Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, life science companies continue to become more agile and innovative. From developing and ramping up testing capabilities to reducing development-to-production timescales for vaccines, biotech companies have been front and center to the pandemic response. Lessons learned from these efforts are likely to continue driving how these companies react to emerging health threats—as well as how they approach the development process in more traditional therapeutic areas—well into the future.
Building upon the speed with which they innovated against COVID, increased remote engagement with patients and providers, and adapted and accelerated clinical trials, pharmaceutical and biotech leaders continue to develop novel solutions to perennial challenges, seize opportunities for growth, and harness new technology. Independent talent provide an agile source of skills that allows life science leaders to keep pace in this fast-moving environment, helping companies plan and execute critical projects like:
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Shifting production locations closer to end markets as part of supply chain resilience efforts
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Incorporating telehealth, e-detailing, and remote accessing into customer interactions
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Diagnosing and addressing cybersecurity concerns
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Implementing flexible talent programs to enhance productivity and efficiency
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Addressing risk mitigation and creating contingency and scenario plans
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Adopting policies and procedures to enhance transparency
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Innovating clinical trials from trial design to logistics
The life science product development and launch cycle has long made the industry a perfect fit for on-demand talent—with short-term phases of drug development and steps that are easily projectized. Today, life science companies are also tapping independent data science and change management experts to help accelerate critical digital transformations to enable cloud-based data and workflow solutions. In short, with the help of on-demand talent, life science companies are succeeding in a new post-pandemic reality, innovating to keep pace with change, and laying the groundwork for long-term growth.
How On-Demand Talent Can Help Life Science Leaders with Critical Priorities
Independent consultants, executives, and project managers are ready and equipped to step in and help life science companies in these 8 key capacities:
Market Access, Value, and Reimbursement
Across the life sciences, market access organizations are facing great challenges and greater opportunities—from adjusting to changes in approval requirements and reimbursement processes to taking advantage of new funding sources. Highly skilled on-demand market access, value, and reimbursement talent deliver the expertise, project leadership, and execution support necessary to tackle priorities such as pricing and reimbursement, product launch and channel execution, integrated evidence planning, and health policy strategy.
Clinical Solutions
More than ever, innovative therapies are being brought to market, and new technologies are available to improve clinical outcomes, but clinical research is expensive and complex. On-demand clinical solutions experts are ready to jump in on critical projects like adjusting approval and launch timelines, adopting new technologies, reassessing portfolios, supporting the development of regulatory planning and submissions processes, and implementing systematic use of RWE/D generation, storage, and analysis.
Commercial Excellence
Succeeding in today’s fast-changing commercial environment requires agility and rapid response to new market conditions. On-demand commercial excellence consultants can help formulate strategies that foster long-term growth while protecting immediate revenues and profit. From product launch to patient centricity and brand strategy to lifecycle planning, independent commercial excellence consultants can step in nimbly to drive measurable results.
Digital Health and Innovation
Digital health has opened new ways to improve patient engagement and outcomes, and in today’s remote reality, it is paramount. On-demand digital health and innovation consultants can help identify and act on the most promising opportunities—both broadly in overall digital health strategy and within targeted areas like clinical solutions, R&D, commercial, Connected Health, and data management and improvement.
Strategy and M&A
The life science landscape is changing fast, thanks to new technologies, competitors, market dynamics, and customer expectations. On-demand life science strategy consultants bring both experience and speed to these challenges, supporting initiatives like introducing new products to market, re-optimizing portfolios, or assessing new opportunities and acquisition targets. Independent talent is a low-risk and affordable source of actionable insights about products, markets, and performance.
Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing
Life science companies were already under enormous pressure to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver more value to patients. Add to that the imperative to localize supply chains, address workforce planning and business continuity concerns, and develop large-scale digital initiatives. On-demand life science operations consultants offer fast and efficient expertise for finding smart solutions to complex challenges.
Organization and Transformation
Today, agility and speed replace yesterday’s rigid hierarchies, cultural silos, and bureaucratic processes. On-demand life science organizational consultants provide fast, flexible help on pressing organizational challenges such as implementing large-scale digital transformations, addressing risk mitigation, enhancing transparency, and developing workforce and talent strategies. Create an effective, accountable, and highly communicative culture with the help of independent talent.
Interim Leadership
With the Great Resignation in full swing, companies are facing leadership gaps up and down the org chart. Interim leaders offer life science teams the ability to keep making critical progress throughout the hiring process. Pharma leaders are increasingly calling on interim commercial directors, senior directors or VPs in manufacturing and supply chain, market access directors, product launch leads, and more.
Most In-Demand On-Demand Life Science Skills Right Now
BTG’s 2021 Skills Index shows broadly that companies are increasingly relying on on-demand talent to fuel growth and innovation, optimize operations, and drive market-moving results across all areas of the business landscape. A closer look at top skills particular to the life science industry shows companies tapping hybrid, on-demand resources to continue or accelerate existing workstreams, develop new products, and seize growth opportunities:
Top 5 Life Science Skills in the Time of COVID-19
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Project Management |
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Market landscape and research |
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Market access and value |
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Clinical Operations |
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Portfolio Strategy |
