscape, shifting priorities, and regulatory rhythms, and the pace of change is only accelerating. This makes early, integrated launch planning critical, as it shapes sequencing, pricing, and go-to-market strategies that reflect local contexts.
Recent policy updates mark a turning point in market dynamics, requiring dynamic scenario planning. For example, in the US, the renewed push towards Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing is intensifying downward pressure on launch prices by tying them to the lowest levels across OECD comparator markets. Late 2025 saw multiple major manufacturers enter MFN-aligned agreements to secure continued US access and limit global pricing repercussions, a trend that is shaping early 2026 market access dynamics. Meanwhile, the UK’s updated NICE methods, including the severity modifier introduced in 2022 and reviewed again in 2024, have increased the likelihood of positive recommendations for serious conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and childhood epilepsy, by allowing greater weight to be given to treatments for severe disease.
To overcome these obstacles, global teams cannot rely on rigid playbooks. Success depends on an adaptable framework that affiliates can tailor to their unique environments while staying aligned with the broader strategy. This collaborative approach promotes relevance, responsiveness, and readiness across diverse markets.
A proven framework: Win, Co-Create, Engage
One of the most common things I hear from market access colleagues is the need for a consistent way of working – one that brings clarity, avoids duplication, and helps teams maintain momentum. At Uptake, we designed the ‘Win, Co-Create, Engage’ framework to meet this need, and it’s making a real difference to how global and local teams work together.
- Win focuses on building alignment from day one. That means involving stakeholders early, exchanging ideas, inviting feedback, and listening closely. We’ve found that when individuals see their perspectives reflected in the plan, they’re more inclined to support it with genuine commitment.
- Co-Create transforms alignment into shared ownership. We’ve partnered with teams to assemble market access readiness toolkits that consolidate evidence requirements, pricing and contracting guidance, value messaging, and launch timelines. Developed collaboratively with input from global, regional, and local teams, these toolkits are practical, relevant, and easy to adapt.
- Engage ensures those plans don’t just sit on a shelf. With the right training, real-world case studies, and structured check-ins, teams are equipped to apply the tools in their day-to-day work. What’s more, the lessons learned from each launch feed into the next, forming a stronger foundation with every cycle.
When this process comes together, launches run more smoothly and efficiently, with teams feeling fully prepared to get the job done.
Why clarity powers success
If there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate throughout my journey in pharmaceuticals, it’s the importance of clarity. In a space as dynamic as market access, clarity cuts through the noise. Whether it’s a cohesive framework, a streamlined toolkit, or the smart use of generative AI to guide next steps, clarity gives teams the confidence to act, and the ability to make better decisions, faster.
When teams know exactly what’s required and why, they gain the headspace to focus on strategic priorities: making informed decisions for patients, empowering the HCPs who serve them, and fulfilling the promise to stakeholders who uphold the entire ecosystem.
Making the Triple Win a reality
Market access is more demanding than ever. Global launches are growing in complexity, policy scrutiny is intensifying, and the urgency to deliver meaningful outcomes has never been higher.
The organisations that will thrive are those that foster early collaboration, co-create practical solutions, and embed processes that are robust enough to scale yet flexible enough to adapt.
While striking the optimal balance isn’t straightforward, the Triple Win is worth pursuing: faster access for patients, sustainable models for healthcare systems, and commercial success that fuels future innovation. When we get it right, we unlock lasting value – and that’s a challenge worth embracing.
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