Institute for Pharmacoeconomics and Drug Logistics

What Institute for Pharmacoeconomics and Drug Logistics does

IPAM (Institut für Pharmakoökonomie und Arzneimittellogistik e.V.) is a German non-profit research institute founded in 2005 and operating as an affiliated institute (An-Institut) of Hochschule Wismar. The company delivers contract research services in pharmacoeconomics, health services research, real-world evidence (RWE), adherence/persistence measurement, and patient preference studies to pharmaceutical manufacturers and German statutory health insurers (Krankenkassen). Its core technology is multi-indicator adherence measurement combined with secondary analysis of large German claims datasets (notably AOK PLUS at ~3.5M insured and TK), executed under a proprietary Linked-Database Study methodology that links prospective chart data with retrospective claims data for the same cohort.

IPAM's proprietary product assets include the Adherence Barriers Questionnaire (ABQ) family — with peer-reviewed validated variants for general use (2015), HIV (BMC Infectious Diseases), and intravitreal therapy (ABQ-IVT, 2021) — and a scoring model for evaluating adherence/persistence programs. The institute also distributes six E-Learning modules and workshops covering adherence methodology, plus computer-assisted telephone Discrete Choice Experiment studies for patient preferences. A nationwide practice partner network across all 16 German states enables multi-center primary data collection.

Commercially, IPAM operates a sales-led, project-based services model. Engagements are negotiated directly with enterprise pharma clients (Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Novo Nordisk, Leo Pharma, Takeda), statutory insurers (AOK PLUS, TK/WINEG, IKK gesund plus), and industry associations (BPI). Revenue derives from per-study research fees, E-Learning subscriptions/workshops, and ABQ licensing ([email protected]). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Visibility and demand generation rely on scientific conference presence (ISPOR, EASD, EASL, EULAR), peer-reviewed publications, and the IPAM website; no paid advertising or consumer marketing is in evidence. The institute is governed by board members Prof. Dr. Thomas Wilke and Prof. Dr. Kai Neumann.

Name

Institute for Pharmacoeconomics and Drug Logistics

Legal name

Institut für Pharmakoökonomie und Arzneimittellogistik e.V.

Website

https://ipam-wismar.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IPAM is a German non-profit research institute affiliated with Hochschule Wismar, delivering contract pharmacoeconomics, real-world evidence, and adherence research services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and statutory health insurers using proprietary questionnaire instruments and large German claims datasets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmacoeconomics and Health Services Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Medication Analytics, Outcomes & Cost Optimization (HLACAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Value Dossier & Evidence Generation (AMCP/Global Value Dossier) (HLAIAKAC), Pricing & Contracting Strategy (HLAIAKAA)

Keywords

• Pharmacoeconomics research
• Real-world evidence studies
• Health services research
• Medication adherence research
• Claims data analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Wismar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Services and Consulting: IPAM conducts contract research for pharmaceutical companies, health insurance funds, and healthcare providers. Projects include primary and secondary data studies, health economic analyses, adherence research, and real-world evidence studies. Revenue is generated through project fees negotiated on a per-study basis. The institute also delivers workshops, seminars, and online education modules.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IPAM delivers contract pharmacoeconomic and health services research for pharmaceutical manufacturers, statutory health insurance funds, and healthcare providers. Its core offerings span Real-World Evidence studies (both primary data collection and secondary claims-data analyses), medication adherence/persistence research using proprietary validated questionnaires, health economic analyses, and Discrete Choice Experiment-based patient preference studies. The institute also markets educational products including six online E-Learning modules and workshop programs, and licenses its proprietary ABQ questionnaire family to external researchers.

