PhRMA's Washington wish list

May 21, 2012

PhRMA presented Washington with its legislative wish list - and a warning that plenty of other countries are trying to woo the industry away from the US.
 

Study: Young Latinas are key decision makers, prefer English

May 21, 2012

Effectively communicating health messages to the Hispanic community requires one key thing: reaching Latinas between the ages of 25 and 35.
 

Pharmas are from Mars, Payers are from Venus

May 17, 2012

Pharma needs to step up its sales pitch, looking beyond a drug's top attributes, to convince payers that their drugs are worth the cost.
 

Goodbye Plavix, hello competition

May 17, 2012

Long-running blockbuster Plavix has joined the patent graveyard, and competitors are all in.
 

Indian conglomerate buys Manhattan Research parent for $635m

May 16, 2012

A Mumbai-based pharma custom manufacturing firm is buying the parent company of Manhattan Research.
 

Sales forces shrank in 2011, but not everywhere

May 16, 2012

Pharmas shrank their US sales forces by 7% between 2010 and 2011, but the pain wasn't shared evenly between the biggest of pharmas, as a number of players scaled up.
 

National plan seeks Alzheimer's treatment by 2025

May 15, 2012

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease at the second day of the National Alzheimer's Research Summit Tuesday.
 

Coach vs. cancer in BMS-backed awareness effort

May 15, 2012

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher is fronting a Bristol-Myers Squibb-backed Melanoma Exposed awareness campaign.
 

Wolters Kluwer deals health analytics unit to private equity firm

May 15, 2012

Symphony Technology Group, a private equity firm, acquired the healthcare analytics business of Wolters Kluwer, the companies said.
 

RX-to-OTC proposal gets mixed reviews

May 14, 2012

Industry and physician groups expressed wary support for the FDA's "new paradigm" drug proposal, which would create a nonprescription "Behind the Counter" class of drugs available through pharmacists.
 

Siding with Lilly, appeals court overturns decision in rep overtime case

May 10, 2012

The latest round of Sales Reps vs. Pharma has favored...the pharma industry. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said that Eli Lilly did not owe former rep Susan Schaeffer-LaRose overtime.
 

Humira on solid ground, analysts say, despite vote on Pfizer hopeful

May 10, 2012

The general consensus surrounding the FDA advisory panel's 8-2 vote in favor of Pfizer's rheumatoid arthritis hopeful tofacitinib yesterday was that Abbott's Humira doesn't have to watch its back.
 

Makers of pain pills, advocacy groups at center of Senate probe

May 09, 2012

The Senate Finance Committee is looking to crack down on unnecessary pain prescriptions and is using a money trail to do it.
 

Saatchi shop rebrands to sharpen specialty focus

May 08, 2012

Saatchi & Saatchi Innovations, Publicis' Pennsylvania-based outpost servicing specialty pharma, is rebranding as Saatchi Science.
 

Docs trust ED drugs above all, go with their emotions when prescribing

May 08, 2012

Viagra and Cialis took top honors for most trusted pharmaceutical brands in a poll of physicians.
 

Doximity goes back to school, creates alumni app

May 07, 2012

Physician social network Doximity announced Saturday that it is creating an app just for Stanford Medical School students and alumni. Co-founder Jeff Tangney said it's the first of several university groups.
 

Roche ends dalcetrapib trial, questions linger on CETP class

May 07, 2012

A treatment Roche called a longshot has been left in the dust, throwing the fate of CETP inhibition into doubt once again.
 

Nurses get their own app with Lippincott launch

May 07, 2012

As of Monday, nurses will be able to tap into the Nursing Drug Handbook with an app, a first for the 32-year-old publication.
 

CMS pulls plug on transparency deadline

May 04, 2012

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said manufacturers won't have to start collecting physician payment data until January 1, 2013.
 

Pfizer restructures comms, Kerins to depart this summer

May 03, 2012

Several communications staffers at Pfizer will exit the company in coming weeks as part of a restructuring effort, PRWeek reported.
 

Report: FDA hitting PDUFA targets, critics be darned

May 03, 2012

The latest word from the Government Accountability Office: back off the FDA. The government research agency's newest report says the FDA is plowing through new- and biologics- drug applications at a speedy pace.
 

Germany rejects GSK's lupus drug Benlysta

May 03, 2012

Things are looking dim for lupus drug Benlysta, which hit price walls in the UK and Germany.
 

Pre-op videos may ease recovery for cancer patients: study

May 03, 2012

What-to-expect videos were associated with lower rates of pain and increased surgery satisfaction, according to a study that focused on cancer patients.
 

