.png)
Christina Notte, MBiotech
Medical Affairs Partner
Christina completed her Master’s of Biotechnology at the University of Toronto. She is inspired by the pharmaceutical industry, as it is dedicated to connecting innovative medicines with those in need by combining her communication skills, creativity, and passion for learning.
*The views and opinions expressed in this profile are those of the professional and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of their employer.
Tell us about your career path
I completed an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and biotechnology at Laurier. There, I first learned about industry, which appealed to me because I felt it was more impactful than academia, which is often very early stage research that is far from getting commercialized.
I went on to do a Master’s of Biotechnology at the University of Toronto, which was a course-based program focused on the various functions within pharma (e.g. medical, marketing, finance). As part of the program, I completed an internship in R&D, and found it wasn’t a role I wanted to do going forward. I leveraged the internship opportunity to job shadow other functions around the company, including medical affairs.
I found a role in medical affairs more meaningful because it deals with products already on the market and getting these products into the hands of those in need. After my internship, I searched for other medical affairs-type roles and ended up with a role as a medical writer where I collaborated with key opinion leaders and pharma clients to develop content.
Taking an interest in the higher-level strategic direction of projects and new business development, I then transitioned to a role as an Account Manager. I enjoy the role of our medical communications agency, which supports pharma companies in executing their brand strategy through educational and promotional initiatives.
Tell us about your experience in account management
Not many people know there’s this whole agency industry that supports pharma and plays a major role in developing educational and promotional content on their behalf.
"
"
Prior to beginning my position as a Medical Affairs Partner, I was an account manager at a medical communications agency. Here, I was responsible for project management, relationship building with clients, and strategic oversight of projects. Not only do account managers ensure clients’ objectives are met, but they also provide strategic recommendations to help clients realize their vision in the most compelling and efficient way possible. This position is a great fit for individuals who enjoy collaborating with others in a fast-paced environment.
From your experience, what are the keys to effectively managing your projects?
It is important to nail the scope and format of the project early on to ensure alignment with the client, their strategic objectives are met, and the program will be executed on time and within budget. It all starts with a discussion with the client to learn their objectives and a tactic is proposed accordingly.
Let’s use an example: say a client wants an educational program to highlight that the drug can be used in multiple patient profiles, as opposed to being niched for use in a single type of patient. With this scenario, we might suggest an interactive case-based program featuring various patient profiles and use of the drug in each. The program fosters learning through active discussion, rather than didactic presentation.
What is the biggest challenge and reward in account management?
The biggest challenge often comes down to the execution of projects. This is because there are many players that influence the progress of each project from accrediting bodies, clients, and doctors. It goes without saying that we would like to complete projects as efficiently as possible but sometimes this is easier said than done.
The biggest reward is being able to provide the client with a robust program whereby their message is well articulated. Feedback we receive from clients or physicians about our programs being innovative and successful in the field is also very rewarding. Helping clients overcome challenges through strategic educational and promotional initiatives is a driving factor for what we do. Regarding educational programs, positive feedback from physicians means learning objectives are being achieved.
How has COVID-19 impacted your work?
In the early stages of the pandemic, work really slowed down because most of our pharma clients began to operate virtually and halted interactions with healthcare providers (HCPs). As a result, there was less face-to-face delivery of educational programs and it seemed the pharma industry was unsure of the next steps to take. We had to get creative and figure out other ways to engage with doctors and clients and what the best next steps would be, being respectful of HCPs’ time.
The result was an increase in virtual consultations on the topic of COVID-19 and how pharma can support during this time. Based on the outcomes of those meetings, we’re now moving to develop more virtual education with convenient self-learn formats, among other initiatives. It’s great to see how we can help drive things forward as an agency during this time and are now quite busy as everything is up and running again, albeit at a new normal.
S2BN