The Digital Twin Advantage: Reimagining Pharma’s Commercial Edge

Industry Outlook

In the pharmaceutical industry, digital twins are similar to the avatars in the film Avatar. Just as avatars let humans explore Pandora through engineered bodies, digital twins allow for the simulation and improvement of drug development and patient care. These virtual models link physical objects with real-time data and advanced analytics, guiding the industry toward personalized medicine and innovative treatments—much like the immersive experiences shown in Avatar.

Digital twins in the pharma industry are no longer limited to the factory floor—they are quickly becoming strategic assets in pharmaceutical sales and marketing. As the industry faces rising R&D costs, complex regulatory requirements, and greater expectations for personalized healthcare, these virtual models offer an effective solution. They enable companies to simulate real-world scenarios—such as patient journeys, healthcare provider (HCP) interactions, and omnichannel campaign results—fostering more agile and data-driven decision-making.

By integrating real-time data from CRM systems, market access platforms, and patient support programs, digital twins empower commercial teams to test and refine strategies before deployment, minimizing risk and maximizing impact. This evolution is being driven by the need for hyper-personalization, faster go-to-market execution, and measurable commercial outcomes in a highly competitive environment.

The market reflects this momentum. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global digital twin market is projected to grow from USD 10.1 billion in 2023 to USD 110.1 billion by 2028, at a staggering CAGR of 61.3%.

Digital Twins as a Growth Lever for Commercial Pharma

The pressure to innovate, personalize, and optimize in today's pharmaceutical landscape has never been greater. With rising R&D costs, strict regulatory demands, and growing expectations for individualized healthcare, digital twins are emerging as a transformative solution. These virtual replicas of real-world entities offer deep insights and capabilities, helping pharmaceutical companies navigate complexity and achieve commercial success with greater precision and agility.

Digital twins allow companies to model patient journeys, healthcare provider interactions, and marketing campaigns. By using real-time data from CRM systems and other platforms, these models help identify effective strategies, reduce risk, and make better use of resources.

They also support pharma teams in adapting to market shifts, forecasting trends, and responding quickly to competitors. This foresight leads to smarter decisions and improved efficiency across operations.

Pharmaceutical sales and marketing teams can harness digital twins to:

1. Gain Deep Market Intelligence

Digital twins empower commercial teams to simulate patient populations, competitor actions, and market dynamics to uncover unmet needs, forecast demand, and identify strategic growth opportunities.

For example, a pharmaceutical company might leverage digital twins to simulate the impact of a new drug on different patient demographics and predict which segments are likely to show the highest adoption rates. The ability to visualize and analyze these scenarios supports informed decision-making, grounded in real-time data.

2. Accelerate Product Launches

Pharmaceutical companies can model scenarios for drug development and market introduction. This capability significantly reduces time-to-market, optimizes launch sequencing, and ensures alignment between marketing strategies and clinical milestones.

For instance, a company might simulate the launch of a new cancer treatment, predicting patient uptake, healthcare provider engagement, and competitive responses. This precision in planning and execution can lead to successful product launches and faster market penetration.

3. Enhance HCP and Patient Engagement

Digital twins enable sales teams to simulate interactions with healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients. These simulations help refine sales approaches, tailor communications, and ultimately enhance customer engagement. This can also help companies build stronger relationships with HCPs and patients, leading to better commercial outcomes.

For example, a pharmaceutical company might use digital twins to model consultations between HCPs and patients for a new diabetes medication. By simulating different scenarios, the company can identify the most effective communication strategies and educational materials to support HCPs in explaining the medication’s benefits and usage. This, in turn, can improve adoption rates and treatment adherence.

4. Deliver Personalized Marketing at Scale

Creating digital profiles of healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients allows pharmaceutical companies to tailor marketing campaigns based on individual behaviors, preferences, and treatment patterns. This level of personalization boosts engagement and conversion rates.

For example, a company might leverage digital twins to track patients' preferences and treatment adherence using a new asthma medication. By analyzing these digital profiles, the company can design targeted marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits and usage tailored to different patient groups, improving overall treatment outcomes.

5. Optimize Resource Allocation

Performance simulations using digital twins allow companies to identify high-ROI tactics. These insights enable smarter budget allocation and campaign optimization, ensuring that resources are directed toward the most effective strategies.

For instance, a pharmaceutical company might use digital twins to simulate various marketing campaigns for a new cholesterol-lowering drug. By analyzing which strategies yield the highest engagement and conversion rates, the company can allocate resources to the most promising approaches.

6. Ensure Regulatory Compliance

Simulating compliance scenarios and analyzing data through digital twins helps pharmaceutical companies proactively identify risks and ensure adherence to evolving regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and 21 CFR Part 11.

For example, a pharmaceutical company might use digital twins to simulate the impact of new regulatory changes on its marketing campaigns. By evaluating different scenarios, the company can pinpoint potential issues and adjust its strategies accordingly, ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of fines or reputational damage.

Wipro’s Phased Approach to Digital Twin Solution Implementation

To implement digital twins for commercial pharma effectively, pharmaceutical companies should adopt a phased methodology. This strategic method involves multiple stages, each designed to ensure that the technology is seamlessly integrated into sales and marketing processes.

Phase 1: Strategic Assessment

• Identify high-impact use cases in sales and marketing.
• Conduct a digital maturity assessment.
• Align digital twin initiatives with business objectives.

Phase 2: Data Infrastructure & Governance

• Integrate data from CRM, EHR, market research, and IoT sources.
• Establish robust data governance and privacy frameworks.
• Ensure interoperability with existing systems.

Phase 3: Model Development & Simulation

• Build digital twin models using AI/ML and real-time analytics.
• Simulate scenarios such as patient journeys, HCP engagement, and campaign performance.
• Validate models with historical and real-time data.

Phase 4: Deployment & Optimization

• Embed digital twins into sales and marketing workflows.
• Train teams on interpretation and decision-making.
• Continuously refine models based on feedback and outcomes.

Phase 5: Change Management & Compliance

• Foster a culture of innovation and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ensure compliance with global data protection and marketing regulations.
• Monitor ethical implications and maintain transparency.

Strategic Actions for Pharma Leaders

Digital twins have become an essential tool for pharmaceutical companies operating in a data-driven, patient-centric environment. Their strategic use fosters continuous innovation and cross-functional collaboration, with models regularly refined based on feedback and evolving market conditions. Ultimately, digital twins help pharmaceutical leaders navigate the complexities of global data protection and marketing regulations while upholding ethical standards and transparency.

To unlock the full potential of digital twins, business leaders should:

• Initiate a pilot project in a high-impact area (e.g., product launch or HCP engagement).
• Allocate resources for data infrastructure and cross-functional talent.
• Partner with technology providers to expedite model development.
• Integrate digital twins into decision-making processes across commercial functions.
• Evaluate ROI and scale successful use cases throughout the organization.

To succeed, Digital Twins implementation should prioritize data privacy, regulatory compliance, infrastructure investment, employee training, and a collaborative culture that supports adoption and long-term value creation.

About the Author

Sanjay Martis
Senior Partner and Head of Life Sciences, North America, Wipro Consulting

Sanjay brings over 30 years of experience in commercial life sciences, both as a practitioner and as a consultant. A seasoned senior executive, Sanjay has extensive expertise across the international life sciences sector, including information technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.