Are translation and interpretation the same kind of language service?

No. Although both translation and interpretation are language services that require the linguists in charge to be proficient in both the source language and the target language, have translation skills as well as subject matter knowledge on the topic they are working with and be accurate in conveying the tone and intent of the original message, these services serve different purposes. The translation service implies working with written text. Translators work with different types of documents to be printed, published online or even exchanged with other people. The interpretation service implies working with speech; that is, spoken text. Interpreters can work in situ, for example, in meetings, congresses, seminars, over the phone or via videocall. Whether you need a translation service or an interpretation service, always trust certified professional linguists.

Translating regulatory documentation requires the same expertise as translating advertising material?

No. The translation of regulatory documentation requires in-depth knowledge of the source and target regulatory affairs as well as of the terminology of mandatory use in the pharmaceutical industry to provide high-quality and timely translations and help avoid delays during drug authorisation and registration processes. The translation of advertising materials requires subject matter knowledge plus a touch of creativity, a combination of translation and copywriting skills to transfer the creative language —generally lost during a direct translation— into the target language to achieve the desired response from the target audience.

Can the desktop publishing service be provided as an independent service?

Yes. The desktop publishing (DTP) service can be provided as an integrated part of the translation process or as an independent service. In the first case, the client sends us the file for translation, and we then deliver a translated file that keeps the integrity of the original design. In the second case, the client sends the linguistic content and the specifications for page layout and a team of experts in the field of desktop publishing generates page layouts and produces printed or digital materials using DTP software. In both cases, we can advise the client on professional output aligned with the target language’s visual layout and design requirements.

Is there a method for establishing translation rates?

Yes. The method for establishing translation rates is based on source word count, language pair, complexity of the document, project volume and urgency of delivery. When clients contact us to get a quote, we analyse the file(s) to determine total word count and the complexity of the file(s) and we also take into account the language pair; for example, if it is English into Spanish, or Spanish into English. Special discount rates may apply in big-volume projects and extra “rush charges” may apply in the case of urgent deliveries.

Do I have to send the file(s) to get a quote?

Yes. To be able to provide a quote, we first need to analyse the file(s) to determine the word count, the complexity and the translation steps that would be involved in the whole translation process; that is, we need to evaluate whether there is non-editable text that needs to be converted into editable text to be translated, determine the total word count to estimate the translation time and delivery date, and assess whether the file(s) require desktop publishing (DTP). To be able to provide an accurate quote, we need to see and analyse the file(s).

SERVICES

We offer specialised English into Spanish and Spanish into English translation services in the medical, scientific and pharma/biotech fields.

Vital team of specialised medical translators can help with the translation of high-stakes documents generated in the medical practice and healthcare industry as well as key regulatory documentation required during drug development, marketing and promotion.

MEDICAL
TRANSLATION

PHARMACEUTICAL
TRANSLATION

LEGAL
TRANSLATION

AUDIOVISUAL
TRANSLATION

MARKETING
TRANSLATION

MTPE

DESKTOP
PUBLISHING

MEDICAL TRANSLATION

Medical translation encompasses the translation of medical texts generated in the medical practice and the healthcare industry. With our accurate and timely translations, we facilitate communication among healthcare professionals and help patients in their journey across all the care settings.

Medical translation is much more than mastering medical terminology. Translators specialising in life sciences must have medical domain knowledge.

Vital specialised medical translators’ comprehensive knowledge of clinical practices, patient care and healthcare systems allow them to properly interpret the original medical texts and produce translated versions that suit the needs of the intended audience. Same background knowledge, different language approaches to convey the medical information in a technical language for experts or in plain language for patients and/or their caregivers.

Need a medical translation?

PHARMACEUTICAL TRANSLATION

Pharmaceutical translation covers the translation of highly regulated technical and scientific texts generated during the different stages of drug development.

During drug discovery and development, translation of key documents facilitates communication among multinational research teams, between sponsor and principal investigator, and between sponsor/investigator or manufacturer and the competent regulatory authority. During the registration process in a foreign country, full or partial translation of the new drug dossier application is crucial for regulatory approval when the original data is in a language different to the one spoken in the target market.

Pharmaceutical translators are medical translators with a specialisation in the pharmaceutical industry. Vital translators are highly specialised translators with deep medical domain knowledge, familiar with all the stages of drug development, but above all, with the terminology of mandatory use in the regulatory context.

Need a pharmaceutical translation?

LEGAL TRANSLATION

Medical legal translation is the translation of highly sensitive documents where medical and healthcare content converge within a legal framework. They include clinical documents with patient care information and rights as well as administrative, operational and compliance documents.

Pharmaceutical legal translation covers regulatory-related documentation that is exchanged between sponsor/investigator/manufacturer and the competent regulatory authority and translation of any related documents that help support regulatory compliance.

Specialised translators in the medical and pharmaceutical fields with legal and regulatory domain knowledge are crucial for the translation of this type of documentation. Vital translators have the subject matter knowledge required and the expertise to help with the translation of legal documents in the context of drug development and medical practice.

Need a legal translation in the medical or pharmaceutical fields?

AUDIVISUAL TRANSLATION

Audiovisual translation is the translation of multimedia content such as text, audio, images, animation and video combined into a single presentation or platform.

Vital Translations offers audio transcription, video subtitling (files with subtitles ready for display on video platforms and media players) both in English and Spanish of congresses, conferences, symposiums and other key expert events as well as translation of on-screen text (in images, animations, presentations) part of the multimedia content.

Need the translation of key multimedia content?

MARKETING TRANSLATION

Marketing translation covers the translation of the promotional material generated by pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies to promote their products.

Translation of promotional material (whether on paper or for digital channels) to reach healthcare professionals, payers, institutions; direct-to-consumer advertising (where it is legally permitted) as well as patient educational material and disease-focused awareness campaigns are vital for product introduction into the new target market.

Vital team of specialised translators in the medical and pharmaceutical fields as well as in creative translation (transcreation) can help with the translation of key drug promotional literature (DPL) to help reach the intended audience in the target market.

Need the translation of key pharma and biotech promotional material?

MACHINE-TRANSLATION
POST-EDITING

Modern AI translation engines are currently reshaping the translation industry by offering instant translations of a wide range of standard texts. However, generating quality translated versions of highly specialised texts, especially in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, is still a complex task for machines.

Machine-translation post-editing (MTPE) is the required step to produce final quality-acceptable translated versions of raw automated translations. This crucial step combines the best of machine translation (speed) and the best of human translation (knowledge and applicability).

Vital Translations creates a synergy between non-human intelligences and human intelligence to produce fast and quality-acceptable translations to meet the demands of the accelerating speed of innovation in pharma and biotech industries.

Need human specialised revision of automated translation output?

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

Desktop publishing or DTP is a creative process in which graphic design experts combine different content elements such as text, data, images and graphics into coherent and professional layouts for print and digital media.

Applied to translation, DTP is one of the final stages of the translation process where the translated content (either created by humans or generated with AI systems) is arranged into a final visual layout that reflects the original source layout.

Vital team of graphic designers helps convert the translated text into a formatted final file that matches the original source document layout. This service is an integral part of the translation process but it can also be provided as an independent service.

Need a professional digital or print layout of your key documents?

FROM THE LAB TO THE PATIENTS

Specialised Linguistic Solutions

Click on the links below to learn more about how our specialised linguistic services can help in each sector of pharma and biotech industries.