Going beyond the hype: Embracing AI for strategic advantage

The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) within medical affairs has been widely discussed, yet, realising its real-world commercial value requires a pragmatic approach that addresses implementation challenges head-on.

While a recent Ernest and Young survey revealed nearly 71% of employees express concerns about AI's rapid adoption and the quality of its results,¹ the pharmaceutical industry cannot afford to be held back by this anxiety. To remain competitive, we must tackle these challenges directly and harness the power of AI.

Overcoming AI apprehension

Fear of the unknown often fuels resistance to new technologies. In the case of AI in the pharmaceutical industry, education and transparency are key to building trust. Research suggests that clear communication about how AI insights will be used, the safeguards in place, and the potential benefits can significantly alleviate concerns and contribute to more successful adoption.

Trust is the cornerstone of successful AI implementation. Building trust is a dynamic journey that involves continuous feedback, enhancements, and active engagement with stakeholders, guided by ethical boards to ensure AI integrity and provide actionable insights, including:

• Regular monitoring of an AI system’s accuracy, reliability, and usability based on real-world outcomes and user feedback
• Transparent communication about the updates, improvements, and limitations of AI systems
• Encouraging ongoing dialogue between AI developers and industry stakeholders such as HCPs and regulatory bodies to address concerns and share best practices

In addition, AI solutions in healthcare must be clear and understandable, seamlessly integrate with existing systems, and provide insights grounded in robust evidence that informs the decision-making process. To achieve this, explainability and interoperability are crucial.

AI should not be a black box; predictions must be clear, concise, and communicated in a way that humanises AI, making the decision-making process understandable by humans.

Bridging the knowledge gap

A major obstacle to AI adoption in medical affairs is the lack of knowledge and training, cited by almost 40% of professionals.² To address this, organisations must invest in comprehensive education and change management programmes. Educational initiatives should equip medical affairs teams with the necessary technical skills to meet the challenges associated with this transformative potential and foster a deeper understanding of how AI can be leveraged to achieve strategic objectives.

Effective training programmes must focus on empowering professionals with the skills necessary for successful AI integration. This includes:

Data literacy: Fostering digital literacy as a core competency ensures professionals can collaborate effectively with AI tools.

Understanding AI capabilities: It is crucial to provide a foundational understanding of AI types (such as generative AI and natural language processing) and how they relate to specific job functions.

Quality data input: High-quality data is crucial for AI systems. Individuals need to understand the importance of accurate and relevant information and their collective responsibility for maintaining data integrity. Paying attention to data challenges and adopting the right approach to overcome them is critical in successful AI implementation.

Structuring inputs: Training should guide individuals on how to structure inputs effectively, including avoiding and adopting new vocabulary aligned with AI platform requirements.

Identifying relevant information: Instilling a curiosity-driven mindset through training programmes encourages professionals to actively seek valuable data and recognise knowledge gaps.

Reinforcement: As employees begin to use the technology every day, reinforcement is essential for maintaining momentum. Identify champions and ambassadors who advocate for AI adoption, offer support, and celebrate early successes.

Beyond blue-sky thinking: Aligning AI with strategic priorities

Maximising the commercial potential of AI in medical affairs requires a strategic shift from merely adopting technology to achieving tangible outcomes that improve patient lives and streamline drug development. People don't buy technology; they pursue better outcomes.

The transformative power of AI in healthcare is undeniable. Multiple advancements have been made in AI's ability to predict immunotherapy effectiveness in cancer patients,³ highlighting the true value of AI: its capacity to improve patient outcomes.

To translate potential into real-world value, pharmaceutical companies must define their "moonshot" – the specific, measurable goals they aim to achieve. Whether it's enhancing medication adherence, personalising treatment plans, or optimising medical team efficiency, a clear vision is essential for guiding AI implementation.

Integrating AI initiatives into annual strategic plans and developing multi-year roadmaps with clearly defined outcomes are essential steps in this goal-oriented approach. By focusing on measurable results and aligning AI with strategic priorities, pharmaceutical companies can ensure that AI is not just a buzzword, but a powerful tool that drives meaningful change and delivers real-world value in the medical affairs and commercial landscape.

Revolutionising real-world data with insights

Pharmaceutical companies can leverage AI's analytical capabilities to analyse vast datasets to gain an unbiased view of patients' and healthcare professionals' unmet needs and the educational or research gaps needed to accommodate them. For example, AI's language processing and sentiment analysis function should review patient feedback, social media interactions, and online patient forums. By understanding patient sentiments, preferences, and concerns from these data sources, medical affairs teams can personalise educational materials, support programmes, and communication strategies to better meet patient needs.

Global trends from regulatory agencies are influencing the escalating costs of innovative treatments, necessitating a shift towards new evidence generation that captures the societal burden, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and quality of life (QoL) improvements. Legislative actions, such as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US and various EU initiatives aimed at curbing healthcare costs, emphasise the need for comprehensive data that extends beyond traditional randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Real-world evidence (RWE) is becoming increasingly pivotal in this context, offering a broader understanding of a treatment's impact.

AI can significantly accelerate the time to derive value from data. However, to fully harness this potential and generate high-quality, context-aware insights, strategic implementation is key.

1. Platform: Not all platforms are equal, and for use in medical affairs, the technology should be able to seamlessly handle global data, spanning millions of ontologies, and intelligently consolidate this information into relevant themes for medical affairs activities, such as identifying data gaps, analysing safety and efficacy data, and uncovering trends in real-world evidence.
2. Strategically aligned processes: Streamlined workflows must be in place to ensure efficient discovery, delivery, and utilisation of AI-generated insights throughout the product lifecycle.
3. Empowering people: Investing in training and change management programmes is essential to ensure teams can effectively interpret AI-driven insights and translate them into strategic decision-making.

It is with this blend of the right platform, strategically aligned processes, and empowered people that drives the generation and utilisation of actionable insights to enhance strategic performance.

AI-empowered medical affairs: Driving commercial success

The incorporation of AI into life sciences heralds a promising future. Medical affairs professionals emerge as key figures in this landscape, driving the commercial value of innovations and addressing the unmet needs of patients and HCPs. The fusion of AI's analytical prowess with the clinical acumen and intrinsic curiosity of medical affairs professionals offers a powerful tool for unlocking new insights, refining strategic decision-making, and accelerating commercialisation.

Looking ahead, the synergy between AI and human expertise is set to redefine the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, enhancing drug development, commercialisation, and patient engagement. This partnership promises to unlock previously unimaginable insights, paving the way for a new era of pharmaceutical innovation grounded in patient-centricity and medical intelligence.