From Underdog to $12B Exit: How Biohaven Pharma Turned Coaching Into a Competitive Weapon

When Biohaven Pharma launched into the migraine market, the odds were not in their favor. They faced entrenched competitors with deeper pockets, bigger salesforces, and broader reach.

And yet, they won.

Early Success, and a Hidden Risk

The launch was a tremendous success. Reps executed well, access barriers were navigated, and Biohaven Pharma began carving out real market share. But with success came complacency. Ratings were inflated. Coaching drifted toward generic encouragement. Skill development stalled.

That’s when Biohaven Pharma’s leadership brought in a different approach: treat coaching as a  competitive discipline, and managers as the lever.

Resetting the Curve

Working side by side with field leadership, Echelon combined data and live field validation to reveal the gap between perceived sales team proficiency and actual proficiency. The findings were clear: further progress and competitive resilience required a reset.

Here’s how the reset took hold:

• Coach to brand priorities. Pre-call planning and targeted follow-ups tied coaching directly to execution that moved market share.
• Recalibrate “good.” Managers aligned on objective criteria for strategy-critical skills and rated more honestly, unlocking coaching that mattered.
• Create continuity. A cadence of follow-up and reporting kept development from evaporating after workshops or ride-alongs.
• Secure cross-functional buy-in. Analytics, CL&D, Market Access, Ops, and Marketing rallied around coaching as a system, not a “sales-only” initiative.
  
  

The Result

Biohaven Pharma fought off competitors, grew share, and ultimately sold to one of the leading pharma manufacturers on the planet for nearly $12B. The field team’s transformation didn’t come from more field days or bigger budgets. It came from manager leverage, a disciplined approach to coaching, and proof that execution quality drives enterprise value.

Why It Matters to You

When leadership asks for ROI, Biohaven Pharma’s story shows the path forward:

• Coaching metrics that prove impact, not just activity.
• Manager upskilling that scales faster than rep-by-rep training.
• A system that survives leadership transitions and secures investment.
  
  

Want the full story?
Read the case study: Out-Coaching the Competition : How Biohaven Pharma Turned Manager Leverage into a $12B Exit.