The Wall Street Journal educates us about "medical science liaisons." Excerpt:
"Pharmaceutical companies are barred by the Food and Drug Administration from promoting unapproved drug uses, called off-label use, but they are using employees called "medical science liaisons," who are often physicians and pharmacists, as a legal way to discuss those uses.
Medical science liaisons (MSLs), who are considered medical rather than sales staff, have greater freedom than salespeople as they visit doctors offices to discuss the science behind a medicine, including unapproved uses."
Medical Science Laisons have existed with such a title for over 40 years. The old UpJohn pharmaceutical coined the phrase in 1967.
Their purpose originally was to be health care consultants for their employers- offering or validating understanding of scientific data and so forth. Many have to this day PharmDs or PhDs.
Now, MSLs with big pharma deceive an audience at times pretending to be a doctor from out of state to give expert information to the guests. They get involved with the tactical plans with publication planning and clinical trial manipulation at the CRO sites that the MSL's employer sponsors.
This is illustrated if one goes on the best in class website, or the cutting edge info website. See what is offered to big pharma clients regarding maximizing their MSLs. Fiercebiotech has a 4 page white paper regarding the potential effectiveness of MSLs.
The MSLs have been coerced to form a symbiotic relationship with the sales and marketing departments of their pharmaceutical employers.
Dan Abshear