I’ll never forget a conversation with a hospital administrator who shared how their team struggled to secure critical antibiotics for an ICU patient. The therapies were available, but the system in place made accessing them unnecessarily complicated. That story stuck with me and became a driving force behind a decision that would reshape how we operate at Melinta Therapeutics.
At Melinta, our mission has always been clear: to provide innovative therapies to patients facing life-threatening diseases. But several years ago, we realized our traditional full-line wholesale (FLW) distribution model wasn’t helping us fulfill that mission. In fact, it created perceived barriers to access that no patient or hospital should have to face.
The challenges weren’t unique to us. Pharmaceutical companies of all sizes, except the giants, often face the same issues with FLW models:
● System inefficiencies: High wholesaler fees, rising costs, and manual processes made the system unsustainable. At one point, we found ourselves in a situation where a hospital needed our product, but despite having ample supply, it appeared as unavailable due to how the inventory was spread across multiple distribution centers. That was a wake-up call.
● Hospital frustrations: Perceived stock-outs and supply shortages left hospital buyers feeling frustrated and vulnerable. One health system told us they had to call around to multiple sites just to track down inventory, wasting valuable time that should have been spent on patient care.
● Patient impact: Delays in access jeopardized patient outcomes, contradicting everything we stand for as an organization. I remember a case where a pharmacy director explained how, in a critical infection case, the time lost waiting for a resupply could determine whether a patient received the most effective therapy at the right moment.
These cracks in the system were impossible to ignore. We needed a better way.
The Shift to Specialty Distribution
Changing our distribution model wasn’t an easy decision. It required us to rethink everything, from how we stock inventory to how we communicate with customers. But it was a necessary step to ensure hospitals had the therapies they needed when they needed them.
By transitioning to specialty distribution, we centralized our inventory in just a few distribution centers, giving us more control over availability. We partnered with major specialty distributors who could offer next-day delivery, ensuring that hospitals no longer had to deal with delays or perceived low inventory warnings.
We scrutinized our financials and operational logistics of making this shift. The numbers made sense, but what really drove the decision was the understanding that we could no longer allow patients to suffer due to an outdated system. It was a shift that had to happen, and it had to happen fast.
This shift transformed how we operate and redefined what patient access could look like. It also challenged us as an organization to think differently about how we serve our customers and patients. Specialty distribution meant tighter logistics, stronger communication, and a more proactive approach to managing hospital relationships. We had to work closely with our partners to ensure the transition was seamless and, most importantly, that no patient fell through the cracks during the changeover.
We worked closely with our customer-facing teams, especially our internal sales team, who served as our customer service experts ensuring they could guide hospitals through the transition. One of our biggest wins was having buyers tell us that ordering our products had suddenly become ‘predictable’—a stark contrast to the uncertainty they faced before.
What We Learned Along the Way
Looking back, the process was far from seamless. Like any major change, it came with its challenges. But three key lessons stood out:
Keep the Mission in Focus
Every decision we made was guided by our commitment to patients. Profitability is important, but it can never come at the expense of access to care. By keeping our mission front and center, we were able to navigate tough decisions with clarity and purpose.
At one point, there was a debate over whether to keep a dual distribution model for a transition period. Although that would have been the safer bet, we realized it would only extend the very inefficiencies we were trying to eliminate. Staying true to our commitment to patient access helped us make the hard calls when they mattered most.
Communicate Relentlessly
Whether it was preparing our sales teams, updating hospital buyers, developing external communications, or working closely with our distribution partners, clear communication was essential. It wasn’t just about disseminating information—it was about fostering trust and ensuring alignment at every level.
One of the biggest surprises during the transition was how much proactive outreach mattered. A hospital pharmacy director told us that because our sales teams checked-in so frequently, they never felt like they were ‘figuring it out alone.’ That kind of trust-building is something we now prioritize in every operational shift we make.
Be Flexible but Stay Committed
Change rarely goes according to plan, and that was certainly true for us. But we learned that flexibility in execution doesn’t mean compromising on the outcome. Staying adaptable allowed us to navigate challenges without losing sight of our goal.
We originally planned for the transition to be completed within six months, but unexpected hurdles forced us to adjust. Rather than rushing the process, we extended the timeline slightly while ensuring the hospitals relying on us never felt the disruption. That decision made all the difference in maintaining confidence in our new model.
A New Standard for Access
Since making the switch to specialty distribution, we’ve seen the impact firsthand. Perceived stock-outs are no longer an issue. Hospitals know they can count on us to deliver critical therapies within 24 hours. Most importantly, patients are getting the care they need without unnecessary delays.
We’ve also seen how this shift has strengthened relationships with our partners, our customers and even our internal teams. Hospitals and health systems appreciate the reliability and predictability of the new model, and that trust has translated into deeper collaborations. Internally, our team has gained invaluable insights into how to adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
This transformation was about more than improving logistics. It was about fulfilling our responsibility to the people who depend on us. The true measure of success lies in every hospital trusting our reliability and every patient receiving the timely treatment they need.
Shaping the Future
There’s still more work to do, but I’m proud of how far we’ve come. This journey has reinforced something I’ve always believed: When you put patients at the center of every decision, the rest will follow.
As an industry, we have a responsibility to reevaluate how we deliver care, prioritizing the people who rely on us and ensuring their needs are met at every stage. The challenge goes beyond solving today’s issues—it involves creating systems that are resilient and prepared for future uncertainties.
At Melinta, this commitment shapes every decision we make. We strive to create meaningful impact for the patients and providers who trust us daily, focusing on actions that truly make a difference where it matters most. This transformation isn’t just about us—it’s about setting a new standard for how we (and everyone should) approach patient access, ensuring that no hospital has to struggle to secure life-saving therapies.
John Harlow
John Harlow is Chief Commercial Officer at Melinta Therapeutics.
