Quantifying MSL Value: A New Lens

Authored by: Adam Wood and Jesse Manganelli

The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) role has evolved from a niche scientific support function into one of the most strategically essential roles in biopharma. No longer limited to engaging with a handful of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), today’s MSLs are the scientific face of their organizations; they are trusted by physicians, payers, policy-makers, system leaders, and even patient advocacy groups.

This evolution was captured in our recent whitepaper, Quantifying MSL Value and Impact: The Evolution of the Medical Science Liaison Role. While the lens through which we view the MSL role has shifted dramatically, the central challenge remains unchanged: how to consistently measure the value they deliver.

Why MSLs Have Never Been So Vital

The pharmaceutical landscape is continuing to evolve via unprecedented change. Innovation drives new developments, such as gene and immuno-therapies and biologics, with the speed of molecular design, research, and market entry increasing. This pace of innovation is fueled by vast amounts of data and the growing influence of medical communications.

For MSLs, these shifts raise the bar. MSLs now need to master increasingly complex therapeutic areas while also acting as cross-functional and cross-cultural connectors. The MSL has the ability to provide clarity in an environment flooded with information, which makes them indispensable to the HCP. Going beyond delivering scientific evidence, their true impact lies in shaping mindsets and consistently demonstrating that shift, qualitatively and quantitatively. By providing trusted insights, MSLs enable healthcare professionals to navigate an ever-evolving landscape with confidence, bringing greater benefits to patients.

From Communicators to Strategic Partners

Today, MSLs are increasingly positioned as strategic partners, which is an evolution from being seen as information delivery and “insight engine”. They expertly shape not only what is heard in the field but also how that knowledge is translated into action. There is a scientific exchange that is more intentionally directed toward influencing strategic thinking and organizational priorities.

By bringing forward the perspectives of patients, providers, payers, policy-makers, and administrators, MSLs help ensure strategies are grounded in real-world needs. Done well, this elevates the role from conveyors of science to trusted partners who shape outcomes and guide an organization’s strategic direction.

The Leadership Challenge of Measurement

Despite their importance, measurement remains problematic for leadership. The industry has long wrestled with the same dilemma:

• Quantitative metrics (e.g., number of interactions and time, etc.) are easy to track but shallow.
• Qualitative metrics (e.g., interaction quality, scientific credibility) are richer but inconsistent and harder to standardize.

Leaders, managers, and MSLs all express a preference for a balance of quantitative and qualitative reporting. The challenge is, however, that qualitative measures are still difficult to capture consistently, so reporting often leans more heavily toward quantitative data. Leaders are also under pressure to present KPIs that demonstrate value, which reinforces this imbalance. As a result, MSLs frequently emphasize the need for more qualitative measures to reflect the depth and nuance of their impact. This challenge is not unique to medical teams; commercial and sales groups also face difficulties in effectively capturing and articulating qualitative value.

Two areas of note hold particular potential for strengthening qualitative measures. First, around “insights”: we find creating stronger feedback loops so MSLs can better understand how their insights are being used and the value they provide. Second, medical leadership coaching of the MSL: team structure often means leaders often have limited time and may lack expertise in “communication skills” and “coaching”, making it harder to sustain clear, accessible measures of individual and team growth. Targeted support here can help keep coaching outputs more “live” and measurable, ensuring progress is both visible and meaningful.

Strategy Before Metrics

The most effective organizations are reframing the conversation by beginning with strategy-first alignment, rather than chasing metrics in isolation. It is the broader Medical Strategy, broken down into actionable imperatives, that should guide the selection of the most appropriate KPIs, as opposed to focusing narrowly on MSL objectives. The emphasis should remain on “key” performance indicators, since too many KPIs can dilute focus and impact. These measures also will naturally evolve over time, reflecting shifts across the product life cycle.

Measurement reflects strategic priorities, reinforces the non-promotional credibility of Medical Affairs, and clearly connects MSL impact to enterprise value.

The Road Ahead

As the pharma landscape evolves, the road ahead for MSLs will be defined by an ability to create meaningful, mindset-shifting interactions and to prove their value in a cost-conscious environment. This goes beyond delivering evidence-based, patient-centered science. It requires understanding HCP perspectives, surfacing misperceptions, and shifting them strategically.

Technology, especially AI, will accelerate this in the future. By synthesizing qualitative insights at scale (measuring quality of interaction, mindset shifts, and self-reported impact), AI can help leaders capture and act upon MSL value with greater consistency.

So, the fundamental question for leaders is no longer whether MSLs create value, it is whether organizations have the frameworks in place to capture, measure, and act upon that value. To accelerate performance and secure the strategic advantage of Medical Affairs, organizations should keep reaching for a consistent approach to measuring MSL value. Strategy before metrics. Insights before activity counts. Impact before volume.

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