Webinar: Medical Muscle: Building the Strength + Flexibility Medical Needs To Lead Pharma’s Future

In today’s pharma industry, medical affairs is at a critical juncture. As pressures mount to deliver advanced treatments, medical affairs is called to lead with strength and strategic intent. At our recent Medical Muscle webinar, industry leaders have came together to discuss challenges, solutions, and way forward in building a robust and flexible medical affairs department. 

Featured Speakers: 

• Samin Saeed, VP, Early Pipeline, Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) 

• Sebastian Sorsaburu, Former VP, Medical Affairs & Global Medical Strategy, Vertex 

• Denise Chambley, President of Medical, Amplity 

• Arvashni Seeripat, General Manager, GRT US Holding & President, Averitas 

Host: 

• Paul Simms, Chief Executive, Impatient Health

   

The Importance of New Models for Medical Affairs 

Medical affairs is frequently referred to as the “brains” of the industry, charged with bringing clarity to scientific data and bridging the gap between clinical evidence and real-world application. As t healthcare grows in complexity—spurred by technological advancement, enhanced data utilization, and an emphasis on patient-centric care—medical affairs must assume a stronger leadership role in pharma companies. 

Yet, challenges abound.  

Currently, the development of medical affairs within organizations is inconsistent, often lacking strategic focus and sufficient influence within company hierarchies. Many departments find themselves operating within traditional “service” roles.  

How Strategic Thinking, Operational Excellence, and Outsourcing Can Strengthen Medical Affairs 

The webinar explored several strategic adjustments necessary to elevate medical affairs departments. Key insights: 

1. Strategic Thinking and Influence: Leaders emphasized the importance of fostering strategic thinking and situational influence within medical teams. Medical affairs professionals must navigate and engage effectively, influencing both internal stakeholders and external partners to drive impactful outcomes. Having strategic acumen is crucial, as is the ability to convey insights that align with broader business objectives. 
2. Operational Excellence Meets Strategy: Medical affairs must balance operational responsibilities with strategic roles. This dual responsibility helps ensure that tactical tasks do not overshadow the department’s potential to impact organizational strategy. 
3. Embrace Outsourcing for Flexibility: Outsourcing the management of field medical teams can provide the flexibility needed to focus on strategic priorities. Whether it involves expanding a team to encompass new therapeutic areas or hiring a team to manage established products, working with an outsourcing partner can allow medical affairs leaders to concentrate on building core capabilities and achieving strategic objectives. 

Overcoming Barriers to Strengthening Medical Affairs 

One of the critical hurdles is cultural. Historically, medical affairs has been viewed as supporting players rather than key strategists. To change this, buy-in from broader organizational leadership is essential. Departments must articulate their value as vital partners in product development and commercialization processes. 

Another barrier is resource allocation. While the demands on medical affairs are increasing, budgets are constrained. Making compelling business cases for investment in medical affairs is crucial. 

Next Steps  

What can be done on Monday morning? 

• Redefine Roles and Objectives: Clearly articulate the strategic intent of your medical affairs department. Define what tasks add value and what legacy activities can be dismissed or outsourced. 

• Enhance Internal Collaboration: Develop cross-functional teams that work harmoniously with other departments like R&D and commercial units, ensuring tight alignment with overall organizational goals. 

• Invest in People and Technology: Commit to continuous learning for your teams, focusing on both operational skills and strategic capabilities. Embracing new technologies and AI can propel medical sciences toward more insightful data capture and interpretation. 

• Measure to Manage: Implement robust metrics to assess the influence and outcomes of medical affairs initiatives. This will help demonstrate the department’s contribution to organizational success and patient outcomes.

   

In sum, the need for a strong, strategically-led medical affairs function is both clear and urgent. By adjusting leadership approaches, integrating strategic foresight, and adopting flexible operating models, medical affairs can indeed become the medical muscle organizations need for sustained success. The time to act is now.