Welcome to a new edition of Spoonful of Technology, where we look at the latest examples of how pharma and its partners are working together to develop technology to solve key industry challenges
Words by Jade Williams and Isabel O’Brien
Medical affairs
Challenge: Cracking the code to connect with unreachable KOLs
For medical affairs teams, connecting with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) is becoming a logistical headache. More than half of medical affairs professionals say KOL inaccessibility is their biggest frustration, according to the ZS Medical Affairs Outlook Report 2024. And it’s easy to see why – busy schedules, sprawling geographies and an increasingly complex network of stakeholders leave little room for meaningful engagement.
Technology may be the missing piece. The ZS report highlights how generative AI is reshaping the landscape, helping teams zero in on the right stakeholders, personalise interactions and anticipate needs. Centralised data hubs are making it easier to track and analyse KOL preferences while omnichannel engagement models – incorporating virtual meetings, social media and targeted insights – are proving invaluable for reaching even the most elusive contacts.
By leaning into these innovations, medical affairs teams can streamline the way they work and build deeper, more productive relationships with KOLs. The reward isn’t just smoother interactions – it’s the potential to drive practice changes that directly improve patient care.
Marketing
Challenge: Balancing compliance with pursuing innovation
The pharmaceutical industry faces a persistent challenge: ensuring marketing content meets stringent regulatory requirements while keeping time-to-market competitive. With options to engage healthcare professionals becoming more and more innovative, manual processes and legacy systems often lead to delays, increased costs and overburdened Medical, Legal and Regulatory (MLR) teams—making innovation in this area a critical need.
In response, many companies are emerging that aim to automate processes. For example, Austin-based startup Revisto announced a 4m USD seed funding round led by LiveOak Ventures in December 2024, with participation from Eli Lilly, Tau Ventures and Arkin Digital Health, bringing its total funding to 6m USD.
In some cases, however, the human touch in compliance is required. This is where working with a trusted partner such as EMJ can help. Particularly when experimenting with innovative new content formats such as interactive content, working with experts in the field can speed up timelines and reduce headaches for internal colleagues.
Patients
Challenge: Addressing the growing burden of atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting over 8 million people in the US and more than 50 million globally. Despite its prevalence, AFib often remains undiagnosed until serious complications emerge, highlighting the urgent need for safe, effective and accessible treatment solutions.
In response to this need, two companies have made significant strides in the development of innovative medical devices for AFib treatment. In November 2024, Johnson & Johnson MedTech received FDA approval for its next-generation pulsed-field ablation (PFA) system. This breakthrough device offers precise energy delivery, real-time imaging and an intuitive workflow to streamline AFib procedures.
Just a month later, in December 2024, BTL made significant progress with its next-generation catheter system. In a key development, the company successfully treated the first six patients in its first-in-human feasibility study, designed to simplify the AFib ablation procedure. BTL’s catheter aims to bring greater flexibility and efficiency to AFib management, offering a promising addition to the growing range of devices in this space.
With Johnson & Johnson and BTL leading the charge alongside Boston Scientific and Medtronic, these advancements represent major milestones in the global fight against AFib. They bring renewed hope for patients, offering more effective treatments to help them return to their normal lives with better outcomes and reduced complications.
