March 30, 2010 ·
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 30, 2010 (CHAPEL HILL, NC)—Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina firm dedicated to better engagement and more sophisticated deployment of key opinion leaders for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announces the hiring of Brian Castle as director of global marketing and client relations.
Mr. Castle, a native of Jackson, MS, spent 11 years leading business development teams in the financial services industry for a variety of Fortune 500 banking institutions. More recently, through his independent consulting company, Parklife Communications, Mr. Castle has collaborated with companies and individuals in consumer product design and development, engineering, business services, manufacturing, and fine arts on multiple marketing, communications, public relations and social media projects.
“Brian brings a unique set of skills to Thought Leader Select,” stated Kristen Smithwick, vice president of global sales, marketing, and planning at the firm. “His work is taking us to the forefront of our marketplace, in terms of his abilities to connect us even more with our clients, prospects, and industry leaders.”
Castle earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 1998. He will be serving Thought Leader Select in several capacities, executing marketing strategies, managing client relationships, and assisting senior management with issues related to strategic planning.
About Thought Leader Select
Thought Leader Select is a specialty firm focused on providing solutions—research, ... read more »
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biotech Brian Castle client relations key opinion leaders marketing pharma research Thought Leader Select
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Over the past several weeks, we’ve talked about how collaborations among key opinion leaders, clinical investigators and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies benefit the companies, the KOLs or clinical investigators, and patients. The foundation of these mutually-beneficial collaborations is the objective, methodical approach to understanding KOLs’ and clinical investigators’ skills and experiences.
Many methods promise to illuminate the strengths of KOLs and investigators; however, key hallmarks of the best approaches include the following attributes:
· An objective review of accomplishments and areas of focus, including, but not limited to, a KOL’s/clinical investigator’s involvement in patient care, academic pursuits, medical publishing, basic and clinical investigation and areas of expertise.
· A keen understanding of the KOL’s/clinical investigator’s goals for his or her practice as well as his or her desires for partnering with industry.
· Commitment to involving KOLs and clinical investigators in activities that closely match their skills, experiences, goals and desires.
Thought Leader Select’s methodology, known as “deep profiling,” coupled with our leadership team’s 70+ years of combined experience working in and with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries has enabled our company to build an impressive record of success with assisting pharma with KOL engagement and deployment strategies. Our work results in more mutually-beneficial collaborations, for KOLs, pharma, ... read more » TAGS: biotechnology clinical investigators clinical trials deep profling key opinion leaders KOLs patients pharmaceutical physicians research Thought Leader Select
March 25, 2010 ·
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Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies Provide Early Knowledge-building Opportunities for KOLs and Clinical Investigators
Understanding the value that key opinion leaders provide pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is clear, but how do companies benefit thought leaders and clinical investigators? By definition, KOLs are physicians, scientists and academics who devote time to studying and advancing their craft. Often, these academic pursuits are broadened by involvement in early-stage advisory board meetings and clinical investigations.
In the early stage of molecule development, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies rely on KOLs to help shape how a new compound will be used in patients, to design clinical studies, and to determine pricing. Simultaneously, thought leaders gain early knowledge about new ways of treating patients with specific diseases and illnesses. They also learn about new treatment breakthroughs and therapies that provide greater value for patients.
Clinical investigators who participate in early-Phase II investigations are helping companies determine correct dosing, timing and other safety issues. At the same time, they too have a first look at new therapies as well as the opportunity to shape future treatment guidelines. Additionally, these investigators often present new clinical data to other scientists and physicians, which reveal possibilities for future research and investigation.
Opportunities for ... read more » TAGS: biotechnology clinical investigators doctors early-stage research key opinion leaders new compounds patients pharmaceutical scientists thought leaders
March 23, 2010 ·
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Today’s Press Release from the offices of Thought Leader Select:
(CHAPEL HILL, NC)—Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina company dedicated to better engagement and more sophisticated deployment of key opinion leaders (KOLs) for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announces the hiring of Rhonda Napier as research manager.
Ms. Napier, a native of Waterford, PA, brings a solid background of 13 years of healthcare research and practice as an exercise physiologist to her duties at Thought Leader Select. During her time at the Ohio State University College of Nursing, Napier led National Institutes of Health-funded research in exercise in hypertensive women. More recently, her work at the Gillings School for Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) focused on quality and access to healthcare.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from the West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1995, Ms. Napier attended Marshall University, where she completed a master’s degree in adult fitness and cardiac rehabilitation. In addition to recent work on research teams at Thought Leader Select, Napier has completed a year of coursework in the doctoral program in public health at the renowned Gillings School of UNC.
Ms. Napier has practiced exercise physiology at clinics in South Carolina and Ohio. She will be leading research teams to execute Thought Leader Select’s exclusive deep-profiling methodology, which ... read more »
TAGS: biotechnology deep-profiling pharmaceutical research Rhonda Napier Thought Leader Select
March 18, 2010 ·
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Key Opinion Leaders Help to Foster Robust, Viable Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Pipelines
Imagine a world where pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developed therapies without input from KOLs at various stages of product discovery and development. The results would be far fewer treatments available, greater risks for unwanted side effects and potentially, a larger number of unnecessary therapies. The average pharmaceutical company will initiate over 100 research projects to develop one successful compound. With the stakes high to create therapies that make a difference, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies turn to KOLs for assistance in the following areas:
· Determining the medical needs for a disease early in the development of a compound
· Consulting on early clinical data as to the viability of a compound
· Providing guidance on how to present clinical data to practicing physicians in the community.
Next week’s fourth installment of the series by Kristen Smithwick will share how pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies contribute to the continued education and advancement of KOLs, clinical investigators and practicing physicians.
