How your medical legal regulatory review compares in 2025

Why every life science company should benchmark their medical legal regulatory review

For life science organizations, the medical legal regulatory review process—often referred to as MLR review—is the critical checkpoint between content creation and market release. It’s where compliance meets commercial strategy, ensuring that every piece of promotional content upholds regulatory standards while enabling speed and creativity.

Because the process sits at the intersection of so many teams, it requires ongoing attention and iteration. The most effective organizations treat MLR as a living, evolving program—one that needs to adapt as products, campaigns, and regulations change. But improving the process starts with understanding it. Without clear data, it’s difficult to know where bottlenecks occur, which steps create unnecessary rework, or how performance compares to what’s typical across the industry.

That’s why Vodori publishes the State of Promotional Review Benchmarks Report each year—to give medical, legal, and regulatory professionals a mirror. These benchmarks translate real-world performance data into actionable insights that help teams identify where to focus their efforts. The 2025 edition reveals how the industry is evolving, the factors influencing review duration, and where leading organizations are gaining an edge.

What the 2025 data tells us about today’s MLR review process

The 2025 benchmarks paint a clear picture of an industry that’s steady but under pressure. Compared to last year, review cycles have lengthened slightly, reflecting broader business and economic headwinds.

• Average job duration: 14.8 days (up from 13.8 days in 2024)
• Average review duration: 7.6 days (up from 6.6 days in 2024)
• Average number of circulations: 1.5 
• First-circulation approval rates: 
  • Marketing – 79.2%
  • Medical – 66.7% 
  • Regulatory – 64.6%
  • Legal – 55.7%

What does this mean for your medical legal regulatory review process? It suggests that while teams are maintaining solid consistency in how many times content circulates, each stage of review is taking slightly longer.

There are a few likely reasons for this:

• Economic headwinds and resource constraints. Many commercial teams are leaner in 2025 due to hiring freezes and reduced budgets, meaning reviewers are balancing more responsibilities.
• Content complexity. The rise of multimedia, omnichannel campaigns, and region-specific materials adds more layers to review.
• Increased scrutiny. As AI and automation become more common in commercial operations, reviewers are more cautious about claims, references, and sourcing.

Together, these dynamics reinforce a key theme: the medical legal regulatory review process is not static—it evolves with market conditions, team structures, and technology. Benchmarks provide the grounding to understand whether slowdowns reflect temporary constraints or deeper process inefficiencies.

Understanding your own performance: Three benchmark questions to ask

Benchmarking isn’t about chasing a single number, it’s about diagnosing what’s driving your outcomes. When comparing your MLR process to 2025 benchmarks, ask yourself three questions to uncover what’s really behind your results:

1. Is volume the driver? Has your team’s workload increased due to new product launches or expanded campaigns? More volume naturally extends review cycles, especially if staffing hasn’t kept pace.
2. Is format the driver? Are you producing more complex content—such as videos, podcasts, or interactive assets—that requires additional scrutiny? New formats often introduce new compliance considerations, extending review time.
3. Is process the driver? Have workflows evolved alongside your team’s needs? Simple changes like introducing concept reviews or clarifying comment types can significantly improve first-pass approvals.

Every movement in benchmarks tells a story. Sometimes a longer medical legal regulatory review cycle reflects business growth or content innovation—not inefficiency. The key is knowing which signals deserve action and which simply reflect change.

See how your MLR process measures up

Want to see how your medical legal regulatory review compares to industry peers?
The 2025 State of Promotional Review Benchmarks Report breaks down performance data by company size, industry, and reviewer role—so you can pinpoint exactly where your team stands and where to improve.

Download the full 2025 Benchmarks Report to uncover detailed metrics, insights, and practical steps to make your MLR process faster, more compliant, and more efficient.