Case
Medical Affairs Transformation: From Service Providers to Strategic Business Partners
How InnoStrat Helped a Biotech Company Elevate Its Medical Affairs Function to Drive Business Impact
The challenge
In many life science organizations, medical affairs teams focus on scientific expertise and stakeholder education. However, they often lack the internal structure, strategic clarity, or cross-functional voice to influence business decisions.
This medium-sized biotech company had a clear ambition: elevate its medical affairs function to become a strategic business partner – not just a service provider to commercial teams.
To achieve that goal, the company needed to:
- Build strong leadership capabilities within medical affairs at global and affiliate levels
- Create and implement one integrated medical strategy across all regions
- Strengthen the connection between commercial needs and clinical evidence generation
Foster a collaborative culture with clear processes and shared purpose
Our approach
Over a 9-month engagement, we worked closely with the company’s Global Medical Affairs leadership and regional medical directors to design, coach, and implement a future-ready medical affairs model. InnoStrat brought in a team of three senior consultants with expertise in:
• Integrated clinical evidence planning and access strategy
• Leadership development and capability building
• Medical affairs transformation and cross-functional alignment
Integrated Strategy Design
We helped the client develop one cohesive medical strategy that aligned HQ and affiliates behind a unified vision. This strategy was systematically cascaded and connected to both short-term launch goals and long-term lifecycle positioning.
Leadership Coaching & Commercial Acumen Training
We provided targeted coaching to medical affairs directors globally and locally, focused on:
- Portfolio management and prioritization
- Translating market strategy into medical study plans
- Cross-functional collaboration with commercial, clinical, and access teams
Evidence Planning and Strategic Alignment
We built structured links between clinical data gaps and commercial unmet needs – helping inform integrated evidence plans that were not only budgeted and executable, but impactful at launch.
Co-Creation and Local Empowerment
We facilitated a global medical forum using our proven collaboration model, ensuring that local teams co-created projects with global leadership – and were equipped to execute with clarity and ownership.
The result
One integrated global medical strategy implemented across HQ and key affiliates
Medical affairs leaders equipped with strategic leadership and commercial fluency
Improved translation of clinical evidence into market value
Aligned internal processes for effective cross-functional execution
A lasting shift in culture: From service mindset to strategic partnership
What this means for you
Transforming medical affairs isn’t about adding more processes – it’s about building capable leaders, aligned strategies, and collaborative systems that drive both scientific and commercial outcomes.
InnoStrat brings the structure, coaching, and strategic clarity needed to help your medical teams become true business partners.
