Objectives and Agenda for INMAS, First Ever "Indian Medical Advisors Summit", to be organized @The Lalit, Mumbai on 22nd Feb' 2014 by GERONIMO Healthcare Solutions

What is INMAS?
INMAS is first of its kind initiative that is being undertaken in India for the cause of Medical Affairs personnel to interact learn, share new ideas, best practices, and case studies amongst this evolving community. It holds the following key objectives:
> To understand and learn the art of balancing science with marketing
> To understand what it means to be a business manager first and then a medical advisor
> To demonstrate the value of Medical Affairs to the business especially in external expert engagements
> To understand that the future is Field Medical and External Medical Affairs
> To get the understanding of changing dynamics in the regulatory scenario in India
> To co-conceptualize brand plans with local clinical development projects and medical research to plug gaps and meet unmet medical needs of the market

> Key note session
By: Dr. Viraj Suvarna - Medical Director, Boehringer Ingelheim India Private Limited

> Utilizing Social Media in Medical Marketing: 
By: Dr. Amit Garg - Head Emerging Markets, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories

> Nutrition Industry- Broadening Lens from a Medical/Scientific Advisor's Perspective
By: Dr. Vinita Satyavrat - Head - Scientific & Medical Affairs, Abbott Nutrition International - India

> How to Make Credible Scientific Presentations?
By: Dr. Prashant Desai - Director - Medical Affairs, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Limited

> The Role of Regional Medical Advisor (Field Medical)
By: Dr. Aju Abraham Varghese - Sr. Medical Manager Regional Medical Affairs, Pfizer India

> What Medical Advisor Needs to Know About Regulatory Expertise and NDAC Expectations
By: Dr. Rohit Arora - Director- Marketing (Pediatrics), Sanofi Pasteur India

> Defining Performance Indicators for Medical Advisors - Panel Discussion
Dr. Gautam Rambhad - Associate Director, Medical Services, Wyeth Ltd. (A subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.)
Dr. Viraj Suvarna - Medical Director, Boehringer Ingelheim India Private Limited
Dr. Prashant Desai - Director - Medical Affairs, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Limited
Dr. K. Karunakar Reddy - Head - Medical Affairs, India Business, Dr Reddys Laboratories
Panel Moderator
Dr Qayum Mukaddam - Director- Medical Services, Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd

> GPP Introduction and "Marketing or Science": What should be Medical Advisor's Priority?
Dr. Santosh Jha - Director - Medical Regulatory, Takeda Pharmaceuticals

> On-label Use and Marketing
Dr. K. Karunakar Reddy - Head - Medical Affairs, India Business, Dr Reddys Laboratories

> Stakeholder Management: Internal and External
Dr. Manish Mistry - Medical Director, Novartis Oncology

> What Industry Expects from the Medical Fraternity
Mr. Sharad Tyagi - Managing Director, Boehringer Ingelheim India Pvt. Ltd.

> Future Career Options for Medical Advisors in India and Abroad
Dr. Qayum Mukaddam - Director - Medical Services, Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.

Program Moderator - Mr. Anup Soans - Editor, MedicinMan

Challenges faced by Indian Pharmaceutical Companies

Competition from China

Indian pharmaceutical companies are facing a major competition from China which occupies the 7^th position in the pharmaceutical world. China’s export is growing at a rate of 20% per annum and is expected to become the fifth largest pharmaceutical industry by 2010. Some of the factors where China has an upper hand when compared to Indian companies include:

• Lower electricity costs
• Lower labour charges (40% lesser than India)
• Company friendly labour policies
• Implementation of clear intellectual property laws and data exclusivity rules
• R&D institutions are independent of government funding
• Tax benefits and friendly import rules

Some of the threats that can hamper the growth of the Indian pharmaceutical industry include:

• Lack of enabling regulatory requirement
• Unrealistic ceilings on product prices and profitability
• MRP based excise duty regime threatens the existence of many small scale pharma units

Infrastructure bottlenecks

The competiveness of the Indian pharmaceutical industry is being eroded by the bottlenecks in the infrastructure developments. The rapidly growing economy has placed huge demands on power, road and transportation system which India has not been able to meet. The World Bank has estimated that India needs to invest an additional 3-4 percent of GDP on infrastructure in order to sustain its growing demands to a certain extent. Roles of the government and private sectors are important in the development of the country along with suitable changes in the present policies.