Study says cheaper Avastin as good as Lucentis

May 02, 2012

Genentech may have innovated itself into a corner. A study comparing its age-related macular degeneration drug, Lucentis, to its cancer drug, Avastin, found they are equally effective against the blinding condition.
 

JAMA feature aims to spark debate and hits a nerve

May 02, 2012

Journals are a curious media form in that they provide fodder for debate on medical topics, but not a forum in which to hold one. Enter JAMA's new Viewpoint feature.
 

Lipitor expiry leads to 15% dip in Pfizer's US first-quarter sales

May 01, 2012

Pfizer's first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday was as much about the nutrition business sell-off as it was about falling numbers.
 

Pfizer, Crestor tops for global promotional spend in 2011

May 01, 2012

Total global pharma promotional spending fell 3.4% to $92.2 billion in 2011, according to Cegedim Strategic Data, led by a 4.7% decline in detailing spend.
 

Migraine study fails to trigger Allergan headache

April 30, 2012

An April 25 JAMA article said Botox does nothing for episodic migraine patients. Allergan brushed off the critique.
 

Massachusetts gift ban under attack (again)

April 30, 2012

Massachusetts legislators aren't just sick of the Prescriptions Drug Gift Ban -- they're looking to wipe it from the books.
 

Vivus in talks to out-license ED drug Stendra

April 30, 2012

Rather than test the waters for faster-than-Viagra drug Stendra, Vivus wants another firm to handle marketing.
 

Novo Nordisk plans US hiring spree as Q1 sales jump 10%

April 30, 2012

Novo Nordisk employees received an unusual alert from corporate Monday morning: make room for 615 new US employees. That's 15% more people to hang out with during lunch. The announcement dovetailed with a first quarter report trumpeting a 10% jump in sales compared to the same period a year ago.
 

Bydureon catching on among endos but low profits expected, Amylin says

April 26, 2012

Amylin said weekly diabetes shot Bydureon, launched in February, is gaining market share among influential physicians but expects the med's profit margins to be low for some time.
 

2Million2Many campaign flags bone fracture, osteoporosis link

April 26, 2012

The National Bone Health Alliance and inVentiv shop GSW Worldwide are launching 2Million2Many, a national education campaign designed to raise awareness of the connection between osteoporosis and broken bones.
 

Brennan leaves AstraZeneca, quarterly sales down 11%

April 26, 2012

After announcing round after round of layoffs, AstraZeneca CEO David Brennan announced Thursday that he, too, was joining the ranks of the unemployed. His announcement was a bookend to the first quarter results which showed the oncoming pain of a very steep patent black hole: sales were $7.3 billion for the quarter ended March 31, an 11% drop compared to sales for the same period last year.
 

Rathmann, biotech giant, banked Amgen on EPO drugs

April 25, 2012

George Rathmann, Amgen's founding CEO and a forerunner of the modern biotech executive, died Sunday. He is credited with steering the firm deeply into EPO drugs, a long-lived cash cow which is only now showing its age, first-quarter earnings show.
 

Harvard urges faculty to ditch journals

April 24, 2012

An email from Harvard University's Faculty Advisory Council over the cost of professional journals has touched off the latest round in the Universities vs Publishers sparring match.
 

Enbrel reps risk layoff, as Pfizer calls early end to US selling

April 23, 2012

When Pfizer's US Enbrel sales force gives way to Amgen's in July, reps risk layoff if they don't get picked up by Amgen or re-assigned to Pfizer's new JAK inhibitor.
 

Pfizer sells nutrition biz to Nestle for $11.9B

April 23, 2012

Pfizer is bagging on the baby food business. The company announced Monday it was selling its nutrition division to powerhouse Nestle for $11.9 billion.
 

Have BMS and Gilead found the 'killer app' for hep. C?

April 19, 2012

Scientists are getting closer to finding the killer app in treating hepatitis C, but it may be too soon to pick a winner.
 

Human Genome Sciences spurns GSK's $3B offer

April 19, 2012

Human Genome Sciences rebuffed GlaxoSmithKline's advances Thursday with a press release that said, in essence, "Thanks for the $2.6 billion takeover offer, but we're worth more than that." The company said it is looking into other options and suitors. GSK sent its unsolicited bid to HGSI weeks ago, with an April 19 deadline.
 

Co-pay cards and coupons sway 2 million US seniors, study says

April 18, 2012

The National Coalition on Health Care took aim at co-pay cards and coupons with a report suggesting that they might push 2 million US seniors to opt for more expensive branded drugs over generics.
 

