News - Page 1 - Medical Marketing and Media

Pharma had third-most layoffs in Jan 2012

Deborah Weinstein February 07, 2012

A report by outsourcing firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas showed the pharmaceutical industry ranked third among the highest-layoff industries in January 2012.

Expanded use of Xgeva a longshot, analysts say

Deborah Weinstein February 07, 2012

Amgen wants to extend use of bone cancer drug Xgeva (denosumab) into the prevention setting, but analysts, not to mention the FDA's own advisors, are not optimistic about its chances.

Amylin reports Q4 sales slump, touts Bydureon potential

Deborah Weinstein February 07, 2012

Amylin said Tuesday that quarterly sales fell 5.3% to $165 million for the period ended December 31 as Byetta sales declined.

Industry group releases digital best practices

Matthew Arnold February 06, 2012

Weary of FDA foot-dragging on digital and social media guidance for pharmas, a group of 60-some industry digerati have put together guidelines of their own.

Merck, GSK shrug off rec to make HPV vaccine routine

Deborah Weinstein February 03, 2012

Vaccinating boys between the ages of 11 and 12 against human papillomavirus, or HPV, could become a new part of pre-adolescence if a new recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices takes hold with parents and physicians.

Komen, caught up in the culture wars, nurses damaged brand

Matthew Arnold February 03, 2012

Cowed by a fierce and lighting-quick backlash fueled by angry Tweets and Facebook posts, The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation is backpedaling, but is it too late to reverse the reputation damage?

Allergan scrubs some doc-payment data, spares med-ed grants

Marc Iskowitz February 03, 2012

Allergan removed records from its website that had detailed payments made to doctors from the middle of 2010 through first-half 2011.

Jobson Medical files for chapter 11 debt relief

Marc Iskowitz February 03, 2012

Jobson Medical Information Holdings filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York Thursday, the company said, part of an effort to amend and extend its credit and strengthen its balance sheet.

Merck results buoyed by sales of Januvia franchise

Deborah Weinstein February 02, 2012

Merck said Thursday its ownership of the global marketplace for DPP-IV diabetes drugs helped it close out the quarter with $12.3 billion in sales, and $48 billion in sales for the year. The two drugs behind the boost were Januvia, which saw a 42% bump in fourth quarter sales, and Janumet, which saw sales jump 34% for the quarter.

AstraZeneca announces more layoffs, Q4 results

Deborah Weinstein February 02, 2012

AstraZeneca confirmed rumors of another round of deep cuts, announcing that it will eliminate 7,300 positions throughout the company.

Ernst & Young's Buck Luce named HBA Woman of the Year

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association named Ernst & Young global pharma lead Carolyn Buck Luce, calling her "a dedicated leader promoting women's advancement in healthcare."

P&G signals plans to cut ad costs by shifting to digital media

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

Procter & Gamble is looking to lower its promotion costs by leaning more on digital media, Chairman and CEO Bob McDonald told analysts in an earnings call.

J&J says no shakeup at McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

J&J is pushing back hard against a Wall Street Journal article suggesting that a pair of retirements and a promotion are part of a corporate shakeup of its recall-plagued McNeil Consumer Healthcare division.

Genentech offers online lessons in flu etiquette

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

Genentech is sponsoring a flu education campaign the features hereditary etiquette expert Anna Post offering advice to the flu-stricken on keeping the bug to themselves.

FDA speaks on electronic media... sort of

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

With hours to go in 2011, the FDA issued a sneaky draft guidance that many view as the first installment on its long-promised and oft-delayed advice on the use of Internet communications and social media for prescription drug promotion.

A thermometer's mobile sales pitch

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

Mobile campaigns are getting increasingly targeted through layering of identifiers like location, age and gender. An effort for a new thermometer serves ads only to expecting moms and those with children under five within two miles of a store selling the device and only when influenza is running rampant where they live.

Controversy follows Deen's diabetes campaign

Matthew Arnold February 01, 2012

Novo Nordisk is courting controversy with a Victoza-branded type 2 diabetes education campaign featuring Southern-fried celebrity chef Paula Deen and her sons.

