After several years of experimentation, big pharma has settled on new commercial models for their U.S. sales teams and are in various stages of implementation, according to ZS Associates Managing Director Chris Wright. The preferred models have commonalities built around a mix of traditional sales reps, key account managers and multi-channel digital tools.

Three years into the ACA, the biopharma industry takes stock of its near-term wins and losses as the law’s critical expanded insurance coverage takes effect beginning in 2014. Pharma still isn’t sure whether the increase in covered lives from the exchanges will boost prescription sales enough to offset the rebates, taxes, and fees it agreed to pay out, or what kind of patients constitute this new market.

With the removal of a near-term competitive threat to Sanofi’s hallmark insulin franchise, 2013 is poised to be a momentum-building year for the big pharma, and more specifically, its diabetes business. The opportunity can’t come too soon, as the company launches the GLP-1 agonist Lyxumia into a crowded and fiercely competitive field.