Consumer behavior and attitudes underwent major changes in response to the pandemic. And for the majority of healthcare providers (80%), these persona changes are considered the number one issue facing pharmaceutical companies in the future.

While this can encompass a range of attitudes, Deloitte research points at several consumer trends that have only been accelerated by the pandemic, including:

In response to shifting consumer attitudes, big pharma companies are rapidly embracing a patient-centric ethos that champions better communication, collaboration, and openness. And this movement isn’t limited to just the relationship between providers and patients but among the entire healthcare ecosystem, including:

The emergence of new technologies was underway before the pandemic, but the forced shift to remote work and digital solutions fast-tracked this trend. For example, telehealth services – which are both patient-centric and a means of protection for patients and providers alike – gained widespread prominence. Thanks to information and communication technologies (ICT), patients could obtain a prescription or consult a doctor from the safety of their homes.

Despite digital solutions experiencing early adoption, the convenience they offer is the most compelling argument why they will become a lasting feature of the pharmaceutical and healthcare landscapes.

According to researchers at BMC Public Health, telehealth services provide various benefits, particularly in non-emergency and routine care cases, including:

Telehealth services aren’t the only digital innovation the pharmaceutical industry is turning to drive efficiency and adapt to the shifting landscape. Per PR Wire:

This demonstrates that biopharma companies are more willing than ever to embrace technological tools that help them provide better, more effective therapies. This type of disruptive innovation in pharma will become critical for companies in order to keep up and provide quality solutions. For instance, a growing number of pharmaceutical and medical device companies are now leveraging insights management platforms – such as Within3 – to help identify thought leaders in the life science industry, connect all parties in meaningful discussion and information sharing, and discover actionable takeaways that inform team decision-making.

Cybersecurity is another leading concern for big pharma leaders.1 This makes sense. A successful cyberattack on a company that produces life-saving drugs, devices, or interventions could potentially interrupt production, which could then put lives in jeopardy.

The embrace of internet of things (IoT) tools within pharma only create further vulnerabilities and exposures that savvy hackers could exploit. And the consequences of a successful attack could be grave, including the potential for stolen IP, lost clinical trials, damaged reputation, litigation, and so on.

So, what are the most common cyber threats pharma needs to prepare for? They include:

These are just a few of the more common problems the pharma industry faces. When all it takes is a single security breach to jeopardize the success of a company and the health of consumers, it’s vital that pharmaceutical companies prioritize risk mitigation and cybersecurity.

Here, patient engagement is the name of the game. And for life science organizations, that means involving end-consumers in every aspect of development, including trials, drug design, and decision-making processes.

Once more, digital technologies have facilitated this trend. There are now new ways for patients to collaborate with drug and device developers and participate in trials. For instance, virtual trials and remote monitoring make it possible to involve an even greater number of patients in studies.

Going forward, digital technology will continue to be intertwined in the R&D process. Innovations in artificial intelligence can help accelerate both drug discovery and drug development pipelines. And machine learning makes it possible to optimize anything from pharmaceutical manufacturing processes to marketing and post-launch strategies.

But what startups and technology trends are set to impact the pharmaceutical industry in 2022 and beyond?

According to the Global Startup Heat Map, the top ten areas of focus for technology companies within R&D include:

As these technologies continue to evolve and become an even more permanent fixture of the pharmaceutical landscape, industry leaders are expecting massive shakeups on the horizon. From how pharmaceutical companies develop their products to the ways they interact with consumers, digitalism has reshaped the entire life sciences sector.

Thanks to digital technologies, many companies in the pharmaceutical sector are now setting their sights on global expansion.

The widespread availability and adoption of modern solutions have made such international growth more possible than ever. What once was a logistics nightmare is now made effortless with the help of digital engagement and collaboration solutions that help companies manage insights across teams and geographies. Teams of researchers can operate from different countries seamlessly. Using insights management platforms like Within3, it becomes easier for organizations to communicate, share information, review data, and engage KOLs or critical stakeholders, no matter where they are based.

For pharmaceutical companies that have considered global operations, now’s the perfect time to do so.

COVID-19 has accelerated the digital revolution within the pharmaceutical industry. Going forward, companies must partner with the right technologies or else be left behind.

