The Toolkit for Diabetes MSL Programs

Build a world-class diabetes medical science liaison (MSL) program

Currently, about 246 million people worldwide have diabetes; this number is expected to increase to 380 million by 2025, according to the International Diabetes Foundation. Such staggering figures solidify diabetes' position as a primary therapeutic area. They also indicate the value of medical science liaisons who are building relationships within the diabetes medical community. Today's MSLs are key strategic drivers for product and overall company success.

Perhaps your company plans to enter the market or maybe your diabetes MSL team needs an upgrade. In either case, The Toolkit for Diabetes MSL Programs provides clear, easy-to-access guidance on all aspects of diabetes MSL program management. The research focuses on these core areas:

• MSL structure and staffing
• MSL budgets
• MSL responsibilities and activities metrics
• KOL relationships and segmentation criteria
• MSL qualifications and experience levels
• KOL compensation

CEI has integrated its leading research in MSLs and thought leader management with a growing expertise in therapeutic areas to create a highly customized, data-driven report. You won't find this information anywhere else! Use The Toolkit or Diabetes MSL Programs to strengthen your diabetes MSL team and improve the bottom line.

250+ Metrics

70+ Charts and Diagrams

The report's five chapters contain these metrics:

Chapter 1: Structures and Staffing

• Average age of formal programs
• Total MSL FTEs - companywide
• Number of MSLs per diabetes program teams
• MSL programs' organizational structures
• MSL teams' alignment
• Executive oversight of MSL programs
• MSL department reporting relationships

Chapter 2: MSL Functions and Communications

• MSL teams' involvement in the product lifecycle
• Number of sales representatives
• Number of brands supported per each MSL
• MSLs' time dedicated to:
• Talking to doctors in the field
• Performing educational activities
• Researching clinical findings
• Speaking opportunities
• Providing information to managed care organizations
• Frequency of MSL communications via e-mail, face-to-face visits and telephone.

Chapter 3: Targeting Diabetes Opinion Leader Segments

• Number of KOL Relationships per MSL
• Percentage of KOL relationships - for specialists, primary care providers, and allied health
• Opinion leader selection factors
• Segmentation criteria for endocrinology
• Profiles for thought leaders in Tiers 1 through 5
• Minimum and maximum consulting hourly rates for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes thought leaders - broken down by company size (mid-sized and large) and by provider category
• Average speaker fees for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes thought leaders - broken down by company size (mid-sized and large) and provider category
• Average advisory panel fees for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes thought leaders - broken down by company size (mid-sized and large) and by provider category
• Average author fees for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes thought leaders - broken down by company size (mid-sized and large) and by provider category

Chapter 4: MSL Background and Credentials

• Preferred levels of MSL education working with primary-care physician KOL
• Preferred levels of MSL education working with endocrinology KOLs
• Average MSL years of experience
• Entry-level salary MSLs working with PCP KOLs
• Entry-level salary MSLs working with endocrinology KOLs
• Criteria used to establish size of MSL teams

Chapter 5: Other Key Metrics

• Total MSL budgets by company
• MSL budgets by company - US only
• MSL budget distribution - US versus ROW
• MSL budgets by company - ROW only
• Percentage of companies with an MSL program outside of the US
• Budget contribution per department

Encourage Communication with Sales Forces on a Scientific Basis

Sales forces and MSL teams naturally share physician relationships. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies are not shying away from developing communication systems and protocols between MSLs and salespeople in the field. For regulatory and compliance reasons, many companies are hesitant to encourage promotional discussions between sales forces and MSL teams. The key to encouraging communication between these two functions, according to interviewed executives, is to base the conversations on science.

There are routine communications between MSLs and salespeople at Company A. Most of the conversations address a scientific issue that a salesperson cannot manage on his or her own. In such a situation, the salesperson contacts the medical liaison, who must first determine whether to address the scientific need directly with the specific physician or schedule a larger meeting with a group of physicians. As long as a scientific need exists, Company A's medical liaison meets with the physician. Company A's medical liaisons are also involved in sales force training. When the company launches a new product, for example, the medical liaisons communicate the product's scientific benefits to salespeople.....

The following is excerpted from Chapter 3, "Targeting Diabetes Opinion Leader Segments."

Figure 3.2 [data appear in full report] shows that all participating companies use endocrinology specialists. Three quarters of the respondents use experts and allied health professionals while only 25% use surgeons. Companies' MSLs focus most of their attention on endocrinology specialists, as represented in Figure 3.3 [data appear in full report]. Survey data shows that 46% of KOL relationships are with endocrinologists and 20% with endocrinology experts. Primary care physicians account for an average of 12% of KOL relationships and allied health professionals account for only 8%. Three-quarters of Company C's primary care KOLs treat Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and 25% treat only Type 1 diabetes. Figures 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 [data appear in full report] show breakdowns for each participating company's types of relationships....