Authors
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Eddie Power – CEO & Founder, emPower Medical
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Michael Kahn – Executive Director, Medical Excellence, Amicus Therapeutics
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Brenda Raphael – Independent Consultant
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Joris van Vugt – Head of External Medical Affairs and Patient Engagement, Viatris
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Clare Jackson – Independent Consultant
Disclaimer: This paper represents the opinions of the authors and not those of their organizations
Key Takeaways:
- How Medical Affairs can add strategic value at multiple levels—C-suite, portfolio, and product—by demonstrating fluency in business priorities
- Why stronger alignment with Commercial colleagues is crucial and the importance of bridging gaps in business acumen and misalignment
- What Commercial colleagues wish Medical Affairs would understand in terms of business considerations
- How challenging and competitive the commercial drug development environment is, and how it continues to evolve
1.0 Executive Summary
Medical Affairs has come a long way over the past decade and is now considered a key strategic partner within many pharmaceutical organizations. However, many Medical Affairs professionals continue to lack a holistic understanding of the business context in which medicines are developed and brought to market. At times, the commercial aspects of drug development are viewed with apprehension or dismissed as incompatible with scientific and medical values. This perspective risks limiting the ability of Medical Affairs to contribute effectively to enterprise-wide strategy.
This paper aims to help Medical Affairs teams develop greater fluency in and comfort with business considerations that underpin the development, delivery, and access of medicines. These include identifying unmet medical needs, advancing clinical research, navigating manufacturing and regulatory requirements, and ensuring market access, all through the lens of business priorities. A broader appreciation of these elements would help Medical Affairs to strengthen its role as a strategic partner while remaining grounded in its mission to improve patient outcomes.
