Medical Affairs Teams Undertake Launch Planning Activities as Early as Three Years Ahead of Product Launch, Says New Research

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwired - January 26, 2017) - Launch planning is an essential component of life science teams' ongoing activities. As new life science products approach the launch window, pharmaceutical, biotech and device manufacturers draw upon the expertise of medical and commercial teams to both generate external interest and maintain these stakeholder engagement levels post-launch.

Cutting Edge Information today published a new study, titled Medical Affairs Organization's Role in Brand Launch, revealing that medical affairs teams finalize their launch plans roughly 12-18 months ahead of time. However, medical affairs teams' actual involvement in launch planning begins much earlier, according to the analysis.

Data from the same Cutting Edge Information research shows that medical affairs may begin launch-facing support as early as three years ahead of product launch. "Early planning enables medical affairs teams to develop best-fit launch plans," said Natalie DeMasi, research team leader at Cutting Edge Information. "The more time medical affairs teams dedicate to launch preparedness, the more flexibility they have in adjusting launch plans to address any additional product needs they identify."

One Top 10 pharmaceutical company profiled in the study creates preliminary launch plans between 2.5 and 3.0 years ahead of launch. By the time products are 18 months away from launch, medical affairs structures at this company have collected insights from early launch-facing activities. Top-line data helps this Top 10 company determine how effective its existing methods are. Moreover, preliminary data helps this group solidify its comprehensive launch plans a year ahead of planned product launch.

Cutting Edge Information's latest publication, Medical Affairs Organization's Role in Brand Launch: Medical Affairs Product Launch Series, available at https://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/product/medical-affairs-organizations-role/, offers insights into the structures, resources and strategies associated with the medical affairs side of launch preparations. Additionally, quantitative and qualitative findings frame specific medical teams' involvement: from medical science liaisons (MSLs) to independent medical education coordinators.

Medical Affairs Organization's Role in Brand Launch is part of a 10-part series that Cutting Edge Information will be publishing throughout 2017. The Medical Affairs Product Launch Series, available at https://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/product/medical-affairs-product-launch-series/, investigates how medical affairs resources and key performance indicators (KPIs) shift between two years prior to launch, one year before launch, launch year and during the product's first year on market.

To learn more about medical affairs' involvement in launch planning, visit www.CuttingEdgeInfo.com for more information.

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