A content enablement solution for the pharma industry

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. Bringing new drugs to market requires lengthy review and approval processes, both internally and from external agencies such as the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.

From initial development to the market launch of drugs, pharmaceutical companies generate a large amount of very different content. That’s a mass of data, and it’s important to keep track of it all. It’s not surprising that documents and presentations must be accurate and thorough to optimize the approval process. Let us show you how our content enablement solution for the pharma industry can help your company do just that.

The pharmaceutical industry – resource-intensive innovation  

The COVID pandemic focused a lot of attention on the pharmaceutical industry and made many people aware of the urgency of faster drug development processes. Pharmaceutical companies reinvest about 25% of their profits to develop new drugs. A single drug can cost a pharma company billions of dollars or euros per year, and take up to 15 years to reach the market.  

There are many different reasons why drug development is so expensive and takes a long time. Even so, many stages of this process - especially internal ones - can be accelerated and simplified by smart digital solutions. We’ll tell you how!

Collecting and managing data in the pharmaceutical industry

During trials and experimental work, people in research laboratories often focus on collecting and analyzing data but not on managing it. Data ends up in a wide variety of places. No wonder compiling reports and presentations can be tedious and time-consuming.

Managing data goes beyond just collecting it. Content extends across labs, HR, marketing, sales, and IT departments. International brands face the additional challenge of managing content in multiple languages and providing a structure that makes document updates clear and easy in all tongues.

The empower^® Content Enablement solution equips your company with a central library for generating and editing documents. Thanks to its Google-like search function, you can find any content in a flash and finish reports in record time.

Our solution also makes managing templates, documents, and presentations a breeze. People don’t have to waste time searching for current templates or even developing new ones. That makes creating and managing critical documentation much more efficient, effective, and user-friendly.

The empower^® Content Enablement solution’s multi-language support lets you integrate your DeepL package directly into Microsoft Office applications. You can create language connections between documents and adjust translated documents simultaneously with the original documents. You can decide whether users should only be informed about changes or whether you want to enforce them.

Complicated cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry

Many companies lack the infrastructure to securely share their data with other companies or research teams. This results in either very slow knowledge sharing, or in the worst case repeated studies that take up needless time and resources.

Even within companies, lengthy processes often delay releasing information, whether to communicate it to other companies, research teams, or the press. Pharma companies need clear and simple workflows to eliminate delays.

The empower^® Library provides convenient document-sharing capabilities for team members and other departments, as well as external partners. It enables editing documents together centrally and recording all changes simultaneously. Thanks to its practical version history, changes can be reviewed or reversed at any time. When the document is final, it can be shared easily with superiors or team members via the Library.

Tedious and costly review and approval processes

“Having huge burdens related to the regulatory process that aren’t adding value is costing us. We have to eliminate bureaucracies in order to get advances for cancer patients.” declared Dr. Robert L. Comis back in 2008. But adoption of opportunities offered by digitalization often progresses slowly in the pharmaceutical industry.

One reason for slow pharma processes is compliance with many different jurisdictions’  guidelines and data protection regulations. It’s also partly due to the outdated infrastructure of pharmaceutical companies and the use of legacy software.

empower^® is a Microsoft Office add-in that easily integrates into MS Office applications. It also integrates with other applications and platforms, like DAM and PIM systems. empower^® strengthens and optimizes your digital infrastructure.

Ensure legal compliance

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and in Europe the European Medicines Agency enforce standards that must be met in the production of pharmaceuticals. Of course, there are more agencies in Asia, Australia, and worldwide. Regulatory standards refer not only to the production of medication but also to the bureaucratic processes behind it. Particularly beyond national borders, companies must comply with legal requirements and produce appropriate documentation during distribution.

Legally required text and other content must be visible on the packaging. There are also requirements for corporate communications. In Germany, for example, there are requirements for signatures in business e-mails and what information they must contain about the company. The empower^® Brand Control solution for Outlook is the optimal way to ensure that these requirements are met in all signatures throughout the company. And empower^® Content Enablement also helps ensure compliance with branding requirements.

Legally required information in your documents can be customized via central management of templates and files. You can distribute updates company-wide with just one click. A change in a central template can be enforced company-wide in all documents without any further action on the part of your employees.

Data protection compliance in the pharmaceutical industry

Data protection is a top priority in the pharmaceutical industry. After all, much of the collected material is highly sensitive patient data. Companies must ensure the security of this confidential data or face legal consequences.

 empower^® meets the highest standards of data protection, whether you host our solution on-premise or in the cloud. Find out more about the pros and cons of cloud vs. on-premise applications.  

Pharma companies can take even more steps to ensure the security of patient data. The empower^® Library not only gives you the ability to password-protect files. You can also determine who among your employees has access to any document in the first place.

Brand management

As in all industries, branding is key to anchoring the pharmaceutical industry in the minds of consumers. Pharma brands must market themselves both to consumers, medical professionals, and also to distribution partners. It’s essential to use approved corporate design in written communication of all kinds. Whether invoices, offers, reports, or correspondence - implementing corporate design correctly and consistently creates a relationship between your communication partner and your brand.

But how can you make sure that corporate branding is adhered to company-wide?

Here again, the update feature of the empower^® Library helps out. You can upload master templates to the empower^® Library so that all your employees can easily base their documents on approved standards. Updates can be made company-wide with just a few clicks, ensuring consistency in all communication. Company images and icons are also easily accessible to everyone via the Library.

BioNTech already uses empower^®

Employees of pharmaceutical companies spend around 8 hours per week formatting office documents. Thanks to empower^®, BioNTech was able to increase its productivity. They use our convenient slide library to create PowerPoint presentations more consistently, quickly, and elegantly. Learn more about how BioNTech works more efficiently in Office thanks to empower^®.

Merck is an empower^® customer

With the help of our solutions, Merck increases productivity and successfully implements their branding company-wide. With centralized access to images and templates, Merck’s approximately 60,000 employees can create documents faster and more efficiently. Merk’s implementation of empower^® was completed quickly, and feedback from employees was consistently positive, partly due to the intuitive way empower^® works.

Are you curious about the empower^® Content Enablement solution? Please contact us! Our experts will be happy to advise you and help you find the perfect solution to increase productivity in your company.