Elsevier begins outreach as push-back on publisher threatens to widen

Deborah Weinstein February 01, 2012

An online protest, which had more than 2,500 supporters as of Wednesday morning, has pulled the scientific publishing industry into a fight between the publishers and the published.

FDA study casts doubt on danger of "distracting visuals"

Matthew Arnold January 31, 2012

An FDA study looking at the power of background visuals to distract viewers from the often-ominous risk info read in the "major statement" section of TV drug ads found no evidence that consumer understanding of risk info is affected by the "emotional (affective) tone of images.

Generics makers approach a cliff of their own

Matthew Arnold January 30, 2012

Generic drug sales will peak this year, says a Goldman Sachs report, as the sector approaches its own cliff.

Bydureon approval a shot across bow for Victoza

Deborah Weinstein January 30, 2012

The FDA's go-ahead for Bydureon gives maker Amylin a much-needed win in the GLP-1 market.

Study outlines how to improve company reputation

Deborah Weinstein January 27, 2012

An industry reputation study found out that protecting Big Pharma's reputation requires more than a single good deed.

Abbott to lay off 700 as Xience co-promote winds down

Deborah Weinstein January 26, 2012

Illinois pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories notified 700 employees Wednesday that they will be out of work.

FDA gives guidance on brand, generic names in ads

Matthew Arnold January 26, 2012

The FDA issued guidance clarifying narrow questions of scientific or generic name placement in ads and labeling in different media, including electronic media.

DSM-5 may classify mourning as depression

Deborah Weinstein January 26, 2012

The latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders may put an end to classifying bereavement as something other than depression, though it's not clear that will mean much of a bump in the market for antidepressants.

Pfizer's Lipitor share slips, casting doubt on power of a loyalty program to save the brand

Matthew Arnold January 25, 2012

Seven weeks after Pfizer's main Lipitor patent expired in the US, the drug is down to 32% market share and at least one name-brand analyst is casting doubt on the brand's survival strategy.

Senate Judiciary takes on Medicaid Rx rates

Deborah Weinstein January 24, 2012

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) put 34 Medicaid programs on notice that they are not doing enough to rein in over prescription of certain drugs and he wants to know why.

J&J sales up, but earnings wiped out by settlements, product liability and recall costs

Matthew Arnold January 24, 2012

Days after a $158 million settlement of charges that its Janssen unit fraudulently marketed Risperdal in Texas, Johnson & Johnson forecast fourth-quarter net earnings of just $218 million due to settlement costs and the recall of its DePuy ASR artificial hip.

Tysabri gets boost from label change, new diagnostic

Deborah Weinstein, Marc Iskowitz January 23, 2012

Biogen Idec and Elan, which market Tysabri for multiple sclerosis, won approval to add new safety information to the drug's label that could boost sales by helping doctors avoid a serious adverse event.

New president has 'big tent' vision for CME association

Marc Iskowitz January 23, 2012

Damon Marquis wants to make one thing clear: CME is not the only important form of medical education.

Video reflects struggle to keep bias out of CME

Marc Iskowitz January 20, 2012

Those who produce and fund certified medical education acknowledge that conflict of interest is one issue that seems to constantly crop up. But while conflict is inevitable, bias doesn't have to be, they insist in a new video.

Takeda, digesting Nycomed, downsizes in Europe and the US

Matthew Arnold January 18, 2012

Takeda said it will slash its global workforce by around 2,800 jobs - 700 of those in the US and the rest in Europe - as it absorbs Nycomed and moves toward a more diverse product portfolio.

Genentech education campaign urges flu sufferers to mind their manners

Matthew Arnold January 18, 2012

Genentech is sponsoring a flu education campaign featuring hereditary etiquette expert Anna Post offering advice to the flu-stricken on keeping the bug to themselves.

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.

Victoza effort featuring Southern cuisine queen Deen draws flak

Matthew Arnold January 17, 2012

Novo Nordisk is courting controversy with a Victoza-branded type 2 diabetes education campaign featuring Southern-fried celebrity chef Paula Deen and her sons.

