MM&M Weekly Digest - 3/2/12 - Medical Marketing and Media

Hefty sales hurdles await a Qnexa approval

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

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

Novo Nordisk launches "robust" Hispanic FlexPen play

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Erin Go Eli Lilly: Indiana firm is hiring in Ireland

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