Case Study: This Stuff Tastes Like… (Flavor Science)
The Problem
A pharmaceutical company’s nicotine gum product was losing market share due to an unpleasant flavor. Furthermore, the nicotine additive caused the gum to harden very quickly while being chewed. The combination of the bad flavor and lack of “chewability” led most users to abandon the gum before completing the full course of treatment. Although the company’s scientists knew how to deliver nicotine effectively, they had no experience in flavor science or in creating confectionery products and couldn’t fix either problem by themselves.
Critical Issues
Intellectual Property Creation Full-Time Availability
The Solution
Maven constructed an Electronic Survey of independent flavor science and food chemistry experts, which was used as a written interview. After further screening via Telephone Consultations, the customer hired one of the experts for an Extended Consulting project. Since Maven had pre-negotiated consulting rates and legal terms with the expert, they were able to get straight to work in a matter of days. Within three months, the consultant had helped the customer to develop a novel method of ingredient encapsulation that resolved the flavor and chewability issues without affecting the safety or efficacy of the drug.
“First we tried posting challenges to the “Open Innovation” platforms. Then we called the headhunters. None of them were able to help, but Maven delivered exactly the right consultant in less than a week.”
– Director of Clinical Research & Development