Novartis slashes 1,960 US sales and marketing jobs amid hypertension franchise implosion

Matthew Arnold January 13, 2012

Novartis will eliminate 1,630 sales rep jobs and 330 headquarters marketing jobs as its hypertension franchise faces the impending loss of Diovan patent exclusivity and the impact of ugly study results on Tekturna sales.

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.

Study clouds effectiveness of stop-smoking drugs

Matthew Arnold January 11, 2012

A study casting doubt on the effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapies in preventing relapses poses peril and opportunity for pharmas - particularly for Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.

SaaS has sizzle in digital health media M&A

Matthew Arnold January 10, 2012

WebMD's non-sale may be the story of the day in digital health media, but the buzz in the space is all around software-as-a-service firms amid an explosion of data resulting from adoption of electronic medical records.

WebMD calls off sales plans, CEO steps down amid ugly forecast for 2012

Matthew Arnold January 10, 2012

WebMD scrapped plans for a possible sale and announced that president and CEO Wayne Gattinella is stepping down after 11 years in that role.

Healthline lands Drugs.com ad sales deal

Matthew Arnold January 05, 2012

Healthline Networks has secured a deal with Drugs.com giving it exclusive rights to sell consumer ads on the site, which boasts 8.8 million unique visitors per month.

Merck takes stake in Physicians Interactive

Matthew Arnold January 05, 2012

Merck's Global Health Innovation Fund (GHIF) is investing up to $17 million in Physicians Interactive, a company that develops digital products for doctors such as e-sampling and interactive education programs.

A targeted mobile effort for a thermometer shadows the flu

Matthew Arnold January 04, 2012

Mobile campaigns are getting increasingly targeted through layering of identifiers like location, age and gender. An effort for a new thermometer serves ads only to expecting moms and those with children under five within two miles of a store selling the device and only when influenza is running rampant where they live.

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.

Pharmas are lagging in online multicultural efforts

Matthew Arnold January 01, 2012

Out of 240 branded pharma websites, only about a fifth have any African American imagery on their pages, and bilingual sections of pharma sites are often missing important elements, a study of the drug industry's online multicultural outreach efforts found.

As GSK jettisons consumer brands, smaller marketer sees boon

Marc Iskowitz December 28, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline divested North American OTC drugs worth about $200 million in sales, a portfolio that seemed like a good strategic fit for buyer Prestige Brands Holdings.

Behind WebMD's PE courtship, a business model under pressure

Matthew Arnold December 23, 2011

WebMD's talks with private equity firms come amid an advertising slump, and going private could buy the firm time to retool its business model while insulating it from activist investors like Carl Icahn.

A quarter of docs report slide in CME quality: poll

Marc Iskowitz December 22, 2011

About one out of four physicians in a recent survey cited a decrease in the quality of CME programs as commercial support has dissipated.

Bon Jovi enlists in Advil's battle with Tylenol

Matthew Arnold December 21, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi is the latest celebrity pitchman for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare's Advil.

DOJ hit pharmas for $2.2 billion in 2011 False Claims Act cases

Matthew Arnold December 20, 2011

Pharmas shelled out $2.2 billion in False Claims Act fines and settlements with the Justice Department this year as the feds' healthcare fraud haul hit an all-time high.

J&J names new PR chief as consumer pharma head retires

Matthew Arnold December 20, 2011

Johnson & Johnson is promoting the head of its global vision care business to serve as its marketing and PR chief, replacing global OTC chairman Brian Perkins, who is retiring, in that role.

Sunshine Act guidelines issued, pushing back data collection deadline

Matthew Arnold December 15, 2011

The government finally released long-delayed draft guidelines on reporting payments to physicians, as required under the "Sunshine" provisions of last year's healthcare reform law, ten weeks late.

Ipsen to bulk up commercial team as it moves US hub to NJ

Marc Iskowitz December 15, 2011

Ipsen announced plans to reorganize its North American commercial operation by relocating the head office from California to New Jersey and hiring about 100 employees.