Strengths of India in global pharmaceutical market

Indian pharmaceutical market is growing both domestically and globally. The factors such as doubling of the disposable income and number of middle class households, expanding medical infrastructure, increased penetration of health insurances, rise in the prevalence of chronic disorders, adoption of product patents, and aggressive marketing are being considered to play a key role in the growth of pharmaceutical companies in the domestic level.

Some of the key strengths that would boost India’s presence in the global pharmaceutical market have been listed below:

• Strong base of manufacturing
• World-class products at competitive costs
• Good network of laboratories
• Growing research and development (R&D) infrastructure
• Highly trained pool of scientists and professionals
• Strong network of marketing and distribution
• Strong skill in process development
• Potential ground for conducting clinical trials
• Fast expanding healthcare industry
• Rich biodiversity
• Growing biotechnology industry
• Approvals of Highest Quality from regulatory bodies like USFDA, EDQM, MHRA
• Very strong in alternative systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Homoepathy, Unani, Siddha and Herbal medicines
•  An excellent centre for clinical trials.

In the face of expiring patents, the rising cost of research and development and increased pressure on pricing, most major pharmaceutical companies outside India are seeking alternatives to enhance their productivity, cut their production costs and hasten the development of drugs in the pipeline. India is fast emerging as a new hub for pharmaceutical development with its key strengths helping it to overcome majority of the obstacles.

Etiquette, relationships and business

No wonder, the growth of each and every business depends on the people, their attitude towards work, their etiquette and their relationship with their colleagues, bosses and vendor companies. Precisely, human relationships are the core strength that can create and destroy any business. It is never about money in a long run.


As an entrepreneur and dealing with diverse clients, including both Indian as well as International, I have realized that undoubtedly it is always comfortable to deal with the later group than former. This post is all about what I have learnt in last one year while dealing with both such parties.


It is my personal viewpoint and hope that we as Indians learn something when it comes to corporate etiquette or even before that, learn to respect humans first.


Keys for successful business:
1. Respect every individual, not for his position but for the work he does. He could be the head of some division, or could be the director of some company, a KOL, or an employee, a receptionist, that courier guy or the BD guy or even the person who serves you tea/water in your office.
2. Reply to the e-mails of the people who are looking for you. You don't need to always have business perspective in your mind. Help them to solve their queries, after all they sent you e-mail because they got to know about you from somewhere and think that you might be the right person to guide them. Isn't that a good enough reason to help them?
3. Provide unconditional leads to the people who are looking for business opportunities and if that is possible at your end. You help them today, they would surely help you tomorrow. Business is one such thing where everyone needs everyone.
4. Though you might be busy in your meetings and daily chores, but have the courtesy to acknowledge missed calls or SMSs that you received from people that time. We all are busy bees in this corporate world, but remember "You give time to anybody, and he will be yours in the most needed hours"
5. Show commitment towards meetings. Call the person only when you can meet him. If by any chance you get busy, try to inform the person (no matter whoever he/she is w.r.t position that you have) before hand. If due to some unavoidable circumstances, even if that is not possible, atleast SMS him or call him later on and regret about the situation. Getting your ego in between is not justified and neither ignoring your basic corporate etiquette makes sense.
6. Help your vendors/clients to get their payments in time. The worst that you can do is to stop the payment procedure at your end itself. It is the money that they deserve as service providers and they should get it in a stipulated time frame. Not all vendor companies understand the complex financial procedure going on in your MNC. Sometimes, they send their guy for procuring the pending payments. If not possible to meet him, have the courtesy to guide them to meet the appropriate people in the company. In return, you can definitely trust on their improved quality and cost effective inputs for yourself in the future.
7. Try to remember names of the companies and people you working with. After all human relationships is the key behind successful business. And there will be a day, when it won't be about money, but only about your name.
8. And last but not the least: don't just forget people, could be your clients, colleagues or vendors, if they shared the part of your success. Remember, you have always been helped and guided by all such people to reach where you are as of now.


I hope that we as Indians should really learn from Americans and fellow English men, who be default comply with most of the points I mentioned above.


Remember, we all are busy and we all have our own priorities, but there is an old saying and that goes beyond everything: "Where there is a will, there is a way"