Consumers getting comfortable with social media as a health resource

April 17, 2012

Around a third of US adults use social media as a health resource, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers - whether seeking out medical info, sharing symptoms and experiences or rating drugs, devices, doctors, hospitals and health plans.
 

J&J reports sales slip as Weldon exits

April 17, 2012

Johnson & Johnson reported a 0.2% drop in overall sales for the first quarter of 2012, compared with the same period the year before, as CEO Bill Weldon prepared to hand over the reins of the company.
 

PhRMA conferees fault industry for poor messaging

April 16, 2012

PhRMA's annual meeting in Boston was full of talk about how scientific advances are pushing the boundaries of medicine's potential, but the mood was woe-is-me as members pondered their industry's poor public reputation.
 

Journal "pharmascolds" skew policy, says study

April 12, 2012

Medical journal coverage of the question of physician-industry relationships is "unbalanced" and may be skewing public policy towards ever-more restrictive safeguards against industry influence.
 

OAB drugs draw flak for allegedly weak efficacy

April 11, 2012

An FDA advisory panel endorsed Astellas' overactive bladder medication mirabegron April 6, but not everyone is on board.
 

Sites touting surgeries are one-sided, says study

April 10, 2012

The drug industry gets a lot of grief over its online communications to consumers, but a study has found that sites posted by doctors and hospitals and touting surgeries are often dreadful—and far less tightly regulated.
 

Analyst cuts Lucentis forecast by $1 billion

April 09, 2012

Genentech's Lucentis is likely to lose about $1 billion in sales due to competition from an upstart drug and off-label use of Avastin.
 

Branded drug spend up, but slower growth ahead

April 05, 2012

Last year, a wave of new products brought the industry succor as it awaits the full impact of the patent cliff on blockbuster brands. But companies should brace for contraction.
 

"Best-of" algorithm brings curation to Diabetes Nest

April 04, 2012

A new algorithm gives Diabetes Nest a higher level of Tweet curation. The architect notes this doesn't mean the feed will be about glucose levels and adherence.
 

Boehringer Ingelheim hands off the keys to Drive4COPD

April 04, 2012

Boehringer Ingelheim is handing over the keys to its public health initiative, Drive4COPD, to the non-profit COPD Foundation. Spokesperson Emily Baier said they leave the project with more information about the social media space and how to make the most of the platform.
 

Everyday Health puts YouTube on a diet

April 03, 2012

A bottomless hunger for health video among consumers is behind Everyday Health's YouTube channel roll out, said the portal.
 

With online doctor quiz, edugaming dons lab coat

April 03, 2012

Could an online quiz be the future of continuing medical education? In a twist on the "edu-gaming" phenomenon, Cleveland Clinic and physician site MDLinx aim to answer that question with The Smartest Doc, a daily one-minute quiz that aims to keep doctors up to date on the medical literature by appealing to their competitive spirit.
 

Obamacare Court fail could hit pharmas with "double whammy"

April 02, 2012

If the Supreme Court finds the "individual mandate" provision of the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, as now seems surprisingly possible, the biopharma industry could be looking at a worst possible outcome situation.
 

Diabetes study could create new class of surgical candidates

March 29, 2012

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that gastric bypass may be the best intervention for uncontrollable type 2 diabetes.
 

Sermo's new CEO vows to expand physician community

March 29, 2012

Former Revolution Health president Tim Davenport is taking over as CEO of the physician network Sermo, the company announced Wednesday.
 

Genentech's mind-tapping science moves needle on Pulmozyme, Tamiflu

March 28, 2012

Genentech is thinking outside the traditional focus group to understand patients, helping address the long-standing business challenges of adherence and brand preference, the firm says.
 

CAHG-TBWA alliance will bring "disruption," says CEO

March 28, 2012

Omnicom's CAHG is partnering with sibling network TBWA/WorldHealth in a pairing that gives CAHG global reach while boosting TBWA's US presence.
 

Millennium CEO says industry must brace for change

March 27, 2012

The drug industry is struggling with more than expiring patents and shrinking sales forces, Millennium Pharmaceuticals CEO Deborah Dunsire told industry watchers Tuesday. Rather, it's wrestling with a top-to-bottom revolution.
 

Social media an outcomes listening post for pharma

March 27, 2012

FDA issues may deter drugmakers from engaging in social media, but that's no excuse to ignore what audiences are saying on these platforms, say pharma and device firms.
 