Product overview

IPAM (Institut für Pharmakoökonomie und Arzneimittellogistik) is a research institute affiliated with Hochschule Wismar, offering a portfolio of research competencies and educational products. The core offerings include three interconnected research competencies: (1) Health Services Research (Versorgungsforschung) for Real World Evidence studies, (2) Adherence Competence for medication adherence research, and (3) Secondary Data Competence for health insurance data analysis. IPAM has developed proprietary validated instruments including the Adherence Barriers Questionnaire (ABQ) and its specialized variants (ABQ-HIV, ABQ-IVT) for measuring patient adherence barriers. Educational products include six online modules covering adherence/persistence topics, workshop programs, and patient preference studies using Discrete Choice Experiments. The organization also provides access to the Ingress Health Database for international health data research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Study identified that 35-40% of patients can be described as non-adherent; patients with all identified risk factors showed a 93.9% non-adherence rate, while chronically ill patients without other causes showed 10.4% non-adherence rate
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Novo NordiskcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Cooperation on the LIBERTY study examining Real-Life treatment of T2DM patients receiving GLP-1 or insulin therapy. The study included 878 Liraglutide and 382 insulin patients observed over 52 weeks.
• Ingress-HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Long-term strategic partner for international RWE projects, linked-database studies, and multi-country research. Ingress-Health is an international healthcare consulting company founded February 2015 with offices in the Netherlands and Germany. The two organizations frequently co-present at ISPOR conferences and co-publish research.
• Roche Pharma AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Roche engaged IPAM for a press conference on non-adherence/non-persistence in MTX therapy for rheumatoid arthritis patients, presenting study results to media and experts. The study was based on claims data of thousands of German RA patients from 2010-2013.
• Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie e.V. (BPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015IPAM and BPI jointly developed a guideline (Leitfaden) for planning health services research studies in pharmaceutical companies, providing methodological guidance on study design, data requirements, and stakeholder acceptance.
• GWQ ServicePlus AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015GWQ ServicePlus AG (a company for efficiency and quality in health insurance) partnered with IPAM to win the contract for developing the IKK gesund plus drug report (Arzneimittelreport).
• 16 German States Practice Partner NetworkcoreOthers · 1 January 2015IPAM has established a network of practice partners across 16 German states including general practitioners, internists, ophthalmologists, diabetes counselors, clinic outpatient departments, and maximum-care hospitals. This enables multi-center primary data collection across Germany. The network covers Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Bavaria, Thuringia, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, NRW, Hesse, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.
• WINGS Fernstudium (Hochschule Wismar)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2015IPAM staff serve as lecturers in WINGS distance learning programs at Hochschule Wismar. Professor Wilke is program director for Business Consulting (Master), Management of Healthcare Facilities (Bachelor), and Health Management (Master) programs.
• Techniker Krankenkasse (TK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013In a joint project with IPAM, TK sponsored research on medication safety in oral antidiabetic treatment for Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, investigating non-adherence measurement using German routine data.
• Leo PharmamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Leo Pharma co-sponsored a multi-center patient chart study on anticoagulation therapy for VTE patients with severely impaired renal function (GFR < 30 ml/min), published in Journal of Public Health.
• Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Boehringer Ingelheim has co-sponsored multiple IPAM studies including investigations on guideline-congruent anticoagulation of atrial fibrillation patients and VTE patients with impaired renal function. Studies were conducted in cooperation with health insurance funds TK and AOK Plus.
• Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) / WINEGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Long-standing data partner providing claims data for multiple studies on atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and real-world treatment patterns. TK and WINEG have co-sponsored several IPAM research projects.
• AOK PLUScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Primary data partner for large-scale retrospective claims data studies covering approximately 3.5 million insured individuals. AOK PLUS data has supported studies in oncology, cardiology, diabetes, infectious diseases, and multiple other therapeutic areas.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IGES Institut: Berlin-based research and consulting institute covering health economics, real-world evidence, and market access for the German and European pharma and payer ecosystem — directly comparable niche.
• RTI Health Solutions: Global HEOR and RWE consultancy serving pharma and medical device clients with health economic modelling, real-world evidence, and patient preference studies — directly comparable service offering.
• IQWiG (Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care): Germany's main HTA body producing health economic and clinical benefit assessments — comparable scientific independent research institute structure, though HTA-focused rather than sponsor-funded.
• Open Health (Pharmerit International): Global HEOR, RWE, and market access consulting firm (formerly Pharmerit) — directly comparable in delivering evidence-generation, patient preference studies, and health economic analyses to pharma clients.
• WIdO (AOK-Bundesverband Research Institute): Scientific institute of the AOK federal association performing RWE and health services research on statutory health insurance data — competing with IPAM for sick-fund data-driven research mandates in Germany.
• Ingress-Health: Founded in 2015 as a strategic spin-off partner of IPAM, Ingress-Health is an international healthcare consulting company delivering RWE, linked-database, and health economics research out of the Netherlands and Germany — directly comparable business model and methodology.

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA (formerly QuintilesIMS): Global leader in clinical research, RWE, and HEOR services. Comparable in offering health outcomes research, claims data analytics, and market access evidence to pharma, but at dramatically larger scale and global reach.
• Kantar Health (now part of Cerner/Oracle): Global health outcomes and real-world evidence division that historically competed with IPAM in patient preference studies, oncology RWE, and multi-country HEOR projects.

Regional players

• ZIN (Zorginstituut Nederland): Dutch national health care institute conducting HTA and health services research — comparable institutional research function but focused on Dutch healthcare system rather than German.

Others

• Stada Arzneimittel / Evidence-based health economics teams: Generic and specialty pharma company that relies on independent RWE providers like IPAM for market access support — useful as a customer-side reference point for payer evidence demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ipam---institut-f%C3%BCr-pharmako%C3%B6konomie-und-arzneimittellogistik-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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