A scientific platform provides a unified and consistent source of information about a product (or company, franchise, or therapeutic category) that is foundational to planning future communications activities. In developing a scientific platform, PharmaWrite relies on its extensive experience in strategic publication planning, gap analyses, and therapeutic area surveillance. Because the scientific platform provides such a critical scientific communications framework, we prefer to develop a platform first, if one doesn't already exist.

Building a platform entails multiple steps. First, we immerse ourselves in the scientific and clinical literature to build a scientific foundation. Our team then collaborates with our clients to create a platform that encompasses both the clinical landscape and audience. Note that, beyond the traditional sources of medical and scientific information, PharmaWrite also has access to the extensive abstract database, Northern Light. This allows us to monitor trends because we have up-to-date access to your competitors' research, endpoints, target audiences, and publication strategies.

The components of a typical platform include:

• Lexicon: By profiling the therapeutic area, product, and key competitors, we determine terms and phrases that describe and differentiate your product. A lexicon is also used to establish a common vocabulary. The profiles will include metrics about safety and efficacy, MOA, endpoints and outcome measures, general descriptions, etc.
• Key Scientific Statements: Sentences and phrases (properly referenced) that provide a foundation from which tactics are planned and organized.
• Analysis: We use the gap analysis to assess the evidence base for current scientific statements and to identify additional perceptions regarding the clinical use of the product in the published literature and abstract database. The gap analysis provides an overview of publications metrics, target audiences, the current scientific platform, and level of support—it quantitatively maps messages to scientific statements to determine gaps.
• Situational Analysis: Summary of challenges and opportunities in the disease space, treatment approach, and product—including a SWOT analysis—as grounded in the scientific literature. We will oftentimes interview KOLs for perspective as well.
• Educational Gap Analysis: Summary of perceptions from the literature, competitive intelligence, and relevant guidelines. When necessary, recommendations to overcome those perceptions are provided; these could include additional studies or publications. This really serves as the needs assessment.

To learn more about how PharmaWrite can assist your company, please contact us here.