Conference Recap: MedAffairs Transformation 2025 (London)

The 17^th Annual MedAffairs Transformation conference took place on 13 March 2025, at the Leonardo Royal Tower Bridge Hotel in London. The event brought together Medical Affairs professionals from across Europe and beyond to explore how the function is continuing to evolve – both structurally and strategically – in response to growing expectations from healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients, healthcare systems and internal stakeholders.

This year’s discussions reinforced the function’s ever expanding mandate: From supporting Medical Affairs strategy, scientific engagement, and evidence generation in pharma to improving better patient outcomes, healthcare system partnership, embedding AI in Medical Affairs across functions and operations, and demonstrating impact more effectively.

Advancing Capabilities for a Future-Ready Function

Several sessions addressed the growing sophistication of Medical Affairs structures, and the capabilities required to operate as a strategic partner. From keynotes to panel discussions, it was clear that organizations are actively refining their internal processes, talent strategies, and collaboration models to meet rising demands.

Examples included the establishment of centralized insight generation functions, the integration of advanced analytics to inform scientific engagement, and the adoption of agile operating models that enhance cross-functional collaboration. Evidence generation is also recognized as a core capability within Medical Affairs. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on building future-ready field medical teams –highlighting how training, tools, and organizational design can empower them to deliver high-impact HCP engagement in a highly regulated environment.

Smarter Use of AI to Drive Insights and Action

AI was, as expected, a headline topic, but this year’s conversations marked a shift from theoretical potential to operational implementation. From medical insight generation to literature analysis and patient behavior modeling, AI use cases presented at the conference demonstrated that Medical Affairs teams are beginning to embed these tools into routine workflows.

Examples included real-time congress monitoring, smarter segmentation of stakeholders, and automated signal detection from unstructured data. Speakers also acknowledged ongoing challenges around content accuracy, bias, and compliance – which reinforced the need for rigorous governance frameworks when scaling AI.

Omnichannel as an Execution Imperative

Omnichannel engagement is no longer a future aspiration – it is being actively implemented to deliver more coordinated and personalized HCP engagement. Rather than isolated tactics, Medical Affairs teams are aligning digital, in-person, and peer-to-peer interactions into orchestrated strategies tailored to stakeholder needs.

What is new is the emphasis on coordinated field activity – linking MSL engagements with digital follow-ups, modular content delivery, and internal collaboration tools to ensure consistent, sequenced touchpoints across channels. This integration helps to deliver key messages and improves overall engagement quality.

Insight loops have also matured, with Medical Affairs increasingly using real-time feedback from HCP interactions – across CRM, digital platforms, and field reports to refine strategy. These feedback mechanisms enable dynamic adjustments to content, timing, and channel mix – ensuring interactions remain relevant and impactful.

Medical Impact as a Guiding Principle in Pharmaceutical Product Launch

Another key thread across the conference was the wide recognition of medical impact as a guiding principle for Medical Affairs. No longer a vague or aspirational concept, medical impact is increasingly defined in terms of measurable contributions to patient care, HCP behavior, and health system-wide health outcomes.

Sessions highlighted efforts to link Medical Affairs activities – such as scientific exchange, data generation, and educational programs – to downstream clinical effects. For example, impact may be measured through increased diagnostic accuracy, improved treatment adherence, or more equitable access to innovative therapies. This shift requires closer alignment between medical strategy, insight generation, and the evidence base underpinning a product’s value proposition.

As a result, medical impact is increasingly used to shape Medical Affairs planning—helping organizations set meaningful objectives and choose metrics that reflect real-world change, thereby raising the strategic relevance of the function across the enterprise.

Reframing Impact Assessment: From Activity to Outcomes

Impact measurement continues to evolve as well, and there was consensus that activity metrics alone are no longer sufficient to meaningfully demonstrate impact. Multiple presentations explored how Medical Affairs teams are embracing outcome-based measurement – focusing on tangible value such as changes in clinical practice, improved patient pathways, or influence on access and reimbursement decisions.

Several presenters emphasized the need to draw from diverse data sources, including EHRs, RWE, survey insights, and online HCP sentiment. The conversation is shifting toward holistic value frameworks that can inform strategy, optimize resourcing, and validate the function’s role in improving health outcomes.

Customer-Centricity: Structuring Around the HCP Experience

Another core principle emerged across sessions: Orienting Medical Affairs around the stakeholder experience. Whether discussing omnichannel execution, AI-enabled engagement, or field medical strategy, the end goal is delivering what HCPs value and improves patients’ outcomes: Relevant, scientific, timely medical information and consultation that positively impacts patient care.

Companies that succeed in this transformation are breaking down silos between teams, embedding medical expertise earlier in product development, and linking insight generation directly to content creation and delivery. The role of Medical Affairs is increasingly defined not alone by what it does, but by the outcomes it enables for the broader healthcare ecosystem.

In this context, “Bridging the gap between Medical and Commercial” was a recurring sub-theme. Presenters highlighted the need for defined yet collaborative roles, enabling both functions to serve HCPs effectively while preserving scientific independence.

Conclusion

MedAffairs Transformation 2025 provided a critical platform for sharing insights and elevating best practices. The conference reflected the growing strategic influence of Medical Affairs—a function that is building on recent innovations, continuously refining its value delivery, and emerging as a key driver of scientific and real-world medical impact and pharmaceutical product launch success.

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