This is where Within3 can be a differentiator in your organization and help you stay atop current trends in the pharmaceutical industry.

Our insights management platform means pharmaceutical companies can abandon slow and fragmented insight-gathering methods that rely on manual processes. Network analytics and social listening enable better expert selection, and virtual advisory board meetings or other discussions are more productive, with AI-powered natural language processing to surface key results. From development to delivery, we provide tools that make it possible to collaborate and engage with key stakeholders in a way that drives better business results.

How does our solution prepare you for the pharma world of tomorrow? Request a demo today.

In the world of digitalism, technology that is widely considered to be the most advanced in its field can rapidly become outmoded in a matter of years, if not months. And the medtech space is no exception.

For that reason, billions of dollars are invested in medical technology development on an annual basis. And, as demand for medical technology innovation rises with each passing year, increasingly more companies enter the space.

Medical device development is the cyclical process of taking an idea for a medtech product and turning that dream into reality.

But, as mentioned, that’s easier said than done.

The companies that actually make it to the product market release stage are in the minority. According to Frontiers in Public Health:1

That said, there are different categories of medical product development that can impact the expected timeline and obstacles. The FDA classifies these products based on the risk they pose. The three classes are:

When it comes to the product pipeline, the FDA’s quality system regulation (QSR) outlines five stages of processing that every medical product must undergo to reach regulatory approval. The stages are:3

STAGE 1—DEVICE DISCOVERY AND CONCEPT

The inception of most medical devices typically comes from a moment where a researcher sees an unmet need in the medical market. From there, they create a concept for their idea or device that could meet that need, reduce costs, and optimize care delivery.

This is followed by a proof of concept brief that fleshes out the idea and the steps necessary to demonstrate that the product is viable and that there are financial opportunities that justify the exorbitant R&D costs.

As a part of the process, medical researchers need to categorize their product as a class I, II, or III device. How they classify the product will then impact what testing and certification it must undergo.

STAGE 2—PRECLINICAL RESEARCH AND PROTOTYPE

After the idea has met internal approval—i.e., demonstrated to have a market position, viability, and financial feasibility—the product enters phase two.

To begin, researchers produce a medical device prototype that can be safely tested—not on humans—but in a controlled lab setting.

During this stage, researchers begin brainstorming risks and customer or user needs. Here, customer feedback is essential, whether in the form of:

This input can then play a crucial role in optimizing the product’s design, which typically follows an iterative process where each newer model is tested and improved upon previous attempts.

STAGE 3—MARKET APPROVAL

As mentioned, these steps are established by the QMS framework. Therefore, the application process depends heavily on your product. A Class I product will have far fewer regulatory hoops it must jump through when compared to a Class III product.

A design history file (DHF) chronicles the tests and controls the product has passed and also outlines the design and manufacturing steps taken to develop the product to its current state. This document is then subject to FDA audits to confirm that the medical device is safe for the general public.

STAGE 4—FDA DEVICE REVIEW

After DFH and FDA testing is completed, medical device manufacturers must apply for FDA clearance. Typically, they will need to file one of three applications:

If necessary, the FDA may consult an Advisory Committee about whether or not the product should be granted FDA approval. After this, the FDA decides whether the device is:

The findings are then required by law to be submitted with all supporting evidence into the Federal Register.

STAGE 5—POST-MARKET DEVICE SAFETY MONITORING

Despite all of the testing a medical device undergoes during the previous four stages, it’s still possible that new problems emerge after it hits the market.

Therefore, the FDA monitors the device’s performance and safety even after it has been approved and gone to market. There are three means by which the FDA engages in safety monitoring. They include:

According to Gail A. Van Norman, MD,4 “Bringing a device to market takes an average of 3 to 7 years, compared with an average of 12 years for drugs.” But, in truth, the answer to expected timelines depends heavily on the device itself, with the utmost factor being its classification.

Put simply, the more regulations a product faces, the longer it will inevitably take to reach the market. So, although it’s not always the case, the rough estimate timeframe by classification looks as follows:

There are four primary factors that make medical device development a serious undertaking. Each of these elements can contribute to the length and the cost of the entire process. They include:

Taking medical devices from concept to market may take several years and cost tens of millions of dollars. And even then, due to the complex nature of the process, there’s still a significant chance that the product fails to produce impactful ROI by the time it finally crosses the finish line and reaches the market.

