June 30, 2010 ·
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Industry Insights from Paul Meade, M. Sc, MPH
When a biopharmaceutical company introduces a new medicine to the market, it comes after years of research, years of clinical development, and some times even years of regulatory review. With the patent ticking away from the early days of discovery, recovering the cost of such an investment in time and money requires a rapid and successful product launch. Achieving rapid success requires careful planning and a tremendous amount of valuable advice. This sage advice usually comes from respected thought leaders with years of experience in their respective therapeutic areas of expertise.
>From the early discovery phase, key opinion leaders help guide a company’s basic research to ensure unmet medical needs are met in a meaningful and cost-effective way. After moving beyond the proof-of-concept stage and into clinical development, other thought leaders play a critical role in assisting with the design of clinical trials that will be implemented through a network of investigators. Throughout the clinical development phases, thought leaders help guide a company with the most important messages other physicians will hear about the strengths and weaknesses of such a new medicine. And finally, as this new product enters the marketplace and is prescribed by the medical community, thought leaders play an important role ... read more »
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basic research biomarker discovery biopharmaceutical biotechnology clinical development clinical investigators clinical trials doctors drug development drug discovery drug launch health care professionals key opinion leaders KOL activities KOL engagement KOL identification KOL profiling KOLs media medical experts medicine patents pathway development patient advocacy groups pharmaceutical physicians product launch regulatory review thought leaders
June 1, 2010 ·
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In a recent post on Pharmalot, the pharmaceutical industry blog highlighted a recent survey that gauged American opinions on the speed and safety of the process for developing new medicines. The survey, conducted by Eli Lilly and ResearchAmerica, measured a number of opinions Americans hold regarding the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA itself.
While over 70 per cent of the respondents trust the FDA approval process for new drugs, more than half say the process should be faster. The most stunning numbers in the survey come from the questions regarding industry collaborations with universities and the government. Ninety-four per cent of the respondents said that pharmaceutical companies, universities, and the government should work together to develop new medicines more quickly and safely, and 88 per cent said that it was a good idea for drug companies to collaborate with hospitals, universities, and other health institutions.
The Lilly/Research America survey gives even more weight, the weight of public opinion,that the pharmaceutical industry must continue to increase its collaborations with medical experts to ensure that new medicines are delivered safely and in a timely fashion. Working with the right experts at the right points of development can save millions of dollars in development costs, and, more importantly, save more lives.
At Thought Leader Select, the collaborative synergy of the pharmaceutical industry and medical experts ... read more »
TAGS: Americans clinical research clinical trials drug development drug discovery Eli Lilly ethics FDA Food and Drug Administration government agencies health survey key opinion leaders KOL engagement KOL identification KOL profiling KOLs medical researchers nurse practitioners Pharmalot physician assistants physicians regulatory/reimbursement specialists ResearchAmerica researchers Thought Leader Select thought leaders transparcency
May 26, 2010 ·
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John Kelly, a 40-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry, joined Thought Leader Select in the spring of 2010. Throughout his career, John has served in many leadership posts, directing commercial development and clinical operations for a host of companies in the United Kingdom and Japan. John holds an MBA from Oxford (UK) Brookes University, and has run a successful pharmaceutical consulting firm since 2006. Prior to founding his consulting firm, Moffat-Dickson, Ltd., Kelly established and managed the European operations of Kowa Japan, a Japanese pharmaceutical company with clinical development in Europe, Russia, and India. Kelly also established and managed European operations for another Japanese pharmaceutical concern, Kyowa Hakko, and served as commercial manager for Martindale Pharmaceuticals of the United Kingdom.
The Thought Leader Select Blog sat down with John, via Skype, to discuss his industry experience and his professional contribution to Thought Leader Select.
TLS Blog: Good morning, John. What made you sign on with Thought Leader Select?
John Kelly: When I began talking with Paul Meade (president of Thought Leader Select) and Neil Mellor (principal agent for North America), I could see from the outset that this would be a concept that’s potentially new to a lot of companies. From my experience in commercial development of new medicines, I could see how structuring groups of medical experts would help those processes immensely. ... read more »
TAGS: biotechnology drug development drug discovery John Kelly key opinion leaders KOL deployment KOL engagement KOL identification KOL selection Kowa Japan Kyowa Hakko Ltd. Martindale Pharmaceuticals MBA medical experts Moffat-Dickson Neil Mellor Oxford Brookes University Paul Meade pharmaceutical pharmaceutical marketing physicians Thought Leader Select
May 25, 2010 ·
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Industry Insights from Paul Meade, M. Sc, MPH
I have spent the last 30 years directly or indirectly involved with the pharmaceutical industry. I worked for two international pharmaceutical companies and have advised many other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies over the past few years. So I undoubtedly have a biased view in favor of this industry and its aims to promote health while making a reasonable profit for its research efforts.
While I can appreciate all the activities undertaken by pharmaceutical companies to develop medicines to improve the health of people throughout the world, I can also understand why many people have a jaded view of these companies. The perception that pharmaceutical companies take advantage of sick people and make them pay high prices for medicines to make them better is one that prevails among many societies. Yet, through the invention of antibiotics to control infectious diseases, and vaccines to prevent many childhood diseases, and many other products for a variety of diseases, the pharmaceutical industry has made significant improvements to healthcare. In addition to the high cost of medicines, few people realize that the total cost of pharmaceutical products as a portion of the total healthcare spending in the United States is less than 10%. Yet, many people believe that medicines are far too expensive.
Pharmaceutical companies, for the most part, ... read more »
TAGS: biomarkers biotechnology breast cancer childhood diseases clinical research drug development drug discovery drug prices genetic profile genetics healthcare improvment healthcare reform Herceptin infectious disease international business medical research pediatric medicine personalized medicine pharmaceutical research and development costs US healthcare spending vaccines
April 13, 2010 ·
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A report in yesterday’s Pharma Letter illustrates how critical partnerships between the pharmaceutical industry and academia can be beneficial for patients, medical professionals and the pharmaceutical industry alike. The Italian Institute of Technology’s Drug Discovery and Development Unit (D3) “brings together scientists with experience in industry and academia to discover new drugs in pain, inflammation and dementia.” Having already received considerable funding from the Italian government, D3 is interested in partnering with external collaborators to further projects.
Through its in-depth key opinion leader (KOL) identification and profiling, Thought Leader Select sees how many similar partnerships around the globe are successful in creating innovative therapies and furthering scientific work. We look forward to the advancements that D3 is sure to bring. As partnerships between the industry and leading academic centers of excellence continue to form, we expect today’s breakthrough compounds to become tomorrow’s key medicines for global public health much more quickly.
Institutes like the D3 in Italy will illustrate, on an even greater level, the synergies that inevitably develop when the pharmaceutical industry teams up with the right key opinion leaders for clinical investigation, advisory boards, editorial boards, and other key areas of deployment.
Read the full article here.
TAGS: advisory boards clinical investigation clinical trials drug development drug discovery editorial boards Italian Insitute of Technology's Drug Discovery and Development Unit Italy key opinion leaders pharmaceutical public health scientists 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
