Making Peace with MLR (Medical, Legal, Regulatory)

How to get your content through MLR without losing its soul

In pharma marketing, creating good content isn’t enough.
You also need that content to pass MLR—Medical, Legal, Regulatory—without losing impact, getting distorted, or triggering a list of comments longer than your original draft.

Because here, you’re not just convincing an audience.
You’re also convincing an internal committee that protects scientific accuracy, legal compliance, and brand reputation.
Sounds tough? It is. But it’s not impossible.

After years working in this space, I’ve learned one key thing:
It’s not just a validation process—it’s a translation process.
You’re translating between different worlds: creative, medical, legal, and business.
And when everyone speaks a different language, you need to build bridges.

How to survive MLR without losing your essence

1. Start with regulatory thinking

Don’t write freely and hope it sticks.
Create with a clear understanding of which claims are approvable, what references you need, and how every statement must be backed.

If your copy needs a footnote longer than the message itself… it’s not going through.

Pro tip:
Before writing a single word, know your product’s status, local restrictions, and what tone your company allows.
If you don’t, you’re shooting in the dark.

2. Be surgical with your claims

Not all benefits are “communicable.”
Some require specific studies. Others need disclaimers. And some—just can’t be said.

The key is knowing what you can say—and how—without risking approval.

Example:
Want to say the product is “fast and effective”?
You’ll need a randomized, double-blind clinical trial with a clear citation.
If all you have is HCP feedback, you need to reframe.

3. Back up EVERYTHING (even the obvious)

In pharma, nothing is “common sense.”
Say something improves adherence? Prove it.
Show an image? Make sure it fits the approved target audience.
Drop a stat? Better have a source.

Analogy:
It’s like presenting a case in court.
Every word is evidence. Every image, a legal exhibit.
No proof = no approval.

4. Use language that builds without overpromising

Direct claims like “cures,” “the best,” or “prevents” are regulatory landmines.
Use language that’s confident and approvable:
“may help,” “has shown,” “is associated with.”

Style tip:
Instead of “the drug lowers blood pressure,” say:

“The treatment has shown a significant reduction in blood pressure in clinical studies.”

A tiny shift in tone can save you weeks of back-and-forth.

5. Prototype with your MLR team, not against them

Bringing medical and legal in early will save you headaches later.
Getting feedback before official submission is pure gold.

Real example:
Presenting a wireframe or rough draft for early review can cut MLR back-and-forth time in half.

The goal isn’t to avoid MLR.

It’s to make it part of your creative process.

Creativity in pharma isn’t limited—it’s calibrated.
When you understand the rules, you can play smarter within them.

Because yes—you can be creative and compliant.
And when you get that right, your content won’t just pass MLR.
It’ll connect, inform, and elevate your brand with real credibility.