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Medical device launch research

Decide where, to whom and at what price to launch before the first unit ships

A device launch commits regulatory, sales and manufacturing resources to specific countries, customer groups and price points. Credence Research helps medical device companies test those choices with evidence on reimbursement, purchasing processes, clinician adoption and competing products, then turns the findings into a launch forecast with stated assumptions.

Discuss your launch plansSee what the outputs include

From clearance to adoption, and where public evidence is usually thinnest

1Regulatory clearanceCountry timing
2Pricing and reimbursementPayment adequacy
3Hospital purchasingValue analysis criteria
4Clinician adoptionSwitching barriers
5Post-launch uptakeEarly usage signals

Marked items rarely appear in public databases in usable form. They usually need interviews, price benchmarking or tracking.

Launch decisions that bring device companies to us

Launch decisions are hard to reverse once a sales team, distributor contracts and inventory are committed.

Choosing launch countries

You have clearance or expect it in several markets and need to decide where to launch first.

Setting a launch price

You need to know what comparable devices sell for and what reimbursement will support.

Selecting target customers

Hospitals, ambulatory centers and specialist clinics buy differently, and you need to focus.

Choosing a route to market

You are weighing a direct sales force against distributors in each country.

Building the launch forecast

Leadership or investors need unit and revenue projections with assumptions they can test.

Adjusting after launch

Early uptake differs from plan, and you need to understand why.

Start with what you already know

Most teams know their device's clinical data, regulatory status and cost to produce. What usually remains uncertain is how purchasing committees evaluate the product, what payment is actually available, how strongly clinicians prefer the current option and how quickly competitors will respond.

Questions launch research can investigate

Markets and timing

  • Which countries offer the fastest route from clearance to revenue?
  • Which regulatory or reimbursement steps could delay sales?
  • How do tender and procurement cycles affect timing?

Customers

  • Which care settings and specialties are most likely to adopt first?
  • Who influences the purchase decision, and what evidence do they need?
  • What would lead clinicians to switch from their current device?

Price and access

  • What do comparable devices sell for by country and channel?
  • Does existing reimbursement cover the device, or is new coding needed?
  • How much do group purchasing and tenders reduce realized prices?

Forecast and response

  • What unit uptake is realistic in the first years?
  • How are competitors likely to respond on price or features?
  • Which early indicators show whether the launch is on track?

What public sources can tell you, and what needs further validation

Regulatory databases, published reimbursement schedules, tender notices and company disclosures cover part of the picture. They say much less about how purchases are actually decided.

Where desk research is often sufficient, and where decisions usually need more evidence
TopicDesk research can often establishWhat often remains unresolvedHow it can be tested
Approval statusClearances and registrations in public databasesRealistic timing in countries without searchable recordsLocal regulatory expert interviews
ReimbursementPublished codes and payment schedulesWhether payment covers the device in practiceReimbursement landscape review and interviews with hospital finance staff
PricesList prices and some tender awardsContract prices after discounts and bundlingTender data analysis and procurement interviews
Clinician preferencePublished studies and guidelinesWillingness to switch and practical barriersClinician interviews or surveys
Purchasing processGeneral procurement rulesEvidence and criteria each committee appliesInterviews with value analysis and procurement staff

AI tools can help monitor regulatory databases, tender portals and competitor announcements across many countries. Purchasing criteria, contract prices and clinician intent usually require direct evidence from the people involved.

How evidence gaps translate into research

This example is illustrative. It shows how a study could be designed and does not describe a specific client engagement.

Single-use surgical device in Europe

Illustrative example
Business question
A device company with a new single-use surgical instrument must choose three European countries for its first year.
Evidence gap
Reimbursement differs by country, and it is unclear whether hospitals will pay a premium over reusable instruments once sterilization costs are counted.
Research method
Reimbursement review, interviews with surgeons and procurement staff, and a cost comparison against reusable instruments.
Deliverable
A country prioritization matrix and a launch forecast with price and adoption assumptions.
Decision supported
Launch sequence, target hospital types and the value message for purchasing committees.

Our research approach

We select methods according to the launch decision and the evidence gap.

Methods, what they are used for and their limits
MethodPurposeLimitation
Clinician interviews and surveysTest adoption drivers and switching barriersStated intent can exceed actual adoption
Procurement and value analysis interviewsUnderstand purchase criteria and evidence needsPractices vary by institution
Reimbursement landscape reviewMap codes, payment and coverage by countryRules change; findings are dated
Price benchmarkingCompare list, tender and contract pricesContract data is incomplete
Launch forecast modelingProject units and revenue from adoption assumptionsOutput is a range, not a promise
Launch trackingCompare early uptake with planEarly data is noisy

We do not seek confidential information from competitors, and we do not present interview opinions as audited data.

What you receive

Deliverables depend on scope, and not every study includes every output. We agree on outputs during scoping.

  • Country prioritization matrix

    Markets compared on timing, reimbursement, price and competition.

    Use it to choose where to launch first.

  • Customer segmentation

    Care settings and specialties ranked by likely adoption, with purchase criteria.

    Use it to focus the sales team.

  • Pricing and reimbursement landscape

    Comparable prices and payment conditions by country, with evidence dates.

    Use it to set launch prices and access plans.

  • Launch forecast

    Units and revenue under stated adoption, price and timing assumptions.

    Use it to build the business case and set targets.

  • Launch tracking review

    Early results compared with forecast assumptions, with likely causes of gaps.

    Use it to adjust the launch plan.

Published report or custom research?

Published medical device market reports are often enough for overall market size and major competitors. Launch research is more useful when your decision depends on reimbursement in specific countries, purchasing behavior or clinician switching.

Is launch research right for your decision?

  • You have a device with clearance, or expect it within the planning horizon.
  • You must choose among countries, customer groups or channels.
  • Your forecast depends on assumptions you cannot yet support.
  • You have a launch date or budget decision ahead.

If most of these apply, a scoping conversation is likely to be productive. If not, a published report or a short discussion about scope may be a better first step.

Discuss your launch plans

Frequently asked questions

Discuss your launch plans

Tell us about the device, the markets you are considering and your launch timing.

What happens next

A member of our research team reviews your brief and contacts you to discuss scope and approach. If existing research can answer your question, we will point you to it.

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