The Power of Medical-Commercial Collaboration

In this episode of Medical Affairs Unscripted, host Peg Crowley-Nowick, PhD, MBA sits down with Shera Gruen, Senior Vice President of Strategy Consulting at Lumanity, to explore how powerful collaboration between medical affairs and commercial teams drive success across the pharmaceutical landscape.

Drawing on her two decades of industry experience, where she led global vaccine launches and oversaw P&L for diverse portfolios, Shera shares firsthand insights into what makes partnerships truly work — trust, clarity, and shared purpose.

Together, Peg and Shera dive deep into the mechanics of cross-functional collaboration — from aligning scientific integrity with business strategy to ensuring medical affairs teams have the resources and voice they need at the table. Shera highlights what defines great medical partners: the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable narratives that resonate internally and externally, uniting teams behind a single vision for patient impact.

The conversation culminates in a discussion about launch excellence and navigating uncertainty before market entry. Shera offers an inside look at the high-stakes world of vaccine launches, where proactive scenario planning and strong partnerships can make or break success. Whether you’re in medical affairs, commercial strategy, or biotech leadership, this episode offers practical lessons on how collaboration — done right — can accelerate readiness, strengthen strategy, and deliver therapies that truly make a difference.

Having those few but very trusted and valuable partnerships can be a game changer when you are at those critical points like building towards the launch.
– Shera Gruen