So, how can you change that? How do you increase your odds of producing a viable product, and do so faster and cheaper?

So, how can you change that? How do you increase your odds of producing a viable product, and do so faster and cheaper? Using Within3’s insights management platform, your team can streamline the various phases of medical device development. Our solution is trusted by the world’s top medical device organizations to help them collaborate virtually, manage the insight lifecycle, and perform clinical trials.

Request a demo today.

Healthcare providers play a pivotal role within the healthcare ecosystem, acting as the primary drivers for preventing and managing health conditions. And the term HCP encompasses a range of medical professional roles, namely primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, family practice doctors, and medical specialists. This is why pharma reps seek to engage with HCPs, since they work most closely with consumers and have valuable insights.

From initial contact to ongoing care, HCPs provide a wide array of medical services, including but not limited to:

Over the last few decades, there’s been a gradual movement to replace the traditional fee-for-service medical approach with a value-based care model, which helps healthcare professionals transition from a reactive treatment posture to a proactive one. This shift created a new spate of industry challenges for HCPs and pharmaceutical representatives who wish to reach them.

In the past, the vast majority of interaction with HCPs by pharmaceutical and life science companies was conducted on an in person basis rather than through digital channels. Even before COVID-19 struck, the industry already faced some serious hurdles regarding this type of outreach, including:

Naturally, COVID-19 has completely altered the landscape of the healthcare space, changing how HCPs operate with both their patients and pharma reps or life science liaisons.

The in-person restrictions combined with mounting health concerns made it even harder to market to and interact with HCPs effectively. For pharma companies and pharma marketers especially, this paradigm shift has forced them to reevaluate how they traditionally sold their services, going beyond simply providing product info. In fact, a recent Accenture COVID-19 Healthcare Provider survey revealed these three key findings:

Throughout the pandemic, digital solutions bridged the gap between healthcare consumers and HCPs. They helped bring medicine and telehealth services directly to a person’s home.

Now, healthcare providers want even more of that, particularly when it comes to digital interaction. Historically, this is an area where pharma has moved at a snail’s pace to adopt. According to a McKinsey study on digital maturity, pharma lags behind every single industry besides the public sector.

Within this scoring system, one of pharma’s most glaring areas was a consistent lack of customer orientation:

According to the study, pharma companies who are ahead of the curve have made a concerted effort to base their strategic decisions on how digital can positively impact their business model and are constantly looking to scale up digital initiatives and capabilities.

Companies that wish to be competitive must adapt or fall even further behind. There was a significant (65%+) decrease in interaction frequency between HCPs and pharma reps during the pandemic and the decline in pharma-HCP engagement isn’t expected to recover fully post-pandemic.

When it comes to collaboration and engagement, digital solutions can aid the pharma industry and fix some of the future challenges of working with HCPs.

Today, HCPs prefer to access digital channels to connect with peers and patients, study research updates, and engage with medical and scientific information.

Modern pharma HCP engagement focuses on providing multi-channel tools and solutions to help facilitate health representatives’ conversations with the people that matter the most: doctors, patients, and payers.

By adopting engagement technologies and tools, such as the Within3 engagement platform, life science companies can create value with virtual engagement and revolutionize the way they gather important insights from HCPs.

Within3 has made smarter virtual HCP engagement possible. It’s a better way for pharmaceutical, medical device, and other life-science companies to interact and collaborate with HCPs and patients.

As a virtual communications platform, it empowers essential stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussion anywhere, anytime, and from any connected device. The Within3 HCP engagement platform promotes better HCP engagement and more collaborative insights from the pharmaceutical industry in several ways, including:

VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT PLATFORMS

Traditionally, video conferences have been the way key decision-makers met digitally. But even these are outmoded. Now, you can utilize a virtual advisory board on a virtual engagement platform, such as Within3, that delivers superior insights and engagements. Features include:

STEERING COMMITTEES AND PANELS

Steering committee members need to have an open line of communication that’s accessible around the clock. Now, there’s a better way for stakeholders to organize essential materials, interact with one another, read resources, and provide feedback. HCPs can engage with one another on-demand using tools like:

21ST-CENTURY PUBLICATION DEVELOPMENT

Historically, multi-author publications were slow and laborious. And the need for a constant back-and-forth between all parties becomes even more complicated when the authors are in different locations. Within3 creates a collaborative environment where authors can contribute, engage, and edit manuscripts from wherever they are in the world. Powerful tools include:

CLINICAL TRIAL PERFORMANCE

Similarly, clinical trials require participation from a variety of parties – some of whom may be located in different timezones or even countries.

