THE MSL

Journal of the MSL Society

Success Factors in Clinical Studies: Contribution of MSLs to Healthcare Professionals and Link With the Industrial Sponsor


Author(s):

Introduction

In a context where regulatory requirements, methodological complexity, and competition for patient recruitment are constantly increasing, the success of clinical studies increasingly relies on close and strategic collaboration between the industrial sponsor and healthcare professionals involved in research. At the heart of this interface, Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) play a pivotal role. As scientific representatives of the pharmaceutical company in the field, they ensure high-level, non-promotional medical communication with key opinion leaders, potential investigators, and clinical site teams.

Their proximity to healthcare stakeholders, deep understanding of medical and operational aspects of clinical trials, and direct connection with the sponsor’s clinical development teams enable MSLs to proactively identify motivated investigators and high-potential sites. This targeted matchmaking capacity is essential to optimize site selection, accelerate study start-up phases, and ultimately secure the proper conduct of the trials.

In this article, we explore the key success factors in clinical studies by highlighting the added value of MSLs in aligning medical, scientific, and industrial objectives. We analyze how their strategic positioning strengthens the effectiveness of partnerships between industrial sponsors and healthcare professionals, with the shared goal of advancing clinical research for the benefit of patients.

Context

The development of clinical trials within the pharmaceutical industry now takes place in a complex, competitive, and highly regulated environment. Faced with these challenges, industrial sponsors are driven to optimize every step of the process—from identifying investigators to ensuring the smooth execution of trials. It is within this context that the role of Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) is gaining strategic importance.

Originally designed as field-based scientific experts, MSLs serve as a bridge between healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical company’s medical teams. Their non-promotional role grants them essential credibility in scientific communication, the collection of medical insights, and the identification of high-potential enrollment sites. In close collaboration with clinical development teams, they align real medical needs with the sponsor’s research goals.

At the same time, the medical function within pharmaceutical companies—especially MSLs—has gradually evolved away from the marketing departments to strengthen its role as an independent actor in evidence generation and medical education. It has become an essential interface to support scientific collaborations, including investigator-initiated research (IIR), and to respond to new demands for personalized medicine and real-world data valorization.

Methodology

To rigorously explore the contribution of Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) in clinical studies, a targeted narrative literature review was conducted. The objective of this documentary analysis was to identify the most relevant publications from the past twenty years specifically addressing the role of MSLs in the success of clinical trials, taking into account industrial, medical, and regulatory issues.

The search was conducted between February and April 2025 using the following bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. Keywords included: Medical Science Liaison, clinical trials, medical affairs, industry-sponsored research, investigator engagement, regulatory environment, and pharmaceutical development. Keyword combinations were adjusted to include both common English terms found in scientific literature and those specific to medical functions within the pharmaceutical industry.

Inclusion criteria:

  • Publications from 2004 to 2024;
  • Studies on the role of MSLs in setting up, managing, or ensuring the success of clinical trials;
  • Explicit inclusion of industrial, regulatory, or strategic aspects of clinical development.

The selected sources were assessed for their relevance, scientific quality, and direct connection with the issues analyzed in this article. Particular attention was given to peer-reviewed publications, position papers from professional bodies, and expert syntheses.

The analysis identified the main areas of MSL impact in clinical studies, structured through a cross-reading of sponsor needs, healthcare professionals’ expectations, and regulatory constraints.

Results and Discussion

The analysis of the seven peer-reviewed scientific publications revealed a clear consensus on the added value of MSLs in the success of clinical studies. Positioned between industrial sponsors, clinical research organizations, medical experts, and investigative sites, MSLs contribute significantly to the efficiency and quality of clinical research.

