MSL Spotlight Series: Meet Beth Babler

• Tell us about your background and your transition to the pharma/biotech industry.

I was a Nurse Practitioner in Pediatric Endocrinology for 15 years and an RN in pediatrics for many years before that. I obtained by PhD in 2013 and was recruited into the pharma industry in 2015 during my post doc. I had previously done some consulting, training, and speaking with pharma during my clinical practice.

• How would you describe your level of experience and why? (i.e., novice, senior, leader).

I am a natural leader and have held several different roles both prior to pharma and within pharma that exemplify my leadership and mentoring of others. During my most recent position prior to Inizio engage I moved up from MSL to Sr. MSL to Director of Endocrinology in a very short time, showing not only my knowledge and value as a medical partner to my colleagues but the ability to accomplish a great deal of work with minimal oversight and resources. I learned many new tasks within pharma including regulatory review of documents, medical review on the MLR team, strategy and publication planning, working closely with colleagues across functions to establish our medical team as knowledgeable and committed to the rare disease space.

• What do you enjoy most about being an MSL and working in Medical Affairs?

My favorite part of this role is hearing KOL experiences with their patients and with their treatment paradigms and helping to educate them on the disease (if needed) and therapy options that they may not be familiar with to understand the role these medications have to offer for their patient’s disease control. Being able to ‘talk science’ every day is great!

• What is a best practice that changed the way you work as an MSL?

I learned to be very efficient with my time covering 10 states in rare disease. Outreach with a plan is critical to make sure you are making the best use of your resources and time management during a field visit. I have two practices that may help others- 1) “never dine alone” (you are always by yourself when in the field- invite a KOL to join you, it will be well worth your time!) and 2) once you have secured that first appointment – email everyone else in the vicinity (I usually do a two hour drive) and let them know you will be in town and would love to touch base with them on the days prior or just after your other meeting (or even that same day). If they haven’t emailed you back- forward your old email and say just checking back- I will be in town. . .

• Tell us about a time where you felt like you made an impact as an MSL and how that impact fueled further passion for your work. 

I was meeting with a KOL on a product they didn’t really use much, or feel was helpful for their patients (due to a side effect), when we were discussing the key study data and efficacy they stated, “I forgot how great this data actually was compared with the standard of care we are usually using – we really should use this product more”. Helping to change mindsets about a product that may be beneficial to patients is very rewarding to me. Sometimes KOL’s either here from others or have a bad experience and then don’t keep up with the science around a product that may have properties or characteristics that can benefit their patients. Helping to remind them or bring new data to their attention is useful as a busy clinician has difficulty keeping up with all the literature and advances in therapies.

• Where do you see the role of MSLs evolving in the future, and what trends do you anticipate in healthcare industries?

The MSL role will continue to evolve and change especially as there are smaller and smaller companies bringing products to market. Using your expertise in the field and knowledge of a marketplace helps to shape a company and their strategy as well as using the MSL in many varied roles that are typically hired roles in bigger pharma companies. It is very fun to be involved in projects where you can break down barriers and bureaucracy and quickly have an idea utilized and see the success. I think with the various challenges placed on health care practitioners now it is becoming more and more difficult to see them – having resources that can quickly show them data (like an infographic) and tell a story without long cumbersome slide decks will be key along with utilizing social media and other avenues to reach KOL’s. Keep learning engaging (we even did a CME that was an ‘escape room’ that engaged the learners in a very different fashion then the traditional lunch and learn).

• What challenges do you commonly face in your role and how do you overcome them? 

The biggest challenge is getting KOL’s to answer your emails looking for an appointment time. They are often overwhelmed with their ‘day job’ and just don’t get around to answering non-work-related emails. Keeping the subject heading compliant and relevant to their interests and what you want to meet about (until you have a strong relationship with them) is key to getting an answer.

• How would you describe the culture at Inizio Engage? (What attracted you to join our company, and how does it align with your professional goals and values?)

I enjoyed meeting with the recruiter and my boss during the interview process. I think they were very open to what the job entailed and made sure to highlight the strengths that I would bring to the contract company and why they believed I was a good fit for the role. I think at the time it was a great fit for me to be in a contract role that gave me some flexibility to my role and responsibilities and allowed me to be engaged in a variety of ways as the new team was being built out – leveraging my strengths and knowledge of the field (was my same disease space) and KOL’s and competitor products.

• What do you like to do in your spare time? (hobbies, interests, etc.) .

I love to travel, read, quilt, knit, and spend time with my children and grandchildren. We have an active lifestyle that this role pairs with that keeps me on the move and seeing new parts of the country/world and staying active and using my brain is a great thing!

• How do you stay updated on the latest advancements, research, and industry trends in your field?

I always set up pub med alerts with any diseases/products that I am currently working with.  Scanning literature alerts and focusing in on relevant articles even if just for a quick scan helps me to be aware of what is being published and by whom. I really enjoy going to congresses as well and listening to the lectures, reviewing the science in posters and talking with KOL’s in attendance. As far as staying up to date on the industry- usually LinkedIn is a great place to see what is happening (and even going to meetings like the MSL society holds).