Virtual HCP engagement platforms drive collaboration and communication thus improving study design, training, and trial execution. Features include:

INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND TRAINING

Often, teams must collaborate across the country, if not globally. Because everyone is in different time zones and on different schedules, you require a platform that’s accessible 24/7 and which facilitates internal engagement and training. This is especially important as many companies plan on becoming more intentionally virtual following the COVID pandemic. A virtual engagement platform empowers teams to do this by providing:

COVID-19 has accelerated the transformation that was already underway within the world of healthcare. Now, HCPs want digital solutions that bridge the gap, helping them better engage with patients, colleagues, and pharma representatives.

Today, there are tools, such as Within3’s virtual engagement platform, that make it easier than ever for pharmaceutical, medical device, and other life-science companies to have conversations with the people who matter most.

Want to see more about what the future of digital engagement looks like? Request a demo today.

Whenever developing a new drug, therapy, procedure, or medical intervention, it must undergo rigorous testing before its release. These medical studies, also known as clinical trials, seek to confirm that the study subject of the trials is safe and does what it claims to do.

But knowing whether the objective of the trial is an effective intervention poses a significant challenge. It’s much easier to determine correlation than causation. As a result, for a clinical trial to be meaningful, there needs to be a union between observational studies and experimental studies. You must ensure that any treatment effect is isolated by controlling for potential biases, confounding factors, and by minimizing possible variants.

The process of developing a new drug is complicated, to say the least.

A properly designed clinical trial can provide strong evidence supporting cause-effect relationships and form the basis for clinical and public health policy. But a poorly designed trial can bury a promising therapy before it ever has a chance to develop.

The vast majority of errors in clinical trials are the result of poor planning and design. As one 2019 study notes:

Generally speaking, there are several types of study designs, including:

And within each one of these, there are design elements that must be factored into the process.

There are many fundamental factors that researchers must weigh as they design a clinical trial, including:

While there are several types of clinical trial designs and clinical studies, it’s helpful to break them down into four broad categories:

For example, for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, more than 43,000 participants underwent a randomized, placebo-controlled, observer, blinded, pivotal efficacy trial. Its primary endpoints were the efficacy of the vaccine against COVID.

For these types of studies, the clinical study is often the last step in a multi-year process that began years earlier with lab research. But that’s not always the case. For instance, in 2020, the National Cancer Institute conducted an observational cohort study to help researchers determine how COVID impacted the outcomes of patients undergoing cancer treatment and how having cancer affects COVID.

A recent medical device trial was conducted on an epinephrine auto-injector for patients with Anaphylaxis. This randomized, cross-over, unicentric trial was intended to evaluate the following:

Wondering how to design a clinical trial that is effective and actionable?

Designing a clinical trial that is effective throughout all phases can be a herculean task, but it’s critical if you wish to bring your drug, therapeutic, or medical device to market. While there are several factors that add to the difficulty, some of the most significant challenges include:

And such issues were only exacerbated during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As the Lancet notes,

So, how do you avoid or address these common issues?

Here is yet another place where, increasingly, technology is filling the gap—especially in response to COVID restrictions and limitations.

For instance, shifting a virtual advisory board or other type of interaction to a virtual engagement platform like Within3, allows for seamless communication, coordination, and collaboration, which helps sites, patients, and payers optimize a study’s design and then execute that vision. It allows for on-demand training, makes it possible to design trial protocols and materials then receive instant feedback, and keeps all critical stakeholders engaged.

By using the platform, you can streamline the entire clinical trial design process. This results in improved trial execution, smarter decisions, and fewer logistical headaches.

Want to see how modern engagement technology can improve your clinical trial designs? Read our case study to learn more.