EU MSL excellence: Optimizing resources, alignment and organizational support for European field medical operations

Industries Profiled:
Health Care; Pharmaceutical; Diagnostic; Biotech; Manufacturing; Consumer Products; Medical Device; Chemical; Biopharmaceutical; Clinical Research; Laboratories


Companies Profiled:
Abbott; Alexion Pharmaceuticals; Allergopharma; Amgen; AstraZeneca; Bayer; Biogen; Bioventus; Boehringer Ingelheim; Celgene; Chiesi; Clovis Oncology; Dr Reddy's Laboratories; Eisai; Galderma; GE Healthcare; Gedeon Richter ; Gilead Sciences; Grifols; Ipsen; Janssen; Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals; Kyowa Kirin; Lupin; Merck; MSD; Novartis; Novelion Therapeutics; Pfizer; Rakuten Medical; Roche; Sandoz; Sanofi; Shire; Sunovion; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; UCB Pharma; Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Vifor Pharma; ViiV Healthcare

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 125 Global Medical Affairs and Field Medical Excellence leaders from more than 40 leading pharma and biotech companies in this research through a benchmarking survey. In-depth interviews were conducted with 8 benchmark partners to gain further insights.

The vast majority of study participants serve at the executive or director level. Together they provide a comprehensive view of field medical operations around the world, from a global, regional and local perspective.

Insights in this research are presented into following segments to illuminate field medical trends at region and country level: Europe Segment (N=58), APAC Segment (N=30), Americas Segment (N=27), MENA Segment (N=9). Insights from the Europe region are further segmented to illuminate field medical trends at country level.


Key topics covered in this report include:

• MSL staffing and resource levels in core global markets in Europe
• Structure and alignment of MSL teams
• MSL new product launches support within European countries
• MSL productivity and efficiency
• KOL and key account targeting and engagement
• MSL skills and background across European markets

• Staffing: MSL team size in EU5 markets ranges from a total of 4.6 MSLs in UK (3.4 per TA) up to 8.8 MSLs in Germany (6.4 per TA). On average, companies allot 1 MSL manager per 5.6 MSLs and 1 MSL effectiveness lead per 12.4 MSLs. Companies typically ramp up launch staffing earlier in the lifecycle (phase III -2 years) than in other regions.

• Effectiveness: F2F constitutes just 65% of interactions but remains the gold standard, with most seeing virtual as a complement rather than a kind of replacement. European MSLs boast more tenure than other MSLs (7 yr-avg in UK, 6 in Germany). “Scientist” background is most prevalent among MSLs, and that along with “physician” is most esteemed. Local culture and differences in physician demand can play a huge role in approach and effectiveness: UK KOLs prefer deep science-based conversations, southern European HCPs prize F2F exchange and tolerate/value role of sales rep, etc.

Sr. No.	Topic	Slide No.
I.	EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
	Research Overview	p. 3
	Key Findings	p. 5
II.	FULL BENCHMARK DATA
	Resourcing MSLs: Staffing, travel & entertainment budgets and launch support	p. 14
	Aligning MSLs: Structure, reporting and organizational support	p. 35
	Assessing MSLs: Capacity, KOL targeting and engagement	p. 46
III.	APPENDIX	p. 72
IV.	About Best Practices, LLC	p. 76

• Business issue and research methodology
• Data segments analyzed in this study
• One page summary of benchmark findings
• Top takeaways for Medical Affairs and Field Excellence leaders
• Global snapshot: MSL resourcing and engagement in major EU markets
• Analyzing investment across the global MSL resource matrix
• MSL staffing levels by product lifecycle stage
• Pros and cons of country-aligned (local) reporting vs. functionally-aligned (global) reporting

• European countries represented in the benchmark data

• Average number of brands (including both in-line and pre-launch products) supported by each MSL in each of the listed countries – All regions
• Average number of brands (including both in-line and pre-launch products) supported by each MSL in each of the listed countries – European countries
• Total number of MSLs staffed in each country; total number of MSLs supporting each therapeutic area – All regions
• MSL staffing footprint in each of the listed European countries
• Total number of MSLs staffed in each country per therapeutic area supported
• Approximate annual total travel and entertainment (T&E) budget allocated to MSLs – All regions
• Approximate annual total travel and entertainment (T&E) budget allocated to MSLs in each of the listed countries – European countries
• Executive narrative around budget
  Additional MSL staffing and T&E budget data from non-target EU countries
• Total number of staff allocated to each of the listed MSL management and support roles; Europe span of field control
• Average percentage of “peak MSL team size” assigned to support a product at each phase of the typical product lifecycle – All regions
• Interview narrative on key launch staffing milestones
• Average percentage of “peak MSL team size” assigned to support a product at each phase of the typical product lifecycle – European countries
• Interview narrative around MSL knowledge during phase II
• Effective timing in Europe to bring an MSL on board to support a product in each phase of the product lifecycle
• Interview narrative around launch success for field medical teams
• Effective timing to bring an MSL on board to support a product in each phase of the product lifecycle in each of the targeted European countries
• Executive narrative around MSL staffing equation
• Top lessons learned for ensuring MSLs provide effective support for new launches in Europe
• Innovative tactics piloted by MSLs on recent product launches - or planning to use on upcoming launches - in Europe

• MSL structure – All regions
• MSL structure – European countries
• Reporting relationship between the MSLs in each country and global Medical Affairs organization – All regions
• Reporting relationship between the MSLs in each country and global Medical Affairs organization – European countries
• Interview narratives around country-aligned (local) reporting structure and model
• Interview narratives around function-aligned (global) reporting structure and model
• MSL direct reporting outside of global Medical Affairs – All regions
• Interview narrative around defining the MSL reporting structure
• MSL direct reporting outside of global Medical Affairs – European countries
• Interview narrative around succeeding in remote markets

• Average MSL time spent per week on each of the listed activity areas
• Number of thought leaders supported per MSL in each region – All regions
• Number of thought leaders supported per MSL in each of the European countries
• Thought leader tier breakdown for a typical MSL in Europe
• Approximate number of HCPs (i.e., not on thought leader target list) engaged by each MSL in the past 12 months
• Total large key accounts (hospitals, care networks or academic institutions) served by each MSL in Europe
• Interview narrative around perceived MSL value in Europe
• Total large key accounts (hospitals, care networks or academic institutions) served by each MSL in each of the listed European countries
• Average time spent by MSLs in each face-to-face thought leader interactions (in minutes) – All regions
• Average frequency of MSL interactions with each kind of thought leader in Europe
• Average frequency of MSL interactions with each kind of thought leader in each of the listed European countries
• Percentage of proactive vs. reactive MSL interactions – All regions
• Percentage of proactive vs. reactive MSL interactions – European countries
• Frequency of proactive MSL interaction types – All regions
• Effectiveness of communication channels in Europe for MSL interactions with thought leaders
• MSL professional backgrounds and experience
• Interview narrative around KOL preferences
• Actual work experience vs. effective work experience of MSLs for engaging thought leaders in high quality scientific discussions and building long-term relationships
• Average years of MSL experience in each region
• Interview narrative around understanding team strengths

• Benchmark class represented in this research
• Job titles of study participants
• Therapeutic areas served by benchmark participants