Rare Diseases: What It Takes To Build Strong Field-based Medical Teams

Industries Profiled:
Biotech; Pharmaceutical; Biopharmaceutical; Consumer Products; Health Care


Companies Profiled:
BioMarin; Ipsen; Intercept; Novartis; Novelion Therapeutics; Novo Nordisk; Pfizer; Prometic; Sanofi Genzyme; Shire; Ultragenyx; Vifor Pharma

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 15 leaders from 12 companies in this research through a benchmarking survey. Report insights are presented into three segments: Total Benchmark Class (15 respondents), US Only Class (8 respondents) and Excluding-US Class (5 respondents).

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Staffing and Reporting
• Business Operations
• Outreach Strategy
• Performance Measurements and Improvements

• Leaders of field medical teams tend to report to VP level. MSLs are most typical roles within field teams.
• MSLs are typically the primary contacts who engage with HCPs and KOLs. About 50 and 40 interactions are made by field teams / year with HCPs and KOLs respectively.
• KOL management and scientific interactions are two activities conducted most frequently.

I.	Executive Summary	pg. 3
	Methodology, Segmentation
	Key Findings and Recommendations
II.	Participant Profile	pg. 5
	Geographic and Therapeutic Focus
III.	Staffing & Reporting	pg. 7
	Reporting Levels
	Field-Based Medical Team Member Types
	FTE Involvement
IV.	Business Operations	pg. 14
	Internal and Field Responsibilities
	Number of Products Supported
V.	Outreach Strategy	pg. 20
	Principal Contacts
	Outreach Frequency
	Types of Engagements
	Interaction Examples and Insights Generated
VI.	Performance Measurement & Improvements	pg. 31
	Time Allocation
	Qualitative Performance Metrics
	Quantitative Performance Metrics

• Job level of the person to whom the medical leader (direct medical manager) of rare disease field-based medical team function directly reports - Total Benchmark Class
• Job level of the person to whom the medical leader (direct medical manager) of rare disease field-based medical team function directly reports - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Functions / roles that are a part of benchmarked organizations’ rare diseases field-based medical teams - Total Benchmark Class
• Functions / roles that are a part of benchmarked organizations’ rare diseases field-based medical teams - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Total number of FTEs in each of the roles within rare disease field-based medical teams - Total Benchmark Class
• Total number of FTEs in each of the roles within rare disease field-based medical teams - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class

• Percentage of time allocated to internal and field responsibilities with HCPs and KOLs - Total Benchmark Class
• Percentage of time allocated to internal and field responsibilities with HCPs - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Percentage of time allocated to internal and field responsibilities with KOLs - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Average number of pipeline and marketed products supported with HCPs and KOLs - Total Benchmark Class
• Average number of pipeline and marketed products supported with HCPs and KOLs - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class

• Function / role serving as the principal contact for HCPs & KOLs - Total Benchmark Class
• Function / role serving as the principal contact for HCPs - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Function / role serving as the principal contact for KOLs - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Number of Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) with whom rare disease field-based medical teams interact or engage with during an average year - Total Benchmark Class
• Number of Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) with whom rare disease field-based medical teams interact or engage with during an average year - US Only Class and Excluding-US Class
• Percentage of HCP interactions resulting in clinical insights for the company; examples of clinical insights
• Percentage of KOL interactions resulting in clinical insights for the company; examples of clinical insights
• Percentage of proactive and reactive HCP interactions
• Percentage of proactive and reactive KOL interactions
• HCP and KOL communication channels

• Number of ride-alongs conducted by an MSL Manager for HCPs and for KOLs
• Occurrence of rare disease field-based medical team’s involvement in listed activities
• Effectiveness of listed qualitative metrics in measuring the success of U.S.-based rare disease field-based medical teams
• Effectiveness of listed quantitative metrics in measuring the success of U.S.-based rare disease field-based medical teams
• Digital technologies being incorporated into field-based medical teams