Benchmark Report Reveals Accelerating AI Adoption, Rising Investment in Evidence Generation and Talent, and a Growing Mandate to Demonstrate Impact

Medical Affairs has earned a seat at the strategic table, and this benchmark shows exactly why.”

— Travis Hege, CEO of MAPS

GOLDEN, CO, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS), the global authority for Medical Affairs professionals, today released its 2026 Annual Benchmarking Report, the first study of its kind to bring together over 40 leading Pharma and MedTech organizations for a comprehensive, industry-wide benchmark of Medical Affairs operating models, priorities, and emerging practices.

“Medical Affairs has earned a seat at the strategic table, and this benchmark shows exactly why,” says Travis Hege, CEO of MAPS. “The organizations pulling ahead are the ones treating evidence generation, talent development, and AI adoption as enterprise priorities, not side projects. That’s the direction MAPS is helping our members move.”

The report combines quantitative benchmarking data from over 40 member organizations of the MAPS Industry Partnership Program (IPP) with strategic discussions from the MAPS Strategic Leadership Council and MAPS Ambassador Alliance, conducted in partnership with Indegene® Limited.

The findings reveal a Medical Affairs function that is becoming increasingly strategic, evidence-driven, digitally enabled, and accountable for demonstrating measurable organizational impact.

Fifty senior Medical Affairs leaders, representing Pharma/Biotech (70%), MedTech (26%), and Medical Nutrition (4%) organizations, participated in the benchmark survey between January and March 2026. Preliminary findings were refined through in-person and virtual roundtable discussions with the MAPS Strategic Leadership Council and Ambassador Alliance.

Six Themes Define the Future of Medical Affairs

1. Medical Affairs Is a Strategic Enterprise Function

Medical Affairs has expanded beyond its traditional scientific support role, increasingly serving as a strategic enterprise partner across the product lifecycle.

2. Evidence Generation Has Become a Core Strategic Capability

Evidence generation emerged as a top priority across Pharma, MedTech, and Medical Nutrition organizations, with Medical Affairs increasingly owning integrated, lifecycle-oriented evidence strategy.

3. Capability Building Has Become a Top Investment Priority

Nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) named capability building and talent development a top priority, and 60% expect training investment to increase.

4. AI Adoption Is Accelerating, but Scaling Remains a Challenge

AI adoption is concentrated in content generation and data analysis (60–69% of organizations), but 61% remain in a developing stage of maturity, with governance and data quality cited as the key barriers to enterprise-scale adoption.

5. Field Medical Is Evolving from Information Delivery to Scientific Thought Partnership

Field-based MSL teams remain foundational, but organizations increasingly expect them to generate insights and contribute to strategic decision-making rather than deliver information alone.

6. Demonstrating Impact Is the Next Frontier for Medical Affairs

As investment grows, leaders are increasingly focused on measuring outcomes — connecting Medical Affairs work to evidence generation, stakeholder value, and patient outcomes.

The complete MAPS 2026 Annual Benchmarking Report — including detailed findings on organizational structure and talent, strategy and budget, learning and development, evidence generation, digital readiness, and field-based medical — is available for members here.

Join our webinar on key findings from the Benchmarking Report. Get practical insights to benchmark against industry peers and see where Medical Affairs is headed. Register today!

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Join a global community of more than 18,000 Medical Affairs professionals and gain access to benchmarking data like this, research-driven insights, expert-led events, and career development resources. Learn more and become a member today!

About the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS)

Founded in 2016, the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the global authority for Medical Affairs professionals, connecting over 18,000 members worldwide across pharmaceuticals, biotech, MedTech, and affiliated organizations. MAPS empowers professionals at every career stage, from emerging professionals to executive leaders, through world-class education, research-driven insights, expert-led events, and a global community dedicated to advancing the field and shaping its future. Learn more at MedicalAffairs.org.

Craig Ruvere
Medical Affairs Professional Society
cruvere@medicalaffairs.org
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