Job Description

Our company is a global healthcare leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products. Today, we are building a new kind of healthcare company – one that is ready to help create a healthier future for all of us.

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of people like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. As part of our global team, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.

Position Overview - Basic Functions & Responsibility

The Medical Science Liaison serves as an advocate for our company science within the healthcare community. By virtue of his/her training, the MSL is well-positioned to discuss and provide scientific and therapeutic information to Health Care Professionals and Researchers (Clinical and Scientific Leaders) viewed by their peers to be authorities in a therapeutic field. The MSL is responsible for ensuring that he/she is fully versed in the therapeutic area and up-to-date on all major studies, both ongoing and completed, competitive product information and clinical data based on the products scientific platform.

Primary Activities

• Engagements with External Experts

• Develop an understanding of regional and national thought-leaders and the healthcare environments in which they work through effective professional engagement with Clinical and Scientific leaders that are centered on science and credible exchange of unbiased scientific information.

• Interact with managed care organizations, healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, speakers, key opinion leaders,  and other healthcare organizations providing fair, balanced, and scientifically rigorous medical and clinical information.

• Meet with healthcare professionals who might be interested in engaging in a scientific discussion regarding a product’s medical and clinical profile in the context of approved prescribing information as well as in response to unsolicited questions or requests for information which may involve off-label information. (Unsolicited means that the information request was neither suggested nor encouraged by the MSL or our company sales representatives)

• Participate in the development and implement tactics identified in the Medical Affairs Plans (MAP).

• Work with our research and development division personnel to identify potential investigators for Phases 1, 2 and 3 Clinical Research projects, based on our company needs and on the investigator's expertise and access to appropriate patients, secure participation of investigators they choose.

• Alert investigators to our company's program for Investigator Initiated Study Proposals (MISP) and to the process for submitting investigator designed proposals for review and approval; encourage and facilitate research publication of MISP studies supported by our company, in strict compliance with HQ and local guidance.

• When requested, may represent the Medical Department at Local or Regional Medical events (e.g. Medical Congresses and Symposia.) They may collaborate in the coordination of pre-event information and communication of post-event summaries.

Non-Promotional Scientific Information: The Medical Science Liaison is to engage exclusively in activities conductive to scientific exchange. As such, MSLs must be mindful of permissible subject matter, manner of discussion, context and audience and as such should be fully trained to fulfill all professional and regulatory requirements. Given the role of the MSL and the nature of MSL activities, it is critically important that MSLs avoid even the appearance of engaging in promotional activities.

• Engage in discussions regarding scientific and clinical evidence surrounding new and existing our company products and claims.

• Provide scientific information for a new therapeutic area related to a future product launch. Identified Scientific leaders .

• Provide relevant scientific background information for formulary decisions, treatment guidelines and Public Health programs.

• Provide fair balanced, objective, scientific information and education to health care providers, formulary committees, basic scientists and to internal business partners as required by identified business needs

Guiding Principles and Practices

MSLs' engagements are based on in-depth scientific exchange in a therapeutic area and often lead to knowledge transfer initiatives and research. The MSL, in interacting with healthcare professionals and researchers, is governed by the following guiding principles intended to deliver unbiased and evidence based information

• Report into Global Medical Affairs.

• Have no sales objectives or accountability for prescribing or sales of any our company product and do not participate in Sales Incentive Plans (SIP).

• Discussions between MSLs and Health Care Professionals should focus on bi-directional exchange of ideas on disease related topics, scientific presentations of data in the public domain, and reporting scientific results (e.g. discussion of clinical study results.)

• Product claims must be discussed in the context of clinical and scientific exchange, and shall be consistent with prescribing information and substantiated with reference-able data.

• Communicate evidence with fair balance, in accordance with company and local regulatory standards.

• If unsolicited, responses to requests that necessitate providing information or data that is not within the current product indication, must clearly disclose that the information being provided is not contained within the regulatory-approved labeling and that our company recommends the use of its products in accordance with its approved labeling.

• In response to an unsolicited request for information, the MSL can provide references, abstracts and bibliographies for the specified topics using the standards procedure stablished. The literature and data that MSL use to support their discussions, as a general rule, are peer-reviewed, of the highest quality, and from databases and sites of information approved by the Medical Affairs Management Team.

• Slides must go through proper medical review per local procedures prior to use. Refrain from use of corporate product trademark and branding in slide kits, unless expressly approved by Medical Affairs in the specific context used.

• Information provided will not be highlighted or annotated by the MSL.

• MSLs must not provide materials to Sales Representatives as these should only use materials approved in compliance with the Local Review Guidelines

Education Required/Preferred:
Required: Physician, Pharm D, or PhD in a life science
Preferred: specialization and/or clinical experience in the relevant therapeutic area: Cardiology or Immunology

Other degrees preferred
• 3 years success and accomplishment in the pharmaceutical industry, managed care organization or related experience.
• Knowledge in clinical trials methods implementation and interpretation, and experience within a clinical drug development environment
strong scientific baseline knowledge in therapeutic area , sound scientific and clinical judgment and eagerness to learn more in depth in therapeutic area

Our employees are the key to our company’s success. We demonstrate our commitment to our employees by offering a competitive and valuable rewards program. Our company’s benefits are designed to support the wide range of goals, needs and lifestyles of our employees, and many of the people that matter the most in their lives.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID:R338191