Obamacare reconsidered: a pretty good deal for the drug industry

March 26, 2012

As the Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's "Individual Mandate"—and maybe the law itself—a pretty sweet deal for the drug industry hangs in the balance.
 

Journal article targets FDA misstep on Aricept

March 22, 2012

The FDA approval of 23-mg donepezil (Aricept) conflicted with the opinions of its own reviewers and breached the agency's own regulatory standard, authors write in a BMJ article, leading to misleading consumer and physician ad campaigns that put patients at risk.
 

The pharma revolution will be digital, with new targets: study

March 22, 2012

There have been multiple promises by pharma to change its sales and marketing approach. Booz & Co. partner Danielle Rollmann says the time for promises is over, and action needs to happen, particularly in the digital space. Now.
 

Study shows prescription gender gap

March 21, 2012

Women are simultaneously given more drugs than men and undertreated, according to a study Medco and the Society of Women's Health Research.
 

Sermo looks for new leaders—and profitability

March 20, 2012

Sermo is searching for a CEO and a medical advisory board since the physician online community's founder, Dr. Daniel Palestrant, and chief medical officer, Dr. Adam Sharp, left in November to launch a new startup called Par8o.
 

GSK seeks to span digital divide with social/digital dragnet

March 19, 2012

GlaxoSmithKline is souping up its social media monitoring with a digital strategy it says will create processes that are standard enough to streamline communications, but flexible enough to meet local requirements.
 

Shire exits Fabry's market, citing costs as FDA weighs more research

March 15, 2012

Shire has pulled its drug, Replagal, from FDA review. The company was set to go before the agency next month, but preliminary talks indicated the FDA was going to require more testing.
 

Study: sales support is dwindling, not dead

March 14, 2012

Although sales forces are shrinking across the globe, the pharmaceutical industry is still pouring money into promotion -- albeit 4% less than in 2010.
 

AstraZeneca's patent plight points toward takeover: analyst

March 13, 2012

Despite a brimming pipeline touted by execs earlier this year, storm clouds are gathering for AstraZeneca, and the best way to weather them is through a takeover, says one analyst.
 

Merz can't tout drug for wrinkles until 2013, judge rules

March 13, 2012

Merz Pharmaceuticals must wait 10 months before launching its botulinum drug in the cosmetic market, a district judge has ruled.
 

FDA's 45-day TV ad review "shot clock" in guidance

March 12, 2012

TV ads for most prescription drugs must be submitted to FDA for pre-clearance 45 days before the manufacturer intends to air them, according to an FDA draft guidance in tomorrow's Federal Register.
 

Sharecare bulks up with RealAge buy

March 12, 2012

Healthcare Q&A site Sharecare is buying RealAge from Hearst for an undisclosed sum, the companies said.
 

Facebook changes offer greater reach

March 12, 2012

Facebook's latest messaging options promise advertisers unprecedented reach: a flat rate that guarantees companies reach 75% of their fans and a suite of ad services called "Facebook Premium" that can hit and even outpace a 3:1 ROI.
 

Co-pay cards come under fire

March 08, 2012

Consumer advocacy group Community Catalyst declared war on prescription co-pay cards and coupons, saying the sales tools are nothing more than kickbacks and bribes.
 

Company news: Physicians Interactive, Boehringer Ingelheim

March 08, 2012

Physicians Interactive named Dr. Gautam Gulati Chief Medical Officer and SVP of product management.
 

Judge puts freeze on Merz bid to challenge Botox

March 07, 2012

US District Court Judge Andrew Guilford slammed the breaks on Merz's foray into a market dominated by Botox, siding with Allergan in a case about stealing intellectual property and poaching sales reps.
 

An FDA denial, but not the last word on Merck combo lipid drug

March 06, 2012

An experimental lipid-lowering combo drug developed by Merck hit a snag, but its real test is yet to come, says one analyst.
 

Lost in translation? International drug marketing guidelines are vague, toothless

March 05, 2012

For those grappling with the complexities of the Sunshine Act, the latest code of conduct guidelines from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations may provide a refreshing breather.
 

Endo rebrands to move beyond roots in pain drugs

March 02, 2012

Endo is restructuring, bringing its four operating units under the same corporate roof and rebranding to reflect its diversification out of its origins in pain and urology drugs.
 

GfK snags Bridgehead in bid to deepen payer expertise

March 02, 2012

Responding to what it calls an "acute need" among clients for market access counsel, GfK is buying Bridgehead International, a consultancy with offices here and abroad.
 

Speeding OTC and behind-the-counter switches mulled to boost adherence

March 01, 2012

The FDA says it is looking for change in the OTC market that could help move more drugs from prescription to over-the-counter status.
 

