October 4, 2012 ·
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(CHAPEL HILL, NC) Thought Leader Select, a Chapel Hill, NC-based consulting firm serving the biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries, announces the commencement of a national engagement in obesity with a top U. S. biopharmaceutical company.
The company, part of a select group of global leaders in drug development for products treating the condition of obesity, approached Thought Leader Select for support with scientific advisory boards, consulting, and medical science liaison outreach to leading physicians in this area. Having already worked with Thought Leader Select to form rosters of key opinion leaders in endocrinology, primary care, nursing, pharmacy, and long-term care in the treatment of type I and type II diabetes, the company has now chosen Thought Leader Select to pinpoint the leading experts in the treatment of obesity in the United States.
Known for the versatility of applications for its in-house research, Thought Leader Select’s research group will analyze the skills and experience of specialists in multiple areas where they collaborate with leading physicians to advance the science of medicine and patient care, including basic and clinical research, scientific journal publishing, treatment guidelines, and more.
Throughout the remainder of the engagement, Thought Leader Select’s consulting team will provide strategic guidance, tactical recommendations for strengthening key opinion leader relationships in the area of obesity, and a suite of tools to promote collaborative work ... read more »
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advisory boards biopharmaceutical biotechnology Brian Castle clinical research drug development health care professionals health care providers healthcare key opinion leader key opinion leaders KOL KOL engagement KOL identification KOL mapping KOL profiling KOLs medical experts medicine obesity obesity key opinion leaders obesity specialists public health
September 27, 2012 ·
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(CHAPEL HILL, NC) Thought Leader Select, a Chapel Hill, NC-based consulting firm serving the biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries, announces the commencement of a national engagement in gastroenterology with a top Canadian biopharmaceutical company.
The company, part of a select group of global leaders in drug development for products treating type and type II diabetes, approached Thought Leader Select for support with scientific advisory boards and continuing health education (CHE) initiatives across multiple Canadian provinces. Having already worked with Thought Leader Select to form a roster of key opinion leaders in Canadian endocrinology circles, the company will round out its roster of key opinion leaders by deploying Thought Leader Select’s team to assess the skills and experiences of registered nurses and clinical pharmacists around the country.
Known for the versatility of applications for its in-house research, Thought Leader Select’s research group will analyze the skills and experience of registered nurses and pharmacists in multiple areas where they collaborate with leading physicians to advance the science of medicine and patient care, including basic and clinical research, scientific journal publishing, treatment guidelines, and more.
Throughout the remainder of the engagement, Thought Leader Select’s consulting team will provide strategic guidance, tactical recommendations for strengthening key opinion leader relationships in the nursing and pharmacy communities, and a suite of tools to promote collaborative work with KOLs.
“Thought ... read more »
TAGS: advisory boards basic research biopharmaceutical biotechnology clinical pharmacists clinical research clinical trials deep-profiling diabetes health care professionals health care providers key opinion leader key opinion leaders KOL KOL engagement KOL identification KOL mapping KOL profiling medical experts Neil Mellor pharmaceuticals registered nurses Thought Leader Select type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes
May 16, 2012 ·
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Industry Insights from Paul Meade, M. Sc, MPH
Everyone seems to have a definition of what a thought leader, or key opinion leader, or external expert is. These honorifics are routinely bestowed upon the most revered people in our society.
Most industries—not just healthcare—have thought leaders, but not everyone views them in the same way. Are they thought-provoking? Are they influential? Do they challenge conventions and change standards? Are they truly leaders in their area of expertise? Do they have large social networks? Are they popular and well-known? Are they amazingly brilliant and have a superior intellect? These are many of the questions people ask themselves when determining someone’s thought leadership.
It would appear then, that the definition of a thought leader is in the eye of the beholder, something akin to art or beauty. We certainly cannot get to the answer by parsing the two words. This would mean any leader with a thought would qualify! Furthermore, we have been struggling to define leadership for about 10,000 years now, with still no definitive definition in sight.
To focus on a single industry, such as healthcare, might help with deriving a workable definition. Yet, even in healthcare, new definitions are cropping up all the time, perhaps even more definitions than in other industry sectors. The traditional or classical definition of a thought leader has ... read more »
TAGS: CNN Dr. Sanjay Gupta drug formularies external experts healthcare key opinion leader keynote speaker KOL medical conferences medical research neurosurgeon Nobel laureate reimbursement research laboratory scientific journal articles scientific meetings social networks thought leader thought leadership
November 16, 2010 ·
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November 16, 2010 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina firm dedicated to delivering the most accurate and effective key opinion leader (KOL) profiling research for the biopharmaceutical industry, announces the launch of a drug reimbursement project for a top-10 US pharmaceutical company.
With a new drug for treating coagulation coming to the market in 2011, the client contracted Thought Leader Select to find advisors for reimbursement for the new drug. Thought Leader Select is helping the client company by finding the most qualified market access advisors throughout the United States. These key opinion leaders (KOLs) range from pharmacy directors to translational benefit influencers.
