Q2 is a decisive quarter for commercial performance, but the pressure of 2026 is sharpening. Targets tighten, promotional pace increases, and HCP access becomes more selective at the exact moment when commercial teams need to maximise impact. 

The UK continues to be the most access‑restricted market in Europe. Just 25% of HCPs are accessible to field teams and 92% meet with three or fewer companies, dramatically reducing the number of commercially meaningful touchpoints and making every capability gap more expensive¹.

For commercial leaders, gaps in Q2 quickly become performance gaps in June. Here, Star People explores the pressures shaping Q2 commercial performance and how pharma, medtech and biotech can protect revenue during this critical window. 

1. Commercial hiring demand continues to rise

Despite broader economic pressures, commercial hiring across life sciences remains structurally high. 

Sales roles accounted for 20.8% of all non‑scientific vacancies and sales hiring increased 17.1% year‑on‑year in 2024. The momentum continued into 2025, when sales and marketing vacancies rose 18.7% year‑on‑year in Q1 – the highest quarterly total on record².  

Commercial hiring pressure also sits within a wider shift in the UK labour market. Latest ONS figures show job vacancies fell into a 13.8% year‑on‑year decline in 2025 Q3 following more than three years of consecutive quarterly decreases³. 

While overall vacancies have eased, this cooling has not translated into reduced competition for specialist commercial roles in life sciences, where demand remains structurally high despite the broader market slowdown.   

2. HCP access remains low 

The UK continues to show the lowest HCP access among major European markets.
Analysis summarised in pharmaphorum reveals: 

• 25% of accessible UK HCPs engage with reps 

• 92% limit meetings to fewer than three companies  

In practice, this means: 

• Teams have fewer touchpoints 

• Frequency is harder to achieve 

• Every unfilled territory becomes a direct commercial liability 

• Customer reach is more fragile than ever 

3. Launch timelines are tightening

Pharma and medtech launches across 2024-2025 have shown increasingly⁴: 

• Shortened launch windows due to competitive pipeline density 

• Greater reliance on agile field resource for speed 

• Increased adoption of outsourced or hybrid models where internal bandwidth is constrained 

Industry insights show medtech and pharma launches are becoming both more competitive and more resource‑intensive, with market pressure accelerating the need for early field readiness.  

Organisations with rapid deployment capability protect early adoption and customer education; those without it often struggle to secure traction in the first 4-6 weeks. An issue that compounds into H2. 

4. Why Q2 matters more than ever

Vacancysoft’s 2025 market trends report highlights several important hiring patterns that shape the commercial landscape going into Q2.  

While overall life sciences recruitment fluctuated through the year, London led the recovery, recording a 29% surge in 2024 openings and increasing its share of national scientific vacancies from 22.8% to 27.9%.  

The same report also states that October marked the peak hiring month, and that Q3 delivered the strongest quarterly performance, following a year in which recruitment patterns varied significantly across regions and functions⁵.  

When capability gaps aren’t addressed early in Q2, the consequences include: 

• Missed H1 milestones 

• Reduced customer reach during summer 

• Inconsistent field frequency 

• Delayed launch readiness 

• Weaker Q3 performance 

Put simply: Q2 capability = H2 potential.
The earlier gaps are closed, the stronger the commercial trajectory. 

5. Protect Q2 commercial performance

We support commercial leaders by rapidly strengthening the commercial capabilities that matter most: 

• Territory coverage: Fast access to experienced KAMs, TMs and Account Specialists to protect reach and cadence. 

• Commercial capability depth: Specialist talent pools across therapy areas and commercial models. 

• Market access and commercial support: Experts who maintain progress across ICB/ICS structures and payer decision‑makers. 

• Hybrid‑ready selling skills: Reps with proven digital fluency and omnichannel engagement strength. 

• Launch field teams (perm and outsourced): Deployment models designed for speed, readiness and early adoption. 

• Leadership capability: RBMs and Regional Sales Leaders who elevate performance through coaching and execution discipline. 

With deep sector expertise, rapid deployment capability and insight‑driven processes, Star People helps organisations protect Q2 performance where it matters most. 

Because commercial capability is commercial resilience. 

If you’re heading into April with open territories, bandwidth challenges, or launch pressure, now is the moment to act. 

Get in touch for a conversation about your 2026 talent pipeline. 

 References 

¹ Q2-2024-Pulse-Report-EU-UK.pdf  

² https://www.hays.co.uk/en/market-insights/pharma-life-sciences-talent-report  

³ Cpl Forward Focus UK Life Sciences Talent Snapshot · CPL UK  

⁴ Savills UK | Life Sciences: Trends & Outlook – April 2024  

⁵ Year in Review – UK Life Sciences Labour Market Trends, January 2025 – Vacancysoft