Cx Pharma Consulting

Pharmaceutical competitive wargaming

Pressure-test your competitive strategy.

From focused strategic challenges to comprehensive competitive simulations, Cx helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology teams explore how competitors might respond to their plans — and prepare for what happens next.

Compare our services

Choose the right approach for your competitive challenge

Competitive Challenge Session

Purpose
Rapidly test a specific competitive decision or assumption
Best suited to
A clearly defined competitive question
Format
Facilitated virtual session
Duration
90–120 minutes
Preparation
Focused briefing and review of relevant information
Participants
Small leadership or cross-functional team
Approach
Challenge assumptions and explore competitive responses
Outputs
Key vulnerabilities, alternative perspectives and recommended next steps
Ideal when
You need a rapid independent perspective

Strategic Wargaming Workshop

Purpose
Explore complex competitive scenarios and develop responses
Best suited to
Major strategic decisions involving multiple competitors or stakeholders
Format
Virtual or in-person workshop
Duration
Typically half-day to two days, depending on scope
Preparation
Competitive intelligence, scenario development and preparation
Participants
Cross-functional commercial, medical and market access teams
Approach
Simulate competitor moves, countermoves and market developments
Outputs
Competitive scenarios, strategic options, contingency plans and prioritised actions
Ideal when
You need deeper analysis and team alignment

Workshop format, duration and deliverables are tailored to the client’s requirements.

Competitive Challenge Session

Test one important decision.

Strategic Wargaming Workshop

Rehearse the competition. Prepare your response.

Discuss Your Competitive Challenge

Wargaming in practice

Where competitive wargaming makes a difference

Competitive Product Launch

The question

How might established competitors respond to our launch?

The approach

Simulate competitor reactions, including positioning, pricing, market access and commercial countermeasures.

The outcome

Identify potential threats and develop responses before launch.

Differentiation in a Crowded Market

The question

How could competitors undermine our differentiation?

The approach

Explore how competitors might challenge product positioning, clinical evidence and customer perceptions.

The outcome

Identify where differentiation is most vulnerable and what could strengthen it.

Loss of Exclusivity

The question

How can we prepare for generic or biosimilar competition?

The approach

Simulate competitor entry strategies, pricing pressure, market erosion and potential defensive actions.

The outcome

Develop contingency options and prioritise actions ahead of competitive entry.

Market Disruption

The question

What happens if the market develops differently from our forecasts?

The approach

Explore alternative competitive futures, unexpected market events and potential stakeholder responses.

The outcome

Identify critical uncertainties and prepare strategic alternatives.

Illustrative scenarios, not descriptions of specific client engagements.

How wargaming works

From competitive intelligence to decisions

  1. 01

    Define the challenge

    Agree on the commercial decision, competitive question or market uncertainty.

  2. 02

    Prepare the scenario

    Review available competitive intelligence, assumptions and relevant market developments.

  3. 03

    Simulate the competition

    Explore plausible competitor actions, stakeholder responses and moves and countermoves.

  4. 04

    Challenge the strategy

    Identify vulnerabilities, alternative options and potential contingencies.

  5. 05

    Agree the actions

    Prioritise responses and establish clear next steps.

What clients receive

Leave with decisions, not just discussion.

Every engagement is designed to translate competitive thinking into practical commercial decisions.

Depending on the agreed scope, outputs may include:

Competitive Threat Assessment

A prioritised view of the competitor actions most likely to disrupt your plans.

Strategic Response Options

Alternative approaches and contingency responses for the most important scenarios.

Critical Assumptions

The assumptions that require further validation or monitoring.

Action Framework

Recommended actions, responsibilities and next steps.

What could your competitors do to undermine your strategy?

Let’s explore the competitive question that matters most to your business.

Discuss Your Competitive Challenge