Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in Pharmaceutical Context are the clinical experts who can play a critical role in influencing the opinion and clinical practice of their peers and also the healthcare organizations. Thus it is important to have KOL Management as a part of the Marketing strategy. KOL Management is a continuous process that involves identifying the right experts who are interested and aligned with your brand/molecule, profiling their key strengths and segmenting them according to their positions, mindset and collaboration preferences etc. Involving KOLs throughout the product lifecycle helps in instant feedback, building long-term relationships and customer loyalty in a long run.

1. KOL Relationship Management and
It’s importance in Pharma
Marketing
Anjali Makhijani
Bsc-Biotech, MBA- Healthcare
Management
Asst. Manager- Medico-Marketing

2. A key opinion leader (KOL) is a trusted, well-respected influencer
with proven experience and expertise in a particular field.
Definition- Key Opinion Leaders
 Physicians with rich experience of 25 or more years
 Super specialists, like Endocrinologists, Diabetologists, Cardiologists etc. with expertise in their area

3. • Professor of a medical institute
• Spoken at a national conference or event
• Published their research in a medical journal
• Participated in a significant number of clinical trials
• Held a position as a board member within a respected organization
• Treated or diagnosed a high volume of patients in a single specialty area
Characteristics of a KOL

4. Dr. V. Mohan
MBBS, MD, Ph.D, D. Sc., FRCP
Academic Positions:
 Adjunct Visiting Professor- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of
Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
 Adjunct Associate Professor- University of Ulm, West Germany
 Visiting Professor- Department of Medical Research, SRM, Medical College
Hospital & Research Centre Chennai
 PhD Supervisor- Sastra University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Publications:
 Over 1350 Publications- Includes 878 original research articles in peer reviewed journals
 Over 1,36,000 citations with a h-index of 137.
 309 review articles and invited editorials and 170 chapters in text-books on Diabetes and
Internal Medicine published in India and abroad.
Books Published:
 MVDSC Handbook of Diabetes Mellitus
 Dr. Mohan’s MVDSC Handbook of Diabetes Mellitus
 World Clinics Diabetology: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
 Current Trends in Diabetes: Focus on South Asians

5. Medical Organisations/Bodies associated with:
 Past Chairman, RSSDI Research Committee, Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India
(RSSDI)
 Member, Advisory Board, SRM School of Public Health, Chennai
 Past President, Diabetes in Asia Study Group (DASG)
 WHO Temporary Adviser, Consultation on Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and related
disorders of glucose metabolism, Geneva.
Awards/Recognitions:
 Dr.R.V .Sathe Award for research in Diabetes.(Diabetes Association of India).
 Indian Medical Association - Tamil Nadu State Branch Award Medirock 2005 by IMA, Vellore
 Life Time Achievement 2012 by Indian Medical Association, Pondicherry State Branch,
Puducherry
 Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centenary Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research by Indian Council
of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi
 Dr.B.C. Roy National Award by the Medical Council of India, New Delhi
 Padmashri Binode Kanungo Gold Medal Oration Award during National Update on Clinical
Diabetes (NUCD) 2016

6. Role of a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) in Pharmaceutical Industry
Research & Discovery
 Identifying unmet
medical needs
 Proposing Research
Areas
 Identifying
Pharmacological goals
 Instigating their own
clinical trials
Clinical Trials Phase II & III
 Assist in the design of
the Clinical Trial
 Provide advice on
product profiling &
labelling
Advocacy
 Advice on the approval
process
 Provide information on
the drug benefits
 Presentation of trial
results
 Conducting their own
studies & presenting
results
Product Awareness &
Building
 Product awareness
 Publications and
Lectures
 Medical education
programmes
 Contribute to patient
management

7. Example of Successful KOL Engagement
Dr. Shashank R. Joshi is an Indian
endocrinologist, diabetologist and medical
researcher, considered by many as one of the
prominent practitioners of the trade in India
World’s first approved dual PPARA- LipaglynTM (Saraglitazar)
Involvement of KOL in the Phase III Trial

8. Example of Successful KOL Engagement
Developing Brand Advocacy by group of KOLs
World’s first approved dual PPARA- LipaglynTM (Saraglitazar)
Involvement of Cardiological Society
of India

9. Example of Successful KOL Engagement
Product Awareness & Brand Building
World’s first approved dual PPARA- LipaglynTM (Saraglitazar)
Editorial by KOL to Create Brand
Awareness

10. Example of Successful KOL Engagement
Proposing New Research Areas
and Positioning
World’s first approved dual PPARA- LipaglynTM (Saraglitazar)
Poster Presentation, Abstract Prsentation- AACE, ADA:
Saraglitazar in NASH

11. Early Adoption of the Brands
Instant Feedback
Increasing the number of the patients on the therapy
Giving KOLs the sense of Brand ownership
Building Relations & Long Term Partnership
Customer Loyalty

Benefits to Pharma

12. Different Types of KOL Engagement Activities
Medical Advisory
Board Meetings
Speaker Training
Programs
Peer-to-peer
presentation Clinical Trials
Disease Awareness

13. KOL Marketing Vs Influencer Marketing
KOL Marketing Influencer Marketing
 Preferable to have Experts from the same therapy
area, field, expertise as the molecule/brand
 Not necessary to have Experts from the same therapy
area, field, expertise as the molecule/brand
 Involvement throughout the product lifecycle  Ad hoc, as per the need of the promotional strategy
 Dominate the Leadership mindspace
 Many other companies approaching the same
experts for different activities- Leadership
Mindspace is not developed
 Tangible outcomes and Business Generation from
the engaged experts in the long term
 May only give brand visibility but Tangible
outcomes are not guaranteed

14. Steps in KOL Engagement
KOL
Identification
Profiling
Segmentation
Selection
Engagement

15. THANK YOU!