Spotlight on MedTech end-to-end solutions
Interview with Sabera Hyderally, Head of MedTech and Marcus Torr, Head of Post Market Surveys
In MedTech, teams such as R&D, insights, regulatory and clinical often operate in silos, each focused on their own stage of the device journey. But real impact comes from connection. When teams collaborate across the lifecycle, from concept to post market, they can unlock deeper insights, smoother processes, and stronger outcomes.
It’s not just internal collaboration that matters. Partnering with an external team that understands and supports every stage of the MedTech journey can be transformative.
In this conversation, these leading experts share how Purdie Pascoe’s integrated expertise in Primary Market Research and Post Market Surveys is the true golden ticket to a seamless, compliant, and impactful approach for success in your MedTech journey.
Q. Please can you start by providing a quick introduction to yourselves?
Sabera: I joined Purdie Pascoe in 2023 to start the US MedTech division. I’ve been a career healthcare marketing researcher for over 30 years and the majority of that time has been spent focussed on the MedTech industry. One of the key drivers for me joining Purdie Pascoe was the company’s singular focus on MedTech, many of my former colleagues followed suite and that’s just been tremendous.
Marcus: I joined Purdie Pascoe in 2015, shortly after graduating with a First Class MSci in Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology) from the University of Bath. Ten years later, I’m still here, my role has evolved from focusing on Primary Market Research to leading our Post Market Survey team, a position I’ve held for the past six years.
Q. Purdie Pascoe recently reaffirmed its MedTech heritage and commitment to supporting clients at every stage. Can you tell us more about this focus?
Sabera: Our heritage has been in MedTech and because of our tenure, we understand not only the industry’s unique needs, but our clients positions within their organisations which are commonly not a market intelligence function. This has allowed us to enjoy a seat at the table for large, global companies as well as smaller firms. As a boutique agency, our clients are assured that they have someone seasoned at the helm of their research and that’s vital to MedTech due to it being a complex, fast moving industry with factors that extend well beyond product. We are viewed as strategic consultants with a wealth of historical knowledge, norms and analogues to enrich market research projects. This positioning is critical to us because we aspire to support product development from early concept to commercialisation and beyond vs. ad-hoc projects.
Marcus: Purdie Pascoe has always had a focus on MedTech, which many will already see as unique. However, we offer something even more valuable than just MedTech expertise and knowledge; our offering spans the entire device lifecycle and covers cross functional needs. Our Primary Market Research team is able to support in bringing qualitative and quantitative insights for product development and marketing needs, while the Post Market Survey team that I head up is able to support clinical and regulatory submissions through Real World Data (RWE) collection once the device is on the market. Purdie Pascoe is not isolated to a specific need, but can be your trusted partner through each stage of your device’s lifecycle.
Q. With your distinct areas of expertise, what makes Purdie Pascoe a true partner in MedTech?
Sabera: We have developed bespoke white glove recruiting and research approaches that mirror the way MedTech customers make decisions in real life, to get confident, robust and timely answers to our client’s questions. They are intuitive and feel familiar to our clients and while they may not be commonplace, they are the reason for successful engagements. We take a transparent, collaborative approach to decision making and problem solving and that shared collective brainpower is where magic happens. Our innovation team is a strong source of inspiration and we’re constantly refining to get better, so we deliver better.
Marcus: Purdie Pascoe’s Post Market Survey journey began in 2019, and we quickly made a decision to focus exclusively on Post Market Surveys, typically Post Market Clinical Follow-Up (PMCF) surveys, for MedTech manufacturers. By choosing not to expand into broader clinical and regulatory work, our dedicated team has developed unrivalled expertise and a best-in-class approach. What makes us truly stand out is the ability to combine this with the legacy strengths of our market research team, especially in quantitative design, implementation, and analysis. This unique blend of clinical / regulatory know how and deep knowledge in survey design & HCP engagement makes us the go-to partner for Post Market Surveys.
Q. How can Primary Market Research in conjunction with Post Market Surveys result in reliable insights whether focused on upstream or downstream brand management?
It’s about following the brand. Consider a project where you’ve identified a product design. Post-commercialisation, that client has regulatory obligations it must meet. That’s where RWD collection comes in. Under the EU-MDR, PMCF data collection is a continuous requirement to ensure retention of the device’s CE-mark and we are seeing a wider push for RWD collection globally. Purdie Pascoe utilises knowledge in supporting the device / brand on the market research side and feeds that into a cost-effective Post Market Survey, providing clinical RWD that can be used for the relevant regulatory submissions. Our market research team is well placed to step in if the findings from PMCF suggest that the product design has to be revisited. We’re already familiar with the pre-commercialisation work and can revisit customer response to any changes that warrant re-testing via market research.
Q. Can you share an innovative case study where you supported a client across the full lifecycle, from concept through to post-market and even re-entry?
A combined approach to supporting stent strategy and compliance
Sabera: Phase 1: Primary market research to inform product development
To support early-stage concept development of a new stent, we conducted a comprehensive, mixed method research programme. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders and analysis of patient records, we mapped customer needs, pain points, and decision drivers in the current stent landscape. This was followed by a collaborative workshop to identify hypotheses and align customer requirements with technical features.
Findings were validated through a large scale quantitative survey using SIMALTO, a structured choice-modelling tool, to prioritise stent attributes and assess likelihood of adoption. The insights shaped product design and strategy, highlighting top user requirements, clinical utility expectations, and barriers to switching.
Marcus: Phase 2: Post Market Survey to fulfil EU-MDR PMCF requirements
Following the primary market research phase and product commercialisation in Europe, we executed a PMCF Survey in line to support with our client’s EU-MDR requirements. A Level 8 general usability survey was deemed appropriate, targeting experienced physician users across the EU and US, and captured real-world data on device safety, performance, and usage patterns over time.
Findings confirmed continued device acceptability, low levels of safety concern, but identified instances of off-label use. The data enabled successful regulatory compliance yet importantly informed ongoing risk management.
Sabera: Phase 3: Market research for further refinement
Due to the results from phase 2 in the Post Market Survey stage revealing instances of off-label use, we conducted a robust round of in-depth interviews with current users of the device and discovered the gap was in physicians’ lack of clarity of the label. The client therefore developed training collateral and revisited their marketing material to clarify use of the device.
Q. What have you learned from each other that helps you continuously improve?
Sabera: Ah, that’s easy. Having the Post Market Survey team is like having an on-demand playbook into product trends and regulatory governance. I draw from the enormous wealth of data that we have in-house to augment desk research and to stay current.
Marcus: I echo Sabera’s answer, for us, being able to leverage market research that has previously been conducted on the specific device or similar device types brings such value, be it supporting our survey design or providing invaluable information on the most suitable recruitment approach and feasibility challenges.
Q. What excites you most about the future at Purdie Pascoe?
Sabera: Having leadership and being part of a leadership team who encourages, supports and drives our collective vision to be the best in MedTech. It creates a very powerful energy that fuels our brilliant team of researchers but has also been recognised by clients. I’ve had clients tell me that I seem to have found my home and I believe I have!
Marcus: I have now been at Purdie Pascoe for 10 years, and I can’t think of a more exciting time to be here. Our new positioning provides real focus to the high quality work we have been doing for many years across both teams, but brings these teams closer together to add increased value and strategic support for our amazing clients.
Want to learn more from our leading experts?
Contact Sabera and Marcus today via the button below to discover how Purdie Pascoe can be your trusted partner in MedTech. Our holistic approach ensures you’re supported at every stage in the MedTech journey, from concept to commercialisation and beyond.