TAGS: clinical data drug development drug discovery key opinion leaders patients pharma pipelines
March 17, 2010 ·
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New press release out today from the offices of Thought Leader Select!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2010 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) —Thought Leader Select, a company dedicated to delivering solutions for better engagement and more sophisticated deployment of key opinion leaders (KOLs) for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, is proud to announce the commencement of a new project for a top-20 global pharmaceutical company.
Deep profiling has proven to be up to three times more effective than other more traditional methods, such as influence mapping, in matching pharmaceutical companies with the key opinion leaders who exhibit the skills and experiences needed to develop tomorrow’s drug therapies (source: Thought Leader Select internal comparative research).
Upon project delivery, the client company will be able to utilize Thought Leader Select’s customized engagement recommendations, research reporting and a web-based profiling tool to develop world-class clinical investigation teams and high-synergy advisory boards. As the client builds its investigative teams and advisory boards, the skills and experiences of the global KOLs will drive key applications.
In addition to Thought Leader Select’s deep profiling, the firm will provide qualitative research of the key opinion leaders selected by the pharmaceutical company to aid in the development of their neurology product. This study will assess KOL preferences for treating certain neurological symptoms, in ... read more »
TAGS: advisory boards deep-profiling influence mapping clinical trials key opinion leaders medical conferences neurology pharmaceutical company physicians product information qualitative research Thought Leader Select
March 11, 2010 ·
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While 2010 continues to be a challenging year for the pharmaceutical industry as a whole, certain targeted areas of development continue to gain attention from the industry.
In PharmExec’s 2010 forecast,Alexandra Kibble predicted continued focus on the following therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, oncology, and anti-infectives. Kibble also predicted a rise in pipeline development of treatments for central nervous system disorders and diabetes.
At Thought Leader Select, we are addressing impending client needs to work with key opinion leaders in endocrinology, cardiology, and neurology to meet the increasing demands for new drug therapies in these key areas. Our work matches physician key opinion leaders, as well as non-traditional KOLs, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses, with pharma companies for critical development work on investigator teams, advisory boards, and other areas of deployment.
Read the entire PharmExec forecast here.
TAGS: development pharma PharmExec therapeutic areas Thought Leader Select
March 9, 2010 ·
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New press release out today, celebrating the tremendous efforts of our business development and research teams.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2009 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) Thought Leader Select, a company dedicated to delivering solutions for better engagement and more sophisticated deployment of key opinion leaders (KOLs) for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announces on-going research and consulting work for seven of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
After record-setting business development efforts during the fourth quarter of 2009, the research team at Thought Leader Select has commenced the study of over 1300 KOLs across 10 therapeutic areas and 14 disease states in the United States and Canada. Employing its industry-leading “deep-profiling” methodology, the team at Thought Leader Select is matching key opinion leaders, based on their skills and experiences, with pharmaceutical partners for key roles in clinical trials, advisory boards, and treatment guidelines.
The KOLs represent the therapeutic areas of cardiac surgery, cardiology, general surgery, hematology, ophthalmology, rheumatology, endocrinology, infectious diseases, dermatology, and gastroenterology. In addition to its signature work with physician KOLs, Thought Leader Select is also delivering key research on institutional KOLs, such as pharmacy directors, directors of hospital medicine, and internal medicine specialists, as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Rounding out Thought Leader Select’s current project list is another of its landmark Centers of Excellence studies, with the current casework focused ... read more »
TAGS: advisory boards biotechnology centers of excellence clinical trials consulting deep-profiling disease states key opinion leaders pharmaceutical research therapeutic areas Thought Leader Select treatment guidelines
March 4, 2010 ·
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With heightened scrutiny on the objectivity of Continuing Medical Education meetings in recent years, pharmaceutical companies have placed more emphasis on understanding skills and experiences of physician Thought Leaders who may serve as CME faculty. In addition to publishing grant databases which outline monies paid to speakers, CME faculty and other advisors, leading companies are paying more attention to the methods they use to select potential speakers and faculty – basing invitations on physicians’ demonstrated experiences within a therapeutic area or disease state, and not just the physician’s comfort or familiarity with a company’s products.
Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina firm delivering critical key opinion leader engagement solutions to the pharma and biotech industries, has advised industry leaders on high-impact KOL deployment plans for more than 4800 thought leaders around the world. “Objective KOL profiles power our recommendations for CME and other aspects of thought leader engagement, ensuring that companies maintain compliance with CME activities and prove their relevance and necessity for medical professionals,” according to Lisa Smith, Executive Vice President of Research at Thought Leader Select.
Top objective qualities used to select CME faculty members include:
March 2, 2010 ·
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KOLs Provide the “Voice of the Patient” for Life-changing Discoveries
According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA—(http://www.phrma.org/), “Only one of every 10,000 potential medicines investigated by America’s research-based pharmaceutical companies makes it through the research and development pipeline and is approved for patient use by the United States Food and Drug Administration.”
Development of innovative medicines for effective disease treatment requires that pharmaceutical companies have a keen understanding of the diseases impacting patients and a view into how doctors see these medicines work in their patient populations. Without advice from physicians and scientists in the field, pharma companies may target the “wrong” illnesses or miss or miss opportunities to tackle the most complex diseases.
Physicians become the “voice of the patient” during the drug discovery and development process. Patients around the globe have the partnership of physicians, scientists and pharmaceutical manufactures to thank for longer life expectancy and the eradication of deadly diseases.
The most beneficial physician/scientist/pharma collaborations exemplify the following key hallmarks:
· Common goals for identifying patient needs, gaps in available treatments and potential new therapies
· Open exchange of patient needs and treatment ideas
· Critical, unbiased ... read more » TAGS: discovery drug development FDA innovation key opinion leaders patients pharma PhRMA
