Ipsen, Servier, Bayer: Insights on Data-Driven KOL Engagement for Launch and Beyond

Apr 29, 2026 | Gill Butler

Biopharma companies are facing a historic surge in new product launches in the next five years, with 24,000 drugs in active development — each requiring the identification and management of hundreds of key opinion leaders (KOLs). KOLs value engagement, but they want more personalized, relevant interactions. To maximize impact, teams are focusing their efforts on engaging the right experts with precision.

I recently sat down with leaders from Ipsen, Servier, and Bayer to discuss how they are building more efficient, data-driven KOL engagement strategies to ensure successful launches.

Validating and expanding the KOL landscape

All three leaders shared how they’ve moved away from traditional, subjective mapping in favor of objective data to deliver on business objectives across multiple functions and organizations. With Link Key People, they are challenging long-standing assumptions about who the “right” experts are and how to engage them.

Ipsen had an unmet need to have a unified approach to scientific expert identification and mapping, rather than using various data sources across departments within the business. “The MSLs had multiple data sources from which they were curating data, and [Link Key People] allowed us to bring that all together,” says Lucie Williams, global head of medical communications, capabilities and education. Link Key People also helped Ipsen validate and expand existing thought leader lists across all relevant therapy areas.

“MSLs can easily view HCP profiles, which helps them review and validate current thought leaders, and also identify emerging experts to consider.” Lucie Williams, Global Head of Medical Communications, Capabilities and Education, Ipsen

Bayer similarly found value in comparing subjective HCP lists, which had been pieced together over time through congresses and networking, to objective data. “Every time a new country started using objective data, they learned a great deal,” explains Daniel Jardanhazi-Kurutz, deputy director, customer engagement and digital initiatives. “Managers can pull a list from Veeva Link and ask their teams if they were visiting these stakeholders. And if not, why?’”

Yann Peoc’h, world operations transformation excellence director, says Servier also wanted to improve the way it engaged with HCPs in mature product areas by learning more about their recent publications and clinical trials. “We were able to challenge our assumptions: who we are targeting, and our knowledge about the HCPs we engage with,” he says. For new launches in oncology, where the patient journey involves many HCPs and stakeholders, access to deep KOL insights is also crucial. “We used this huge amount of data to map and better understand the HCPs that are engaged in these complex patient pathways.”

Accelerating congress planning and impact

Congresses help build scientific authority during a launch, but preparing for them is logistically complex. Using a centralized source of deep congress insights to identify experts and gather intelligence, Bayer and Ipsen have simplified congress planning.

“If you’ve ever tried to go through congress websites, it’s a catastrophe,” Jardanhazi-Kurutz says. “How do you find the people? How do you find the sessions? Veeva Link has all of that in a very structured manner.”

“You now have the confidence that every single piece of congress content — and we’re talking about hundreds and thousands of congresses — is in there, and it’s a very simple search.” Daniel Jardanhazi-Kurutz Deputy Director, Customer Engagement & Digital Initiatives, Bayer AG

Lucie Williams adds that staying up to date through real-time insights helps the Ipsen team maximize their time at congresses. “One of the real benefits of using Link is having the real-time data feed when a congress is happening. HCPs are actively contributing on social media which provides important insight into the scientific focus areas of interest at the congress. It’s a valuable tool for us as we prepare for congresses.”

Enabling commercial field teams to engage more effectively

As a product moves into the commercial phase of a launch, the relevance of each KOL interaction is essential to strengthening relationships. Bayer’s commercial team has embraced data-driven insights to ensure they walk into every meeting as credible partners.

“Our commercial team accesses KOL profiles via Vault CRM to facilitate warm introductions,” Jardanhazi-Kurutz explains. “When they meet a KOL, they know what that person has recently published, what conferences they’re participating in, and what clinical trials they do. People appreciate that we know about their scientific activities which results in a significantly better conversation.”

Ingesting deep KOL data to fuel AI and analytics

Deep, accurate data is the foundation for any successful AI strategy. As the industry enters a new era of AI-driven innovation, Servier and Bayer have ingested curated KOL data from Link directly into their internal systems to unlock new use cases.

“A key value is that we aren’t just buying access to a portal,” Peoc’h explains. “Thanks to data ingestion, we get analytics that go one step further. For example, being able to look at how another biopharma is engaging with HCPs that we might not even be visiting is where we can unlock the next best action.”

Jardanhazi-Kurutz highlights that local Bayer teams are taking the lead in innovating beyond segmentation and targeting. For example, local teams have used the data to power:

• AI-driven insights: One local team built a custom, ChatGPT-style chatbot that pulls data from Link Key People, allowing users to make queries and receive instant answers.
• Operational precision: Another local team leverages the data to validate the fair market value of HCPs, ensuring that incentivization is well-aligned.

Kurutz emphasizes that technology is only as effective as the people behind it. “My most important stakeholders in this regard are the data scientists who see opportunities in combining this data with other data sets,” Kurutz says. “You need the right people who ask questions and are passionate about data mining.”

Explore how other top biopharmas are using Veeva Link to drive enterprise value.