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September 17, 2010
The Life of a Key Opinion Leader
Posted by Derek
Here's an uncomplimentary look at the whole concept of "Key Opinion Leaders" in drug marketing. I think this part gets at the real reason many people agree to do this (and a lot of other things besides):
"It strokes your narcissism," says Erick Turner, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University. There is the money, of course, which is no small matter. Some high-level KOL's make more money consulting for the pharmaceutical industry than they get from their academic institutions. But the real appeal of being a KOL is that of being acknowledged as important. That feeling of importance comes not so much from the pharmaceutical companies themselves, but from associating with other academic luminaries that the companies have recruited. Academic physicians talk about the experience of being a KOL the way others might talk about being admitted to a selective fraternity or an exclusive New York dance club. No longer are you standing outside the rope trying to catch the doorman's eye, waiting hungrily to be admitted. You are one of the chosen.
Although, as the piece makes clear, it's more about the life of not-quite-key opinion leaders. As with every club, there are inner rooms and outer rooms. . .
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1. Chemjobber on September 17, 2010 8:05 AM writes...
Oh, man, you left out the best part! From the article:
"Perhaps the most remarkable recent exchange with a KOL emerged in an investigation of Joseph Biederman, a child psychiatrist at Harvard University. In a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, Biederman was accused of promising positive research results to the company in exchange for funding. A hint of Biederman's self-opinion emerged in a deposition, where a lawyer asked him about his academic ranking.
Biederman: "To move in the ranks from one rank, for example, at Harvard, there is instructor, from instructor you move to assistant professor, from assistant professor you move to associate professor, from associate professor you move to full professor."
Lawyer: "Full professor?"
Permalink to CommentBiederman: "Mm-hmm."
Lawyer: "What rank are you?"
Biederman: "Full professor."
Lawyer: "What's after that?"
Biederman: "God."
Lawyer: "Did you say God?"
Biederman: "Yeah."
2. Beige Parrot on September 17, 2010 8:37 AM writes...
@ Chemjobber
Thanks. That exchange made my day.
We had so many non-productive, out-in-left-field, non-relevant discussions with KOL's in my past large pharma life that we pitifully referred to them as Kooks-On-the-Loose.
Permalink to Comment3. john on September 17, 2010 9:19 AM writes...
I quote Homer Simpson when I ask "but what about their hippopotamus oath"
Permalink to Comment4. bad wolf on September 17, 2010 9:24 AM writes...
What was that Alec Baldwin movie with him as an MD on a witness stand? "You ask if I have a God complex? Let me tell you something... I am God."
Permalink to Comment5. You're Pfizered on September 17, 2010 9:32 AM writes...
@4--Malice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqeC3BPYTmE
Permalink to Comment6. Intruder alert on September 17, 2010 7:29 PM writes...
No commentary of Forest Lab's 300 million dollar hit??
Permalink to Commenthttp://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/09/16/con-forest-plea.html
7. MIMD on September 20, 2010 3:37 PM writes...
A number of (non-complimentary) posts on KOL's can be seen at the Healthcare Renewal blog here.
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