Identifying unmet needs in a regional patient population

A medical affairs team had three primary objectives:

1. Identifying unmet needs in the treatment of a specific type of cancer in the European patient population
2. Identifying current evidence and data gaps related to the treatment of this disease
3. Reviewing and refining scientific statements for a chemotherapy drug

The medical affairs team used the Within3 platform to convene two virtual physician advisory board sessions with advisors from four different European countries. By using a virtual engagement platform, the team eliminated concerns about time-consuming travel or advisor availability. Advisors used the Within3 platform’s translation capabilities to overcome any language barriers. In the first 13-day session, advisors provided feedback about current clinical approaches to the disease, unmet medical needs, and current clinical evidence. Questions included What is the current patient pathway for this disease in your country? and How can we improve the success of surgery or other treatments? Using the insights collected in the first session, the team developed scientific statements and asked the returning advisors to evaluate the statements during a 15-day session. Questions included What is the rationale for the sequence of treatments (multiple loci, recurrence, tolerability, etc.)? and Are there any country-specific adaptations to the statements that you would recommend?

Both sessions resulted in 100% advisor participation and robust feedback. The medical affairs team was able to easily extend the second session by two days to allow thoughtful conversations to continue. By using the Within3 platform, the medical affairs team achieved its objectives, including:

1. Gather country-specific feedback about patient experience and treatment approaches
2. Collect expert insight about unmet needs
3. Develop and evaluate scientific statements that reflect input from a variety of experts