June 2007 42 6 Issue of MMM

Editor's Desk

If it ain’t quite fixed, break it

Pharma-bashing in the media has certainly become a lot more sophisticated in the couple of years since the Cox-2 class imploded and the papers effectively ...

Features

Direct Marketing Report: connect with color

The internet hasn’t replaced traditional direct marketing, but its unique abilities have made it an essential part of the pharma marketing mix. Stephen McGuire finds ...

The New Health Empire

Steve Case once changed how people approached the internet by founding AOL. Now he’s hoping to turn healthcare on its head with his highly anticipated ...

Global Marketing Research

There’s more to conducting marketing research overseas than translating survey questions and hiring local moderators to do interviews. Bart Weiner and Brian Hull offer a ...

Who's Afraid of Procurement?

Many agency heads view procurement as the bane of their lives, accusing companies of commoditizing the creative and strategic services they offer just to shave ...

Headliner: Michael Weinstein of AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Michael Weinstein, president and CEO of LA-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, comes off as a brusque, combative, no-nonsense New York type—traits well-suited to a point man ...

Antidote

Statin drugs have received recognition for stabilizing plaque and for reducing the risk of further cardiac events in patients with known heart disease. I am ...

In Focus

NH data case has implications for DTC foes

A federal judge’s rationale for overturning New Hampshire’s ban on the commercial use of physician data parallels industry arguments against restrictions on other forms of ...

Med Ed Report

KP360 looks to make big name in CME

A private equity firm whose recent purchase of Thomson Medical Education gave it an entrée into healthcare says it has big plans for the company. ...

Study quantifies CME influence

More than a third of physicians (35%) have received industry subsidies for attending professional meetings or CME, according to The New England Journal of Medicine.

Helgans named CME Scholar president

David Helgans has been named president of CME Scholar, the accredited provider owned by Grey Healthcare Group’s International Meetings Science.

ACCME to reflect on Senate Finance Committee report

The ACCME will “reflect” on an April 2007 Senate Finance Committee report on educational grants and “looks forward to determining where and how improvements to ...

Weber appointed to executive director, Alliance for CME

Paul Weber is now the post of executive director, Alliance for CME. Weber comes from the California Medical Association, where he was COO.

Pri-Med.com redesign gives clinicians greater access

A recent redesign of Pri-Med.com gives clinicians greater access to education in multiple channels, the accredited provider says.

Professional Media

J&J urges closer media-creative ties

Johnson & Johnson has issued a call for greater collaboration between its communications planning and creative teams.

CMPMedica Buys Physicians Practice

United Business Media has acquired Physicians Practice for its CMP medical media unit.

Wiley partners with American Association of Anatomists

Wiley is partnering with the American Association of Anatomists to launch Anatomical Sciences Education, a bimonthly covering education in the anatomical sciences.

Advanstar promotes Avila to associate publisher

Advanstar has promoted Leonardo Avila to associate publisher of Ophthalmology Times.

Dorland launches books listing best Web sites

Dorland Healthcare Information launched a series of books listing the best Web sites for info on 60 common diseases.

GSK sponsors tribute to Larry King

GlaxoSmithKline sponsored CNN’s 50th anniversary tribute to Larry King, together with ING Direct.

Media Forum

Finding a voice in a cluttered venue

Point-of-care marketing is emerging as a critical venue for reaching patients. With so much activity going on, is this space in danger of becoming as ...

E-marketing

Web Watch

The digital revolution has touched all of us in one way or another. Baby boomers might remember the eight track tape player that you could ...

FDA unveils revamped consumer site

The FDA has officially launched its new consumer-facing Web site and introduced a monthly e-newsletter as part of a new initiative to improve online communications.

EverydayHealth teams up with PsychCentral.com

Consumer health portal EverydayHealth.com reached a content syndication deal with mental health Web site PsychCentral.com.

Direct Marketing

Docs still value rep interaction: study

Despite the rapid growth of alternative channels and slashing of field forces industrywide, physicians continue to rely on pharmaceutical sales reps for the knowledge they ...

MediZine taps Martin as creative director

MediZine has hired veteran creative Renee Martin as creative director marketing, art.

PDI selected for nutritional promo

Contract sales firm PDI has been selected by an unnamed provider of nutritional products to execute a promotional campaign over a three-month period.

Rapp Collins hires Cueto

Rapp Collins Healthcare hired Liz Cueto as senior account executive on the Novartis team.

McMillian joins PMG

Patient Marketing Group (PMG) hired Tom McMillian as VP, group account director.

Mickelberg promoted to EVP of Digitas Health

Digitas Health promoted Larry Mickelberg to EVP.