  1. Facilitating healthcare professional engagement
    MSLs ensure non-promotional scientific communication with clinicians, enhancing the work of project teams (clinical research associates, project managers) by improving protocol comprehension and investigator motivation. According to Chin (2004) and Theron et al. (2021), this peer-to-peer relationship builds trust and encourages physician participation in trials often perceived as complex or unattractive.
  2. Site selection and support
    Thanks to their field expertise, MSLs help project teams identify high-potential sites that are well-suited to the study protocol, while assessing local feasibility. Their role is crucial in avoiding recruitment failures—a frequently reported issue (Rahman et al., 2011; Daykin, 2018). They support sites throughout the study, facilitating communication with the project teams.
  3. Improving patient recruitment
    One of the most documented limiting factors in the literature is the insufficient recruitment of patients, often due to low clinician motivation and organizational barriers. By engaging with investigators and project teams, MSLs help overcome these challenges through training, therapeutic education, and strategic alignment with local priorities.
  4. Alignment with industrial and regulatory priorities
    MSLs operate within a framework of regulatory compliance and ethical standards, ensuring a strict separation between scientific information and commercial goals, as emphasized by Theron et al. (2021). Their work is governed by international standards (APPA, IFAPP, MAPS), which aim to ensure the integrity of interactions with stakeholders.Additionally, they serve as strategic relays for the sponsor: their field insights help adapt operational strategies, identify new research opportunities (e.g., post-marketing studies, IIR), and anticipate the needs of health authorities—reflecting the growing role of medical affairs in pharmacovigilance, real-world evidence (RWE), and health technology assessment (HTA) interactions.
  5. Ongoing challenges despite MSL supportDespite their facilitating role, publications highlight the persistence of major barriers to HCP participation: clinical workload, lack of awareness of research benefits, limited institutional recognition, time constraints, and regulatory complexity (e.g., GDPR, ICH-GCP standards). The effectiveness of MSLs remains conditioned by the presence of a supportive research environment.In summary, the publications converge in recognizing MSLs as pivotal actors in the clinical trial value chain. Their proximity to healthcare professionals and project teams, combined with their integration into the sponsor’s medical strategy, enables improvements in study quality, recruitment performance, and regulatory compliance—while also enhancing the scientific reputation of the pharmaceutical company.

Conclusion

In an ever-changing clinical landscape, marked by increasingly complex protocols, heightened regulatory demands, and greater pressure on timelines and data quality, the role of the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) emerges as a strategic cornerstone of clinical study success.

At the intersection of medical field operations, internal project teams, and industrial imperatives, the MSL performs a highly specialized scientific liaison function—facilitating communication between industrial sponsors, investigators, key opinion leaders, and regulatory bodies. Their non-promotional stance, scientific credibility, and operational awareness make them key players in coordinating trials, anticipating risks, and ensuring strategic alignment.

Working in synergy with clinical development, operations, pharmacovigilance, and compliance departments, MSLs help optimize site selection, accelerate patient recruitment, and strengthen healthcare professional engagement—all while upholding compliant, transparent, and scientifically rigorous communication.

Faced with structural and cultural challenges in clinical research, the MSL has evolved beyond a support function to become a high-value field actor—ensuring scientific relevance, operational fluidity, and adherence to ethical and regulatory standards. Their ability to bridge the sponsor’s ambitions with real-world healthcare practices makes them an indispensable pillar for effective, patient-centered, innovation-driven clinical research.

Disclaimer: The bibliographic research and its synthesis were generated by AI supported by a plan and a critical analysis by the author.

SOURCES

  1. Baker DL. The Role of the Medical Science Liaison in Industry. AORN 2010; J 91: 394-398.
  2. Benabdallah F, Johanet H. The New European Medical Device Regulation: Place of Surgeons in the Clinical Evaluation. Int J Clin Invest Case Rep. 2022;1(1):1-6.
  3. Chin J. Why medical science liaisons leads to clinical trial success. Good Clinical Practice Journal. 2004; Volume 11 Number 1.
  4. Daykin A, Clement C, GambleC et al. ‘Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment’ –the need for more focus on retention: a qualitative study of five trials. Daykin et al. Trials (2018) 19:76.
  5. Rahman S, Majumder A, Shaban S et al. Physician participation in clinical research and trials: issues and approaches. Advances in Medical Education and Practice ; 2011:2 85–93.
  6. Setia S, Ryan N, Nair P et al. Evolving role of pharmaceutical physicians in medical evidence and education. Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 2018 ;9 :777–790.
  7. Theron P, Britland M, Donna H et al. Promoting Best Practices for Medical Science Liaisons Position Statement from the APPA, IFAPP, MAPS and MSLS. Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science. 2021; 55:1139–1144.

 

About the author:

Farid Benabdallah, MD, PhD

Former consultant assistant surgeon. Master’s degree in biological and medical engineering, continuing education in biostatistics, clinical research, and public health.

Worked in the healthcare industry as a medical advisor and medical affairs director (pharmaceuticals and medical devices) for 30 years (Chiesi, Takeda, J&J, 3M, Septodont).

Member of learned societies (Association of Clinical Research Professionals, French Academy of Surgery, French Association of Medical Professions in the Health Industries).

Currently Medical Affairs Director at Septodont SAS.

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