Pharmas' multicultural consumer efforts online fall flat

Matthew Arnold December 14, 2011

Out of 240 branded pharma websites, only about a fifth have any sort of African American imagery on their pages, and bilingual sections of pharma sites are often missing important elements like the "Questions to ask your doctor" section, symptom trackers and other tools, a study of the drug industry's online multicultural outreach efforts found.

Advil Congestion effort ties traffic gridlock to cold and flu misery

Matthew Arnold December 13, 2011

Don't tell the New York Post, but Pfizer is boosting bike lanes as part of an Advil promotion.

AstraZeneca slashes US sales force by a quarter

Matthew Arnold December 08, 2011

AstraZeneca is slashing its US sales force by 24% as the company confronts a steep patent cliff and late-stage pipeline that has delivered a string of disappointments in recent years.

Europeans warm to pharma info

Matthew Arnold December 07, 2011

A Manhattan Research survey found that "nearly two in five online Europeans would like to be able to learn more about prescription drugs directly from a pharmaceutical company," with Italians most keen on interacting with pharmas and Germans least interested.

Idol star caps Janssen's UGC IBD awareness contest

Matthew Arnold December 07, 2011

Janssen Biotech wrapped up its IBD Icons campaign on Sunday with an American Idol star crowning the winners of the user-generated content contest at a benefit for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).

Pfizer to hand some med-ed grant decisions to external advisors

Marc Iskowitz December 06, 2011

Pfizer is changing the way it funds medical education to make smarter use of a shrinking pool of funds and to enhance the impact of activities it supports.

Takeda looks to build vaccines business

Matthew Arnold December 06, 2011

Takeda is getting into vaccines with the launch of a dedicated global division that will make use of Nycomed A/S's business infrastructure in Europe and emerging markets.

Still no jetpacks, but telemedicine, personalized medicine are the future, says study

Matthew Arnold December 05, 2011

Diabetes will be the 800-pound gorilla in healthcare for the foreseeable future, according to a crystal ball-gazing white paper from Euro RSCG which pegs the rise of telemedicine, a wave of "cyberchondria" and soaring rates of medical tourism as among the emerging trends reshaping the practice of medicine.

How Genentech cut journal ads across all Avastin indications

Marc Iskowitz December 05, 2011

Well before the FDA revoked Avastin's approval in breast cancer, Roche's Genentech unit deeply cut the professional media plan for the drug, the company said.

Senators slam Pfizer-PBM deal to blunt generic Lipitor

Matthew Arnold December 01, 2011

Pfizer's Lipitor had not yet gone off patent before a trio of Senate healthcare heavyweights was firing off letters to the drugmaker assailing its efforts to conserve Lipitor share through a deal with pharmaceutical benefit managers.

Since Vioxx scare, tough times for industry R&D, study finds

Matthew Arnold December 01, 2011

A review of 450 New Molecular Entities spanning a decade and a half found two distinct eras of drug R&D - one of abundance and one of scarcity, hinging on the September, 2004 withdrawal of Merck's Vioxx.

GSW's Gerbig dead at 66; put Columbus on the map for medical advertising

Matthew Arnold November 30, 2011

GSW Worldwide co-founder Bob Gerbig, an entrepreneurial account director who left Abbott to launch the Ohio-based agency powerhouse in 1977, has died at 66.

$Merck v. Merck Facebook fracas a tempest in a teapot says US firm$

Merck v. Merck Facebook fracas a "tempest in a teapot" says US firm

Matthew Arnold November 29, 2011

Facebook shut down Facebook.com/Merck after Merck KGaA announced plans to take legal action "based on the apparent takeover of its Facebook page" by its US cousin, Merck & Co.

Remedy Health buys HealthCentral, promises broader ad reach

Marc Iskowitz November 29, 2011

Health information site HealthCentral has been acquired by Remedy Health, a multimedia provider of content and tools designed to help people manage disease, the firms said today.

