Journey from an Enabler to a Strategic Leader: Integration of the Medical Affairs Function in ESG Initiatives and Values

Abstract

Like most private enterprises, the pharmaceutical industry has deeply rooted environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters that challenge its long-term sustainability. Overcoming these external challenges requires collaborative and proactive steps as well as procedures guiding the adoption of ESG principles by all internal stakeholders. Environmental challenges such as climate change, and in addition the changes in society, have resulted in the need for governance addressing and coordinating efforts. The core function of medical affairs (MA) is connecting with stakeholders within a company and also between the company and external stakeholders. In this article, we describe the involvement of MA in several aspects of ESG, as a contributor, partner, and implementer. MA has a significant opportunity to emerge as a leading function involved in ESG strategies and their tactical implementation. Although the involvement of MA in the environment pillar of ESG is less, the function can implement changes relating to the conduct of meetings, clinical studies, and the digitalization of medical education via virtual platforms. Due to its patient centricity, MA is tasked to address social determinants of health to improve patients' outcomes. As a linking function within a company and with its external stakeholders, MA can provide proactive input in policy generation and enable effective governance by adherence to standards of accountability, ethics, and compliance, as well as transparency. Championing ESG is a collective responsibility that transcends any single department. It mandates a company-wide commitment. MA represents an essential pivot point in catalyzing the integration of ESG principles within industry, contributing to a healthcare ecosystem that is not merely more sustainable and ethical but also more conducive to patient health and public well-being.

Fig. 1

Involvement and activities of the medical affairs function within the pharmaceutical industry relating to ESG. ESG environmental, social, and governance

Fig. 2

Illustration describing the four archetypes for ESG-compliant activities based on the ease of implementation and scope for medical affairs’ functions. Overall, all activities demand patient centricity while still balancing the organization’s interests and enabling the maximum level of profitability. Medical affairs is generally an enabling function for most of these activities; however, it is the leader in optimizing ESG principles for medical initiatives. The correct decisions across all activities require establishing and adherence to an adequate ESG policy. In line with the research by Wollensack et al. [108], we use the term defossilization to describe the substitution of carbon-based raw materials (organic compounds) produced from materials of fossil origin by renewable stocks in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. ESG environmental, social, and governance, CUP compassionate use program, M2M medical-to-medical, RWD real-world data