Congress takes a stab at IPAB

March 01, 2012

Congressional Republicans -- and even a few Democrats -- are pressing the attack on the Independent Payment Advisory Board for Medicare, a part of the Affordable Care Act opposed by both PhRMA and the AMA.
 

Hefty sales hurdles await a Qnexa approval

February 29, 2012

It is being billed as a propitious moment: The Vivus investigational weight-loss drug Qnexa got a ringing endorsement from an FDA advisory panel this month, but hurdles remain even if it makes it to market.
 

FDA to study "corrective" ads

February 29, 2012

The FDA will study the impact of corrective advertising on consumer misperceptions of drug safety and efficacy.
 

Consumers to disease: You're not the boss of me

February 28, 2012

A global study of consumer attitudes towards health found evidence for the "empowered consumer" hypothesis, with respondents expressing a greater sense of control over and responsibility for their health.
 

Novo Nordisk launches "robust" Hispanic FlexPen play

February 27, 2012

Novo Nordisk has launched a big integrated Spanish-language marketing campaign for its FlexPen insulin delivery device - one that Univision calls "the most robust ever" in Hispanic media for the diabetes sector.
 

Erin Go Eli Lilly: Indiana firm is hiring in Ireland

February 27, 2012

Bucking the sector's downsizing spree, Eli Lilly has announced it is opening offices with 200 spaces to fill -- in Ireland.
 

Sanofi contest gooses diabetes tech innovation

February 23, 2012

Sanofi is re-upping its social media-driven Data Design Diabetes Innovation Challenge contest, which last year kicked up a wealth of innovative ideas and buzz for the price of $200,000 in prize money and a few salaries.
 

CDC gives Prevnar 13 the cold shoulder for over-50s

February 23, 2012

Despite a fast-tracked FDA approval, the Centers for Disease Control is holding off on endorsing pneumonia vaccine Prevnar 13 for adults 50 and over pending results of a study not due to wind down until next year.
 
 

Shake-up at top for J&J, as Weldon exits CEO post

February 22, 2012

The most recent Johnson & Johnson recall may officially be CEO William Weldon's last. Alex Gorsky will become CEO as of April 26, the company said, and Weldon will stay on as chairman of the board of directors.
 

Samples no longer hold sway in pharma marketing mix: study

February 21, 2012

Over the last four years, drugmakers have slashed support for samples as they rethink what once was an essential part of their marketing mix.
 

Setback, not disaster, for Gilead hep. C regimen, analysts say

February 21, 2012

In the race to develop an all-oral hepatitis C therapy, Gilead Sciences just saw its lead shrink.
 

Industry says Sunshine reporting recs will confuse, not clarify

February 17, 2012

The deadline for commenting on the "Sunshine" provisions of the Affordable Healthcare Act close Friday, and industry groups say more time is needed if payment disclosures are going to clarify the payment system instead of muddying it.
 

Drugmakers look outside labs to offset R&D risk

February 16, 2012

The patent cliff is doing more than chipping away at earnings. It's placing even greater pressure on industry pipelines and magnifying just how much it costs to bring a drug to market.
 

Legislative wins, but no surety for survey researchers

February 16, 2012

Quite a few states have moved to shield marketing research from regulation. The Supreme Court's ruling on healthcare reform could spur new threats.
 

Univision study finds demand for in-culture communications to Hispanics

February 15, 2012

Healthcare marketers need to work on building trust among Hispanic audiences and improving adherence through targeted communications, according to a survey by Hispanic media giant Univision Communications.
 

Managed care plans continue fight to keep Lipitor off formularies

February 15, 2012

On the heels of Wellpoint's recent move to push branded Lipitor off its formulary, a new report shows that health plans overall continue to marginalize the branded cholesterol pill, making it more expensive for Pfizer to maintain a hold on the atorvastatin market.
 

Require disclosure of pharma ties, most docs say

February 14, 2012

The majority of physicians agrees that it's important to disclose to patients any financial relationships with drug and device companies but, research shows, there remains considerable rearguard sentiment to transparency.
 

Poll shows J&J rep is dented, not destroyed

February 14, 2012

Despite recalls, a settlement over allegations of Medicare Fraud and illicit marketing of off-label drug use, a poll by research group Harris Interactive indicates that Johnson & Johnson's corporate reputation is dented, but intact.
 

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.
 

MM&M Awards 2011 HIghlights

The Best MM&M Awards Ever!

MAHF Ceremony 2012

Photos from the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame Awards ceremony
 
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