SK&A announces availability of online search tool

SKA Information Services announced the availability of its new Provider HealthNet online search tool and database of practicing healthcare professionals to improve sales calls, identify ...

DTC Report

Lilly launches new Cymbalta TV spots

Lilly launched new Cymbalta work for depression and diabetic nerve pain in April.

Pfizer looks to revive Exubera with DTC

Pfizer will mount a branded DTC advertising campaign behind Exubera as it attempts to turn around the “disappointing” sales of the inhaled insulin product.

Pfizer launches Viagra reminder ads in Canada

Pfizer launched Viagra reminder TV ads in Canada featuring a made-up language.

Ethics professors touts the benefit of disease awareness ads

A University of Tennessee ethics professor told attendees at a Rutgers lecture that pharmas should switch from branded ads to disease awareness advertising.

PhRMA pres warns against DTC moratorium

In a statement warning the Senate against imposing a moratorium on DTC, PhRMA president and CEO Billy Tauzin said: “DTC empowers patients by increasing their ...

National Gay Newspaper Guild argues against banning drug ads

The National Gay Newspaper Guild argued against banning drug ads.

Public Relations

PR View by Amy Fry

We live in an age of information. With 24/7 access to blogs, wikis, YouTube and more, employees can find, create and comment on any topic ...

Pharma bloggers collect their first heads at AZ

Mike Zubillaga is no Dan Rather or Don Imus, but like them, he knows the detrimental impact a band of hostile bloggers can have on ...

Public leery of third-party partnerships

A survey of public attitudes toward drug company partnerships with nonprofits has found skepticism of industry motives.

Marketing Research

Vantage Point

At the recent PMRG conference, Dr. Glenna Crooks, president of Strategic Health Policy International, delivered an informative, yet daunting, presentation.

Judges rescues NH data in First Amendment rule

A New Hampshire law barring the commercial use of prescription data has been struck down on First Amendment grounds.

Abbott, Merck, Pfizer raising the bar

Abbott Labs stands out as a leader in marketing research, according to a panel discussion at CBI’s 2nd Annual Pharmaceutical Market Research Summit in Philadelphia ...

Washington Insider

As I see it

Transparency is the new buzz word in Washington. After six-and-a-half years of the most secretive administration in living memory, this shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Von Eschenbach: FDA needs massive resources

In the FDA commissioner’s annual “State of the FDA” address to the Food and Drug Law Institute in April, Andrew von Eschenbach painted a picture ...

FDA must prove fraud in Vioxx suits

Dealing a severe blow to more than a 1,000 Texas product liability cases involving Merck’s Cox-2 selective inhibitor Vioxx, a Texas federal judge ruled in ...

Is the FDA too conservative on safety?

As the FDA continues to focus on improving and strengthening drug safety, it is seriously worried lest it become or seem to become too conservative, ...

Generics increase competition: study

A new study funded by PhRMA says the increasing use of authorized generics by drug companies has not led to delays in generic entry into ...

New authority leads to adverse impact

The FDA needs more resources and not more authority to help it manage drug safety, and if it gets the new authority that some legislative ...

FDA petitioned to approve OTC switches

The FDA was petitioned to approve OTC switches for Allegra (fexofenadine), Allegra D 12-hour and 24-hour (fexofenadine with pseudophedrine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Zyrtec D ...

Prosecutors allege Wheat discussed handgun silencers with defendants

Federal prosecutors allege that Jared Wheat, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals’ founder and CEO, discussed with other defendants obtaining a handgun silencer to be used to “attack” an ...

BMS and Sanofi-Aventis issued civil investigative demands

The FTC has issued civil investigative demands, which act like subpoenas, to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis for documents relating to efforts to delay Apotex and ...

DDMAC says Ciprodex sales aid omits facts

The FDA’s DDMAC says a retail sell sheet and sales aid for Alcon Laboratories’ Ciprodex omits material facts about the drug, including some risk information ...

Family Research Council file suit to overturn Plan B decision

The Family Research Council and a coalition of medical and women’s groups have filed suit to overturn the FDA’s decision to approve Plan B for ...

Back Talk

10 days that nearly shook us

Talk about a confluence of events. In just 10 days, three major threats to medical communications came to a head. And for once, our side ...

Video Exclusive

Web Exclusives

Five industry experts advise specialty pharma company on digital strategy

April 20, 2012

Specialty pharma company POZEN assembled a crack team of experts to help shape its digital strategy. Not only did POZEN share with us the text from their contributions, but you can watch exclusive video clips of their valuable perspectives right here.