What is an addressable population?
The addressable population refers to the group of patients within a defined disease or condition who are eligible for treatment with a specific product or intervention, based on clinical, regulatory, or payer-defined criteria. These may include disease severity, biomarker status, line of therapy, or prior treatment history. The addressable population is typically smaller than the total disease population and is critical for accurately forecasting demand and market potential.
Why is defining the addressable population important?
Defining the addressable population allows pharmaceutical companies to make evidence-based decisions about clinical development, pricing, market access, and commercial strategy. It ensures that resources are focused on the most relevant patient groups, supports value communication to payers and providers, and helps to estimate the product’s potential impact in real-world settings. This concept also underpins key deliverables such as epidemiological modelling, budget impact analyses, and market sizing.