May 16, 2012 ·
Leave a comment
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
March 16, 2011 ·
Leave a comment
March 16, 2011 (CHAPEL HILL, NC)—Research Triangle, NC research and consulting firm Thought Leader Select has initiated a new assessment of medical experts in the field of oncology for the biopharmaceutical industry.
A Canadian subsidiary of a top 10 global biopharmaceutical company has hired the firm to study the skills and experiences of 40 key opinion leaders in the treatment of lung cancer. Thought Leader Select is offering the client company an objective, systematic foundational approach to selecting physicians and other health care professionals within the Canadian care environment to assist the company during its stretch-run of activities in support of the new cancer treatment’s development.
The selected key opinion leaders in Canadian oncology circles will provide a variety of services to the company, including advisory board participation, conducting clinical studies, and offering one-on-one consultations with the company’s scientific and medical teams. Thought Leader Select’s methodology, while compliant with Office of Inspector General guidelines in the United States, is also compliant with Canadian regulations such as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
“We have been privileged to work with this company on multiple projects in several therapeutic areas, to ensure that its new product teams are positioned for success by working with the right thought leaders for the right reasons,” stated Neil Mellor, Thought Leader Select’s business development consultant. “This ... read more » TAGS: advisory board assessment biopharmaceutical industry Canada clinical studies health care professionals key opinion leaders lung cancer medical centers of excellence medical experts medical teams methodology Neil Mellor office of inspector general guidelines Oncology personal information protection and electronic documents act physicians PIPEDA thought leader
December 10, 2010 ·
Leave a comment
Industry Insights from Paul Meade, M.Sc, MPH
For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has had a good working relationship with the medical profession. Of course, pharmaceutical companies have always been dependent on physicians writing prescriptions for their products, and for pharmacists filling these prescriptions, so ultimately the patients could return to health. This has been a true symbiotic relationship where pharmaceutical companies needed doctors to prescribe their drugs, and physicians had effective medicines to offer their patients.
Occasionally, there were a few bad apples on both sides of the equation that overstepped the boundaries of this relationship, but for the most part, it worked well. So what happened? Why the Sunshine Act? And why the apparent “witch-hunt” to expose every Thought Leader that engages with someone from a pharmaceutical company? Is it time for a course correction? Don’t we have bigger problems to deal with in the financial and economic arenas than to worry about how much money a Thought Leader made from conducting clinical studies or speaking at a conference on behalf of a pharmaceutical company?
Where did it all go wrong? How do we fix it? And what does the future hold for this pharma-medical relationship? Healthcare costs have been steadily rising in most countries across the globe. And while there have been increases in these costs, almost no other country has ... read more »
TAGS: compensation drug companies ethics healthcare healthcare bill healthcare reform medical professionals pharma pharma-medical relationship pharmaceutical companies pharmaceutical industry pharmacists physicians prescriptions Sunshine Act thought leader
July 23, 2010 ·
Leave a comment
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 ·
Leave a comment
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
