Creating a Patient-Centric Strategy and Market Access Framework for MS in MENA

This research aims to elucidate and delineate the patient-centric marketing strategy and its implementation or correlation with market access in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area. Organizations in the 21st century must possess creativity, innovation, and competitiveness, as they strive to be competitive in the marketplace and effectively penetrate the market, the field of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) presents a significant challenge and an appealing market for any pharmaceutical organization operating in the MENA region. The phenomena and concepts of patient engagement, centricity, and focus are not new in the global market, however, the adoption of this strategy in the MENA region is still uncertain, and the effective marketing tools required to implement this approach remain unknown. Hence, this research commenced by addressing the key stakeholders involved in and influencing the entire cycle and journey of patients, it also explored potential approaches to engage with these stakeholders effectively, while ensuring differentiation and competitiveness. The discussion encompassed the notion of market access, encompassing the examination of obstacles, potential entry strategies, and conceptual frameworks, additionally, the challenges, management, and impact of the unexpected Covid-19 epidemic, which surprised the global community and the region, were also explored. This qualitative study aims to elucidate the multifaceted journey of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) through semi-structured interviews, the research employs a hybrid approach, integrating thematic, interpretive, and descriptive methodologies to capture the essence of patient experiences across four countries. By utilizing MAXQDA for data analysis, the study adheres to the principles of qualitative content analysis and the data reduction, display, and verification processes, a code book, developed prior to in-depth analysis, guides the thematic exploration, allowing for the emergence of patterns and themes directly from the data, the research’s primary objective is to clarify marketing strategies, tools, and market access from diverse stakeholder perspectives, thereby enriching our understanding of the MS patient journey within its societal and cultural context. This research examines patient journey in treatment initiation, decision-making, and adherence for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients across Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) along with highlighting the variations in healthcare processes. The research also reveals that while shared decision-making is recommended, in practice, physicians often make decisions based on factors like gender and pregnancy without patient involvement, treatment compliance varies, with non-adherence linked to financial issues, side effects, and lack of understanding. To improve the quality of life for MS patients, education through patient society groups is essential, communication channels, particularly social media, are identified as areas for improvement, clinical and educational support, along with patient portals from the USA and UK, are recommended resources. The research concludes that healthcare providers must prioritize patient needs and preferences to ensure effective treatment and reimbursement, advocating for a patient-centered approach to healthcare.