ZS Medical Affairs Outlook Report 2026

Medical affairs GTM rewired: From scientific exchange to measurable impact

Author(s): Sunil John and Sarah Jarvis

Medical affairs has long been called a function in transition. But that description no longer feels sufficient.

The third era of medical affairs is upon us, and medical affairs must operate at scale.

The shift we’ve seen happened in fragments: New roles emerged, new stakeholders appeared and new channels adopted. Together, however, these changes point to something more fundamental: A move from gradual evolution to structural reset. Over the past several years, medical affairs has progressed well beyond its original role as a scientific support function. Medical affairs leaders now drive decision-making, shape evidence strategies and demonstrate measurable impact on clinical practice. This transformation is redefining the role medical affairs plays within the broader pharmaceutical ecosystem, with the function operating as a central node in the go-to-market model.