The Power of One: Medical Affairs in Lean Biotech

Behind every successful biotech story, there’s often a focused, high-performing team driving it forward behind the scenes. To mark MedComms Day (June 25) and this year’s theme “Pride in Profession,” Brandon Boland, EVP, Global Biotechnology Portfolio Lead, reflects on the high-impact role of lean medical affairs teams in early-stage biotech.

It’s not unusual for an entire medical affairs function to be carried on the shoulders of a small team, sometimes even a single individual. In the most extreme version of this, a single dedicated medical affairs lead could be responsible for a wide range of activities, including evidence strategy, KOL engagement, internal alignment, clinical trial support, scientific communications, you name it. While larger companies allocate entire departments to each of these functions, early-stage biotechs don’t have that luxury. Out of necessity, these lean teams often take on critical, high-impact work with limited internal resources. And despite their importance in shaping funding, partnerships, and eventual acquisition, medical affairs in early biotech is often underutilized, under resourced, and under budgeted.

In large pharmaceutical organizations, medical affairs is a well-resourced, highly segmented function—MSLs handle field engagement, publications teams manage manuscripts, HEOR leads focus on data strategy, and so on. That model of course comes with challenges (we could dedicate an entire other perspective on the perils of silos in organizations), but in biotech the dynamic is entirely different. The medical affairs function is flat. Super flat. One person may be responsible for every flavor of KOL engagement (from identification to execution), scientific narrative development, field material creation, internal training, compliance alignment, publications, and congress strategy—often all at once.  However, this can create efficiencies through quick time from decision to action. This model also puts the medical affairs lead in close, direct proximity to the C-suite decision makers at their company as well – allowing for greater organizational alignment and streamlining of decision making.

Still, the organizational structure isn’t just flat, it’s blurry. With most of the company’s budget funneled into clinical trial execution, medical affairs is left to stretch limited resources across a broad scope. This forces creative consolidation with multiple deliverables rolled into one touchpoint. This can be efficient, but it often dilutes impact at the moments where focused execution would matter most.

What makes medical affairs uniquely essential in biotech is its potential to be a strategic bridge: from clinical to commercial, from molecule to message. It’s a powerful idea. It looks great in a job description or on LinkedIn. But let’s be real here—in the rush to keep up with milestones, investor updates, or the next scientific meeting, it’s easy for medical to slip into reactivity. The focus narrows to urgent deliverables rather than foundational needs. Boxes get checked, but does the needle actually move?  This is where the right strategic partners can make a meaningful difference. When embedded early and aligned closely with biotech medical affairs leads, medical affairs agencies can offer not just bandwidth, but targeted direction and deep experience. They help identify which deliverables will truly move the needle at each stage, and ensure the scientific story stays cohesive and credible across every touchpoint. With the right support, even the leanest teams can punch above their weight—delivering not just output, but orchestrated, high-impact execution that helps position the company for success.

For many biotech companies, success is defined by a milestone event: acquisition, partnership, or successful fundraising. Yes, clinical data is crucial—but it’s rarely enough on its own. Acquirers and investors want to see a validated mechanism of action, a credible presence in the scientific community, and a clear unmet need with a strategy to address it. This puts medical affairs at the center of a biotech’s value story. A company that can show thoughtful stakeholder engagement, targeted publication planning, and a clear medical strategy appears less risky, more ready, and more valuable.

Biotech companies often move fast, but speed without strategy is not sustainable. An empowered medical affairs function, even if it’s just one person, can elevate a scientific story into a business case.  For founders and CEO, invest in your medical function early, not just with people, but with strategic infrastructure and partners that can amplify your story. For medical leads, understand that your role isn’t to do everything all at once but to focus on addressing critical success areas for your organization.  It is your job to ultimately prioritize, orchestrate, and shape how the outside world understands your asset’s value. And for agencies working in this space, the most valuable contribution isn’t simply deliverables, it’s bringing clarity, foresight, and focused execution to what matters most.

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