The payer KOLs will be found from across the United States through Thought Leader Select’s extensive databases. Through a deep profiling methodology based on 15 categories, ranging from area of expertise to publications, Thought Leader Select will understand the key opinion leaders’ skills and experiences in the area of coagulation.
The role of the customized group of KOLs will be to advise on what the pharmaceutical company needs to accomplish with various private and public formularies to successfully gain reimbursement well in advance of introduction into market.
At project delivery, Thought Leader Select will showcase the market access leaders’ profiles in its proprietary database, Thought Leader Index, according to Neil Mellor, business development consultant. “This database allows users to ... read more »
TAGS: biopharmaceutical coagulation key opinion leader KOL database KOL identification KOL profiling market access Neil Mellor pharmaceutical pharmacy directors reimbursement Thought Leader Select thought leaders translational benefit influencers United States
November 4, 2010 ·
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Neil Mellor, business development consultant at Thought Leader Select, and Paul Meade, the company’s president and founder, attended SMi’s KOL: Knowledge Leader Partnerships conference on September 29 and 30 in London. Neil sat down with the Thought Leader Select Blog to discuss his takeaways from the conference.
TLS Blog: Neil, how was the conference in London?
Neil Mellor: I found it quite interesting, and so did Paul—since we’ve grown the company over the last five years to include multiple European and global thought leader assessments, we thought it made sense to get a real sense of the industry’s thinking about what we do on the European continent.
TLS Blog: What were some of the main points of discussion?
Neil Mellor: Right now, there’s a pretty hot debate going on about the roles that health care professionals play in the development and launch of new medicines. This conference even included a robust discussion on what to call them—it seems the European marketplace is evolving away from the term “key opinion leader,” with companies choosing instead to rely on what they call “external experts,” “opinion leaders,” or “thought leaders.” It made us feel even better about the name of our company, that’s for sure!
TLS Blog: Would you say that there’s a migration going on in the perception of the HCPs ... read more »
TAGS: allied health professionals biopharmaceutical biotech British Medical Journal clinical practice Dr. Fiona Godlee external experts FDA HCP health care professionals key opinion leader Knowledge Leader Partnerships Conference London medical experts Neil Mellor new medicines nurse practitioners opinion leaders patient Paul Meade pharma pharmacists physician assistants public health publishing registered nurses research SMi Sunshine Act therapeutic area thought leader assessments Thought Leader Select thought leaders
July 23, 2010 ·
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Press Release Out Today from the Offices of Thought Leader Select
July 22, 2010 (CHAPEL HILL, NC)—Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina company dedicated to delivering sophisticated key opinion leader research solutions to the biopharmaceutical industry, announces new key opinion leader research for an established Mexican pharmaceutical company.
The pharmaceutical company, a long-time presence in the Mexican market, has contracted the firm for key opinion leader identification, profiling, and engagement strategies in support of a novel prescription medication for the relief of muscle and joint pain. Thought Leader Select will assess the skills and experiences of a host of rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons throughout Mexico. The pharmaceutical firm will engage the identified medical experts for one-on-one consultations, advisory boards, and speaking engagements, as well as potential clinical studies for new treatment indications for the drug.
In addition to profiles and activity plans for the leading Mexican physicians, Thought Leader Select will also deliver access to its exclusive web-based expert tool for optimizing physician teams for a variety of development activities.
“Our customized services, well-known throughout the United States and Canada, work for companies operating domestically in Mexico as well as multi-nationals doing business throughout Latin America,” stated Dr. Daniel Bagi, head of Latin American business development at Thought Leader Select, from his office in Mexico City. “The launch of this project establishes Thought Leader ... read more »
TAGS: advisory boards biopharmaceutical biotechnology Canada clinical studies Daniel Bagi Europe key opinion leader KOL consulting KOL engagement KOL identification KOL profiling KOL strategies Latin America medical conferences medical expert Mexico muscle and joint pain North Carolina orthopedic surgery pain relief pharmaceutical prescription medication Research Triangle rheumatology speakers bureaus thought leader Thought Leader Select treatment indications United States
May 18, 2010 ·
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Clarissa Noureddine joined Thought Leader Select in 2007, after spending the previous four years as a practicing veterinarian. A graduate of the University of Florida, Clarissa earned a master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from North Carolina State University. In her role as senior research manager, Clarissa provides key insider perspectives on treatment, use of pharmacological agents, and the collaboration of doctors with the pharmaceutical industry to deliver thorough, accurate, and understandable key opinion leader identification and profiling research.
The Thought Leader Select Blog recently sat down to catch up with Clarissa Noureddine and learn about her background and how she makes her professional contribution to the work of Thought Leader Select.
TLS Blog: Good afternoon, Clarissa. Tell us why you joined Thought Leader Select.
