Medical Affairs Unscripted Lumanity Medical Affairs Consulting

A thoughtfully and carefully built Medical Affairs team, and in particular, a Field Medical team can enhance study enrollment and serve as a foundation for future commercialization. In this episode, Peg and Christian Dimaano, PhD, MPH, VP, Head of Medical Affairs at Kinnate Biopharma, discuss the differences between building a Medical Affairs team in the US compared to building teams in the EU or Asia PAC, and the ideal timing for bringing field medical onboard. They review the pros and cons of outsourcing a field team versus building internally and highlight the different skill sets needed for teams at different stages of the product lifecycle.

An effective learning and development program can be transformative for a Medical Affairs organization. In this discussion, Peg, Adeola Davis, PHD, MPA, Director of Learning Development at Arcadia Pharmaceuticals, and Mary Winkles, PharmD, Global Director, Medical Affairs Training and Capability at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, break down what it takes to build a successful learning and development program and how to measure its success. They highlight when organizations should build a learning and development program and how to think about scalability. Additionally, they discuss how effective and efficient training can greatly increase employee retention as well as help an organization speak with a unified voice. Medical Affairs professionals who value a curious mindset and believe in encouraging growth within their teams will find valuable insights from these industry experts.

Medical Affairs is going through a digital transformation. What this means, what it will look like, and what value it will bring to pharmaceutical and biotech companies is still unknown. In this second episode of our short form podcast series, we discuss this topic with Dr. John Yee.  As the former CMO at Sobi, Dr. Yee has a wealth of Medical Affairs experience and insights. This conversation brings us further along in trying to understand the changes that are coming to the industry.

In this special episode of Medical Affairs Unscripted, Peg Crowley-Nowick, PhD interviews three of Lumanity Medical Affairs Consulting PharmDs, Stephanie Wong, George Shyu, and Chris Maclafferty. They discuss the different paths they took from earning their degree to joining the pharmaceutical industry as well as the additional training and knowledge they felt were required to be successful in Medical Affairs. They breakdown the skills and expertise that PharmDs can bring to a Medical Affairs organization and how they chose to work in a consulting role rather than in a more typical role as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) or Medical Information Specialist. They wrap up by describing the different types of consulting work they find most fulfilling and how they “stay curious” and grow their careers.

Whether your drug is in an early development phase or in the lifecycle management phase, it is important to know when and how to invest in Medical Affairs. In their discussion this month, Peg and John Yee, MD, MPH and former CMO at Sobi, focus on the value of and the critical need to invest in Medical Affairs. They see Medical Affairs as the “bridge” across all functions and that it sits at the intersection of medicine, science, and business. They highlight the need to communicate and engage with the commercial side of the organization while building a Medical Affairs team and Dr. Yee describes how each team member should be a “triple threat” in the areas of scientific excellence, business acumen, and emotional intelligence. He provides first-hand experience and advice on all of these topics, and we believe that CMOs will find a wealth of Medical Affairs knowledge in this podcast.

Medical Affairs is going through a digital transformation. What this means, what it will look like, and what value it will bring to pharmaceutical and biotech companies is still unknown. Over the remainder of 2023, we’ll be releasing additional short form podcasts, podcast bytes, where we discuss this topic with our guests. Janet Loesberg, PharmD, SVP of Global Medical Affairs at Blueprint Medicine, is our first guest and we greatly appreciate her insights. We look forward to delving into this topic on future episodes.