Pri-Med sold; John Mooney returns as CEO

Marc Iskowitz November 23, 2011

Pri-Med founder John Mooney and his former management team have returned to the firm, which is under new ownership following M|C Holding's sale of Pri-Med's US assets to Canadian event and media producer Diversified Business Communications.

Sanofi education campaign aims to combat kid vax fears

Matthew Arnold November 23, 2011

Sanofi Pasteur launched an education campaign aimed at blunting increasing skepticism of childhood vaccinations.

Merck wraps up Vioxx litigation with feds, states: $1b in fines, new CIA

Matthew Arnold November 22, 2011

Seven years after the biggest drug safety scandal since thalidomide was found to cause birth defects, Merck and the Justice Department announced a nearly $1 billion settlement of litigation over Vioxx, the Cox-2 pain drug found to cause strokes and heart attacks.

Pfizer effort urges lung cancer patients to get gene tests

Matthew Arnold November 22, 2011

Pfizer Oncology has recruited Desperate Housewives and West Wing star Kathryn Joosten to feature in a national education campaign titled Lung Cancer Profiles, which aims to reduce stigma and plug molecular testing of the disease as the company deepens its investment in genetically-targeted oncology therapies.

No 'pent-up demand' for cancer med Jakafi, Incyte says

Marc Iskowitz November 22, 2011

The launch of new cancer pill Jakafi will require extensive education, said Incyte Pharmaceuticals, owing partly to low awareness levels among doctors.

PBMs blast co-pay coupon costs to states, unions, employers

Matthew Arnold November 17, 2011

Co-pay coupons for prescription drugs could drive up costs to employers, unions and state governments by $32 billion over the next ten years, said the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, the pharmacy benefit managers' trade group.

Healthcare costs still top of mind for anxious Americans

Matthew Arnold November 16, 2011

Nearly half of Americans skipped a doctor visit or getting a prescription filled because of cost at least once last year, according to a PwC poll which found healthcare worries right behind jobs among respondents' concerns.

Adverse events mentions rare in social media, says study

Matthew Arnold November 15, 2011

A study of 224 pharmaceutical brands across several social media sites found that less than 1% of posts mentioned adverse events.

MAHF inducts MedEc's Daly, Sudler's Smith and LLNS' Nickel

Matthew Arnold November 11, 2011

The Medical Advertising Hall of Fame announced its 2012 inductees: Medical Economics' Charles Daly, Sudler & Hennessey creative great Ernest Smith and LLNS co-founder Al Nickel.

Jim Belushi sings the RCG blues for Savient

Matthew Arnold November 09, 2011

Krystexxa maker Savient has recruited Jim Belushi for an awareness-raising campaign dubbed "Check Out Your Gout."

Springer in deal to buy Wolters Kluwer pharma-related journals

Marc Iskowitz November 09, 2011

Wolters Kluwer reached an agreement to sell its pharma-related marketing and publishing services unit to Springer Science+Business Media, the firms said today.

Amylin, parting ways with Lilly, plans for extra sales reps

Marc Iskowitz November 08, 2011

Amylin said it will hire 365 sales reps to make up for Eli Lilly's departure from commercial activities, once the firm takes full control of the exenatide diabetes franchise in the US this month.

HBA salutes Bayer effort to bolster women leaders

Matthew Arnold November 08, 2011

Bayer HealthCare was awarded the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) ACE Award in recognition of its Women's Leadership Initiative.

Merck consolidates global respiratory into Interpublic's Area 23

Matthew Arnold November 07, 2011

Merck consolidated the advertising and promotion business on its respiratory franchise to Interpublic, with Draftfcb Healthcare's Area 23 serving as lead agency.

GSK hopes $3-bil. off-label settlement will end legal woes

Marc Iskowitz November 07, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline's deal to resolve multiple US investigations into its sales and marketing practices—one of the largest settlements by a pharma company—aims to patch up several long-running legal disputes.

Sanofi plans new layoffs, buyouts for reps

Matthew Arnold November 07, 2011

Sanofi will winnow its field force down through a "voluntary separation program" and relocation of some reps, said a spokesperson following news of another round of layoffs at the company.

