Marketing Research

InVentiv Health to buy SDI audits from IMS

Marc Iskowitz January 18, 2012

Privately held inVentiv Health will acquire two of SDI Health's audit businesses worth under $15 million, according to company statements. IMS Health agreed to divest the units when regulators approved its purchase of SDI last year.

Aiming for more real-world data, AZ cozies up to IMS Health

Marc Iskowitz January 12, 2012

AstraZeneca has enlisted data supplier IMS Health in an effort to collect evidence on how its treatments are doing outside of controlled clinical trials, firms said.

Company news: Physicians Interactive, WorldOne, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Inhibitex

January 10, 2012

Physicians Interactive (PI) and WorldOne formed an exclusive strategic alliance to merge their US-based healthcare marketing research panels, firms said.

Firms link to cover digital doctor research front

Marc Iskowitz January 03, 2012

Two powers of the marketing research arena—Epocrates and M3—partnered today to create what they claim is the world's largest verified physician and healthcare provider panel.

Company news: Gilead, Pfizer and Wolters Kluwer

December 29, 2011

Two potential blockbusters in the pharma pipeline took another step toward reaching market, as US regulatory authorities assigned PDUFA dates for Gilead Sciences' Quad pill and for Pfizer's tofacitinib.

Incivek's $1 bil. in sales this year would set record for fastest launch, analyst says

Marc Iskowitz November 03, 2011

Vertex's drug for treating hepatitis C virus, Incivek (telaprevir), is on course to smash the previous record for the biggest revenue-generating drug launch ever, says an analyst firm.

IMS Health closes SDI deal, must divest two SDI product lines

Marc Iskowitz November 01, 2011

Federal regulators gave IMS Health the go-ahead to buy SDI Health, and IMS's parent company must now divest two SDI product lines.

Wolters Kluwer, betting on apps, plans sale of pharma-related unit

Marc Iskowitz July 28, 2011

Wolters Kluwer Health & Pharma Solutions said it will divest its Pharma Solutions business unit as part of a strategic decision to focus on point-of-care tools and professional content, offerings it says are poised to grow faster.

Supremes strike down Vermont data law

Matthew Arnold June 23, 2011

The Supreme Court came down on the side of data firms, overturning a Vermont law banning the sale of prescription data to pharmas because it violates First Amendment speech protections.

Joint presidents to run Wolters Kluwer analytics biz

Marc Iskowitz June 22, 2011

Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions appointed two from within the organization as co-presidents of its analytics business.

Company news: Wolters Kluwer Health & Pharma Solutions, Decision Resources and QuantiaMD

June 07, 2011

Market research firms Wolters Kluwer Health & Pharma Solutions and Decision Resources announced an agreement designed to make it easier for mutual customers to access managed markets data.

Analytics unit of Wolters Kluwer to get new CEO

Marc Iskowitz May 06, 2011

Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions will get a new CEO following the retirement of the pharmacy data and analytics firm's former head honcho, Mark Spiers, in April.

Data firms, pharmas upbeat on Vermont data ban chances

Matthew Arnold April 27, 2011

Data firms and pharmas are feeling confident after the Supreme Court arguments on Vermont's physician data ban.

Market researchers wait for business to return to Minnesota

Marc Iskowitz February 15, 2011

Paying Minnesota physicians to participate in marketing surveys is no longer considered illegal, but tell that to pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Brand.com sites for sleep aids and ED drugs drive scripts

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2011

Levitra.com led the pack among product websites that drove consumers to the doctors to request a prescription, according to a Manhattan Research survey.

IMS Health to acquire SDI

Ben Comer January 18, 2011

IMS Health will acquire SDI, bringing two of the largest data firms servicing the pharmaceutical industry together into one company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Supreme Court to weigh prescriber data ban

Ben Comer January 11, 2011

After shrugging at a similar plea for a hearing in July of 2009, the Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on the legality of selling prescriber data - or information that details the prescribing habits of physicians - to drug marketers.

Federal appeals court overturns Vermont data ban

Ben Comer November 24, 2010

A federal appeals court on Tuesday reversed a district court ruling that limited the use of prescriber-identifiable data in Vermont, signaling a victory for plaintiffs IMS Health, SDI and Wolters Kluwer Health.

People news: Synovate Healthcare and Durata Therapeutics

October 19, 2010

Market research agency Synovate Healthcare has hired Paul Villa as SVP, payer and market access research.

GfK names new global head; US CEO shifting to consultant role

Marc Iskowitz September 29, 2010

Richard Vanderveer, one of the industry's most well-recognized leaders, is leaving his post as US CEO of GfK, and Stephen Hearn has been named to the new position of global head, Hearn told clients in a letter announcing the marketing-research giant's move toward a single global organization and brand.

Consumers anxious about drug costs, industry influence

Matthew Arnold August 25, 2010

A fifth of consumers have asked their doctor to prescribe a drug they learned about through advertising, and fully two-thirds have received free samples of prescription drugs from their doctor - but they worry about the industry's influence on physicians, according to a Consumer Reports survey.

PDI exiting TVG market-research unit; founder asks, could mega-agencies be next?

Marc Iskowitz August 12, 2010

Citing decreased demand, pharmaceutical promotional support firm PDI said it intends to exit its TVG Marketing Research & Consulting business unit by month's end.

In protecting market research, federal exclusion may not always apply

Marc Iskowitz March 25, 2010

Thanks to the work of lobbyists, marketing research-related payments are explicitly excluded from Sunshine legislation enacted Tuesday as part of the healthcare overhaul. But the exclusion may not always apply.

Prescriber data law in Maine headed for federal court

Ben Comer February 25, 2010

A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments regarding Maine's prescription data law, which allows physicians to "opt-out" of commercially traded data pertaining to their prescribing habits.

Pharma marketing research gains tenuous hold in frosty Minnesota

Marc Iskowitz February 02, 2010

The Minnesota pharmacy board maintained that it's legal to pay doctors to answer bona fide marketing surveys, but legislation being debated may keep the state a marketing research "dead zone," said one lobbyist.

Pharma sought safe havens for DTC in '09

Marc Iskowitz December 31, 2009

Pharma marketers mimicked a savvy Wall Street investor for much of this year, placing safe bets and seeking value. That's likely to be the year's defining pattern, says one DTC media expert.

Hey, big spender! Pfizer joins top 10 advertisers

Matthew Arnold December 08, 2009

Pfizer boosted ad spend 12% for the first nine months of 2009 over the same period in 2008, even as ad spend for the sector remained static and spending across all sectors plummeted 14.7%, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

CBO finds competition, market size impact DTC ad spend

Matthew Arnold December 03, 2009

A study of direct-to-consumer advertising by the Congressional Budget Office found spending to be concentrated on a small subset of brands, particularly those facing few competitors and indicated for chronic conditions afflicting many patients.

Vermont pharma foe gets FTC nod

Matthew Arnold November 24, 2009

The nomination of former Vermont assistant attorney general Julie Brill to serve on the Federal Trade Commission would, if confirmed, be the latest of several appointments to give the healthcare industry pause.

IMS Health purchased for $5.2 billion

Ben Comer November 06, 2009

Marketing research giant IMS Health will be acquired by private equity firm TPG Capital and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, a Toronto-based investment management organization, for $5.2 billion.