Q. What is Target Product Profile (TPP) research?
A. Target Product Profile (TPP) research studies look to understanding the potential impact a new therapeutic agent that could have in meeting an unmet medical need. The goal is to not only test and consider the potential for a TPP, but also recognize that the actual product may or may not meet the TPP goals, so various potential levels and options should also be tested as part of the process.
Thus, while qualitative assessments are helpful as a starting place, quantitative choice exercises can be a useful tool for considering various options, different levels, and alternative potential product profiles (PPPs); so TPP research could also appropriately be called PPP research. The base product profile tested is normally the “most-likely” (achievable) product profile.
The research objectives include gaining a clear understanding of the potential for a new product, and to discern product attributes which are likely to drive interest.
While the “ideal” product may not be achievable for a manufacturer’s scientific team (e.g., reaching X rate of efficacy), it is critical to understand which aspects of a potential product are essential and which are optional, or nice-to-haves but not vital for acceptance.
Defining the road to product optimization is the goal.