Pharma companies continue to seek out patient opinion leaders (POLs) to help them understand the wants and needs of patients. POLs can offer support throughout the drug development process in protocol development, identifying appropriate endpoints, optimising patient recruitment and retention strategies, contributing to patient management programmes and decision-making tools, raising disease state awareness, and disseminating information to Patient Advocacy Groups (PAGs). The patients’ voice is becoming louder and more impactful, and it will be essential for pharma to formulate POL engagement plans that are clear, transparent and ensure that patient needs are at the heart of drug development and access.
FirstWord spoke with YPrime, US, to discuss the important role that POL engagement will have on driving future drug development programmes.
