In a market where innovation often steals the spotlight, mature pharmaceutical brands—those long past launch—can quietly become powerful engines of growth. Yet unlocking their full potential requires more than maintenance; it demands strategic action. IQVIA’s Established Brands Optimization (EBO) approach identifies four critical levers that commercial leaders can activate to revitalize performance, enhance value, and extend brand longevity. In this blog, we explore each lever and how they can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your portfolio, market, and operational model.

Four Levers to Unlock Hidden Value

To realize the full potential of established brands, companies must focus on four key value levers:

1. Revitalize Sales and Revenues

While mature brands often experience stagnating or declining sales, growth is still achievable. Lifecycle management tactics—such as line extensions, new delivery formats, and fixed-dose combinations—can reignite interest. Real-world evidence can reposition brands, while identifying underpenetrated geographies and aligning with tender strategies can open new revenue streams.

IQVIA data shows that many companies only cover about two-thirds of the top 77 global markets,², leaving substantial untapped potential. Interestingly, smaller markets often outperform larger ones in sales contribution as brands mature, making them a strategic growth opportunity.

2. Manage Portfolio Complexity

IQVIA’s analysis of 6,000 established brands reveals that 80% of global sales come from just 2% of these brands³. The remaining “tail-end” brands—often thousands of low-performing SKUs—drain resources and complicate operations. Streamlining through divestments, SKU rationalization, and targeted pruning can free up internal bandwidth and improve governance. Out-licensing or divestment opportunities also help optimize cash flow and eliminate redundancies.

3. Drive Net Revenues

Gross – to- Net (GTN) leakage—estimated at $50 billion annually for established brands—is a critical area for improvement. Much of this loss stems from voluntary discounts, rebates, and suboptimal contracts. By linking financial concessions to measurable outcomes like market access or volume increases, companies can transform GTN from a passive loss into a controllable expense. Understanding the full value chain—from manufacturing to patient price—is essential for adapting commercial terms and improving profitability.

4. Optimize Operational Spend

Despite their longevity, established brands receive around $4.2 billion in annual promotional investment globally³. Many of these products show high promotional “carry-over” rates—sales sustained even after promotion ends—raising questions about the necessity of continued spend. Transitioning to more cost-efficient models, such as digital-only promotion, outsourcing, or hybrid field force strategies, enables smarter budget allocation.