Prescription for Success To recap, the groundwork necessary to create successful alliances is as follows:

• Companies that have both Rx and Dx divisions must create the specific skills required to conduct joint campaigns. Companies that are already integrated have the opportunity to lead the industry, mapping the way for joint partnerships elsewhere.
• Pharma CEOs seeking to grow market acceptance for existing treatments should examine market share from both diagnosed and undiagnosed patients and access the untapped market not just through better treatments but by putting appropriate tests into physicians' hands.
• Pharma companies should hire executives with experience in both the Rx and Dx fields so they can plan and implement timely joint campaigns to support new and existing therapies.
• Both Rx and Dx companies must gain a better overall understanding of each other's industries and development time lines. The alliance must begin early and the partners must work closely together throughout the development and marketing process.
• Pharma product teams must agree to synchronize Rx and Dx standards.
• Diagnostic partners must be willing to invest more to support direct sales forces and product branding.

It is no longer credible to separate diagnosis and treatment merely because they are historically different industries. Physicians and patients alike regard diagnosis and treatment as part of the health management continuum. Companies that understand that and take an integrated Dx-Rx approach will see a significant increase in their products' market share.