Omnicom, CAHG sign up for regulatory compliance training

Matthew Arnold November 04, 2011

Agency CAHG became the first healthcare marketing shop to undergo training and certification in regulatory compliance through the Center for Communication Compliance, and its parent company, Omnicom, said all of its healthcare agencies will follow suit.

FDA approvals of innovative drugs up for FY2011

Matthew Arnold November 03, 2011

FDA green-lighted a bumper crop of new medicines in fiscal year 2011, thanks to expedited approval authorities, flexibility in clinical trial requirements and PDUFA measures aimed at boosting approvals of innovative compounds, the agency said.

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.

Pfizer's post-expiry plan for Lipitor: maximize brand's sales

Marc Iskowitz November 02, 2011

Pfizer said it plans not only to keep Lipitor consumer promotions running past the brand's expiry later this month. It also aims to put an OTC version of the megablockbuster on the market at some point.

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.

Grassley blasts CMS foot-dragging on Sunshine Act

Matthew Arnold November 01, 2011

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, now a month overdue to issue draft guidelines for reporting pharma-physician contacts as required under healthcare reform legislation, said the department is working on it, but offered nothing in the way of a timeline.

Consumers may be savvier, less fearful about online privacy and advertising than you think

Matthew Arnold October 27, 2011

Consumers are as worried about online privacy as they are about terrorism, but marketers tracking their surfing habits or mining their emails for insights is the least of their worries, according to a survey by McCann Truth Central.

Kramer to retire as CEO of Digitas, Razorfish health shops

Marc Iskowitz October 27, 2011

David Kramer, who co-founded the agency now known as Digitas Health in 1988 and led the shop through two mergers and a recent reorganization, announced that he will leave the company at year's end.

Boehringer's Pharma-ville could salve industry's bad reputation

James Chase October 26, 2011

Boehringer Ingelheim is hoping to create a new Facebook phenomenon with the development of a pharma civilization game that could give industry reputation a shot in the arm.

Branded Benlysta DTC campaign ready to roll out

Marc Iskowitz October 26, 2011

New online and print DTC advertising targeting US patients with lupus will appear "within weeks," said executives from Human Genome Sciences. Can the campaign revive blockbuster fortunes for Benlysta?

Despite decline, ghostwriting in papers still common: study

Marc Iskowitz October 25, 2011

Researchers analyzing the prevalence of ghostwriting in leading medical journals over more than a decade saw a decline but found inappropriate authorship remained all too common.

Prolia, Xgeva fall short of analysts' Q3 sales forecasts

Marc Iskowitz October 24, 2011

Amgen's global sales, up 3% in the third quarter, met analyst estimates, but its new denosumab franchise reflected slower growth than expected.

Despite HPV vax ad bonanza, low awareness and slacker docs dog uptake

Matthew Arnold October 21, 2011

A little over half of US girls ages 13 to 17 have not gotten even one dose of the HPV vaccine, and among the main reasons are poor awareness and the failure of doctors to recommend vaccination, a study shows.

McCann makes play for public education space with new shop

Matthew Arnold October 20, 2011

McCann Healthcare Worldwide launched McCann Global Health, a new consumer comms shop that will make a play for the public health education space, doing large scale disease education in the US and globally.

Abbott to split off branded pharma unit, pursue specialty drug focus

Marc Iskowitz October 19, 2011

Abbott said today it will separate into two publicly traded companies, one its $18-billion pharma unit and the other its $22-billion diversified medical products business.

Fear factor in DTC gene tests: not so scary after all?

Matthew Arnold October 19, 2011

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing is controversial in part because many medical professionals and policymakers fear that it will prompt inflated perceptions of risk in patients poorly-equipped to interpret test results. A small study suggests that, at least for those administered the test through a clinical setting, that concern may be overblown.

Par Pharma suit could set up off-label court showdown

Matthew Arnold October 18, 2011

Par Pharmaceutical last week asked a federal court to tell the FDA to back off and allow the company to detail docs about using its Megace ES to treat AIDS-related wasting.