Maximizing the Impact of Medical Affairs in Product Launch: Role and Activities

STUDY OVERVIEW
Medical Affairs has become one of the key players in new product launches. The function oversees vital activities that span the critical periods of pre-launch, launch and post-launch. In order to maximize its launch impact, Medical Affairs groups need to strategically deploy their resources and activities across key launch phases.

To clarify the emerging roles and activities that Medical Affairs is responsible for in a launch, Best Practices, LLC conducted a primary research study to examine the different parts that Medical Affairs plays in a product launch.

The first section of the study provides a qualitative overview on Medical Affairs and its growing role in launch; this chapter focuses on the development of a Medical Affairs strategy and work plan for guiding and supporting a product launch. Subsequent chapters examine the role and activities of Medical Affairs for launch. Specifically, these chapters look at the key launch activities that Medical Affairs leads vs. supports. Another chapter reviews how Medical Affairs collaborates with internal groups to align priorities and set the stage for a successful launch.

Medical Affairs leaders can use this study to compare how their organization utilizes Medical Affairs in the build-up to launch.

KEY TOPICS

• Study Findings
• Launch Strategy and Work Plan
• Medical Affairs Role and Activity Effectiveness
• Ensuring Cross-functional Alignment and Collaboration
• Adapting to Ongoing Changes in MA Landscape
• MA Leading vs. Supporting Launch Teams
• Appendix

KEY METRICS

• What is Medical Affairs role (lead vs. support) across these five activity areas?
• How effective is your Medical Affairs organization in these five launch activities?
• How does Medical Affairs collaborate with internal groups to ensure a successful launch?
• What is Medical Affairs' role in cross-functional teams?
• What tactics improve cross-functional collaboration and work alignment?
• What is the change in Medical Affairs' launch role within the last three years - research and data generation
• What is the change in Medical Affairs' launch role within the last three years - data dissemination and communication
• What is the change in Medical Affairs' launch role within the last three years - education and organizational support
• What is Medical Affairs' role in your cross-functional launch teams?
• Does Medical Affairs play a leading/co-leading/support role in these different launch-related activities?
• What are the major pitfalls encountered by Medical Affairs during launch?
• What are the top 3 factors that facilitate Medical Affairs leadership?
• What are the top 3 factors/reasons for Medical Affairs leading the launch team?
  

• Improve launch team alignment by deploying work timelines and increasing strategy transparency 24 months before the launch.
  1. Jointly developing/sharing activity timelines with other launch teams, and clearly stating deadlines for handing materials over to other teams.
  2. Companies might be tight-lipped on critical strategic decisions to reduce information leaks to competitors. Twenty-four months before the launch, launch team should facilitate the culture of transparency and sharing with other teams.

Best Practices, LLC engaged over 60 Medical Affairs leaders from 44 pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies in this research study through a benchmarking survey, interviews and a roundtable discussion.

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