Clarissa Noureddine: In 2006, I left veterinary practice to become a stay-at-home mom, as well as to pursue a much-needed change of scenery, professionally–one that would present new challenges on an ongoing basis. I immediately started doing research for Thought Leader Select and joined full-time as a research manager in March of 2007. In a very short period of time, I really came to love what I do—delivering key research on physicians to help drive better quality medications and higher standards of ... read more »
TAGS: Arabic belly dancing Clarissa Noureddine doctor of veterinary medicine key opinion leader KOL engagement KOL identification KOL mapping KOL profiling KOL research KOL selection Lebanon Maher Noureddine medical research molecular biology North Carolina State University public health senior research manager therapeutic area thought leader Thought Leader Select University of Florida University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill veterinarian
May 4, 2010 ·
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New press release out today from the offices of Thought Leader Select.
5/4/2010 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina-based firm dedicated to delivering superior key opinion leader (KOL) management solutions to the biopharmaceutical industry, announces the completion of large speaker validation project for a top-20 US pharmaceutical company.
The pharmaceutical client contracted Thought Leader Select to validate the skills and experiences of a legion of health care professionals for the company’s speakers bureau. The firm asked Thought Leader Select to look at over 1,000 specialists, primary care physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other important health care providers across several key dimensions, including: experience speaking within the medical community, clinical research involvement, publishing history, developing treatment guidelines, and active patient care.
Thought Leader Select’s validation process empowered the client with the knowledge that they were engaging experienced speakers with demonstrated experience in clinical practice, research, and speaking. The study’s findings also enabled the client company to determine fair market value (FMV) honoraria compensation for these health care providers.
“I thought it was only natural to ask Thought Leader Select to do this validation work for us,” stated the brand director for the client company. “They get so close to the data and have a real understanding of who these key opinion leaders are and why they are so important. Their methodology is so ... read more »
TAGS: biotechnology clinical research drug development health care professionals key opinion leader KOL KOL engagement KOL identification KOL management KOL profiling Maher Noureddine nurses patient care pharmaceutical pharmacists physicians publishing speaker validation speakers bureau Thought Leader Select treatment guidelines
April 27, 2010 ·
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Thought Leader Select, a North Carolina-based firm dedicated to delivering solutions for key opinion leader identification and deployment for the biopharmaceutical industry, announces the commencement of research on Canadian centers of excellence and the identification of certified diabetes educators for a top-10 global pharmaceutical company.
The client company’s Canadian subsidiary has hired Thought Leader Select to execute two of its industry-standard studies on centers of excellence in health care. For the first contract, the firm will identify and profile 10 centers of excellence in women’s health to aid the company in its development of and launch of medicines to fill imminent women’s health needs.
In the second project, Thought Leader Select will identify and profile 10 centers of excellence in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. In addition to providing in-depth profiles of the centers and their capabilities for research, clinical practice, and treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes, the study will also identify and profile 30 non-traditional key opinion leaders, in the form of certified diabetes educators (CDEs). The CDEs are crucial in the execution of the respective centers’ strategies to educate patients with diabetes on a number of treatment options and regimens.
Thought Leader Select will employ the same research methodology, known as deep profiling, that it utilizes in the identification of individual key opinion leaders to perform the work ... read more »
TAGS: biotechnology certified diabetes educators key opinion leader KOL identification KOL management KOL profiling patient education Paul Meade pharmaceutical Thought Leader Select type 2 diabetes women's health
April 15, 2010 ·
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Dr. Maher “Max” Noureddine joined Thought Leader Select as its chief scientific officer in 2007, after a two-year stint as a senior research fellow in molecular genetics at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Institutes of Health (NIEHS/NIH). Prior to his time at the NIEHS/NIH, Max conducted post-doctoral research in Parkinson’s disease at Duke University Medical Center from 2002-2005. In 2002, Max earned a PhD in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his career, Max has co-authored 13 published research studies and presented his research findings at 13 conferences.
The Thought Leader Select Blog recently sat down to catch up with Max Noureddine and learn about his background and how he makes his professional contribution to the work of Thought Leader Select.
TLS Blog: Thanks for agreeing to an interview with your busy schedule, Max. Why did you join Thought Leader Select in 2007?
Max: I was at a critical juncture of my career, finishing up my post-doctoral work at Duke in the field of Parkinson’s disease. Basically, I was weighing up my career alternatives, which normally would mean that someone with my academic and scientific background would head straight into university teaching and research.
I had gotten to know Paul Meade, the founder of the company, since we were both pilots in the Civil Air Patrol together. ... read more »
TAGS: aviation biotechnology cancer chief scientific officer Civil Air Patrol clinical research Duke University Medical Center genetics key opinion leader KOL KOL identification KOL profiling Maher Noureddine NIEHS/NIH Parkinson's disease pharmaceutical pilots research methods science Thought Leader Select UNC-Chapel Hill
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