Profound Progress, Pragmatic Realities: A Critical Assessment of the McKinsey vision for Medical Affairs in 2025

Authors: Reinhard Berkels and Maaike Addicks 

Introduction

The foundational vision for Medical Affairs in the modern pharmaceutical industry, as articulated in 2018, in the McKinsey landmark paper “A vision of Medical Affairs in 2025” postulates that Medical Affairs will undergo a structural metamorphosis to emerge by 2025 as the third strategic pillar of the pharmaceutical enterprise, standing equal to research and development (R&D) and commercial operations.

This transition is necessitated by a shift in the healthcare landscape where science and data have become a primary currency to create value for HCPs and patients while simultaneously realising success for the company.

The 2018 mandate as suggested by McKinsey in their landmark paper describes this rise towards being the third strategic partner depending on four core deliverables to transform: (1) the innovation of evidence generation, (2) the acceleration of patient access, (3) the personalisation of medical engagement, and (4) the elevation of internal medical leadership.

As the year 2025 has concluded, evaluation of this vision and what has been achieved reveals a department in the midst of a sophisticated, albeit uneven, maturation.