This month’s Pharmaceutical Market Europe Magazine features a thought leadership article from Medmeme. The article discusses the importance of Medical Affairs engaging thought leaders and KOLs early – not waiting until phase III trials – to drive Share of Scientific Voice and successful launches.
It also goes on to talk about the importance of selecting the right KOLs to engage with for any given Medical Affairs endeavor.
Harnessing the Unrivalled Power of Key Opinion Leaders
The critical value of engaging KOLs early in the drug development process
Constrained healthcare budgets, pressure on pricing, generic brand competition and market access hurdles at home and abroad are increasing the pressures on pharma companies bringing new drugs to market.
However, congress and publication data from Medmeme shows that the volume of information disseminated ahead of a product launch can have a significant impact on its success, enabling pharma to achieve higher sales and make the most of the short competitive product lifecycle.
Engaging early
Engaging the right Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) at an early stage in the lifecycle, and utilising their expertise and influence, is key to securing timely and positive data dissemination, yet many companies underestimate the true value of this engagement.
Indeed, many pharma companies have been shown to wait until Phase III has started before approaching KOLs. However, the latest analyses show that the best time to start engaging is around three years before launch, when preliminary data on dose and efficacy first becomes available.