Pharmaceutical

As brand revenue shrinks, so does brand promotion

Marc Iskowitz April 22, 2011

Branded drug sales declined 0.7% to $229 billion last year, according to IMS Health, and that's having an impact on promotional spend.

Which Pfizer brands could stay, go in a sell-off

Marc Iskowitz March 15, 2011

Pfizer may be headed toward a major restructuring that could include the sale of some of its most enduring brands, an analyst says.

Abbott's pharma unit retools as US boss retires

Marc Iskowitz February 24, 2011

Abbott Labs' US pharmaceuticals business is undergoing some hefty changes: about 1,500 layoffs, a merger with the international division and the retirement of its SVP.

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.

Roche details job cuts, passes Tamiflu to contract sales org

Ben Comer November 17, 2010

Roche detailed its "operational excellence" cost-cutting program in a statement today, which includes a reduction of 2,650 pharmaceutical sales and marketing jobs. In total, 6,300 jobs will be affected by the restructuring.

Few patients look to pharma sites for health info, survey says

Ben Comer November 16, 2010

Patients taking a medication and looking online for health information tend to avoid pharmaceutical company sites, according to an online survey conducted by Accenture.

DDMAC regulatory letters could double in 2010

Ben Comer July 22, 2010

New Year's Eve is five months away, but FDA letter-writers have already been prolific in 2010 on themes of risk omission, inflated efficacy claims, and unfair balance presentation as seen in promotional materials targeting physicians and consumers.

New PSAs promote pharma-funded online assessment tool

Ben Comer July 19, 2010

Public service announcements featuring Tyler Walker, a 20-year-old ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patient, direct back pain sufferers to an online test created to help identify undiagnosed AS patients. The test, and published research used to validate the test, was funded by Centocor, Abbott, Amgen and Pfizer.

Watson beefs up women's health biz, adds reps

Ben Comer July 13, 2010

Generics and specialty pharma Watson acquired a progesterone gel, marketed as Crinone and Prochieve, and added roughly 19 reps to its women's health sales force. Watson now employs close to 400 reps, according to Charlie Mayr, a company spokesperson.

PhRMA sweats Witty's EU samples cap

Ben Comer July 09, 2010

PhRMA said the reasoning behind a sharp cap on samples mandated by its European counterpart doesn't apply in the US.

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon to lead Sanofi whooping cough awareness campaign

Ben Comer June 30, 2010

In an effort to throttle up awareness of whooping cough, or pertussis, Sanofi Pasteur and the March of Dimes have enlisted NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon to lead their ongoing Sounds of Pertussis campaign. Jennifer Lopez was previously the celebrity face of the campaign.

Viagra, Nexium and Chantix are Mensa-worthy brands, says digital IQ study

Ben Comer May 06, 2010

Marketers working on Pfizer brands Viagra and Chantix, and AstraZeneca's Nexium, can pat themselves on the back, since they all scored in the "genius" percentile based on digital marketing competency, according to the L2 Digital IQ Index.

Novartis announces new changes to US pharma biz

Ben Comer April 14, 2010

Following a full-scale realignment of its commercial model in 2009, Novartis will make new adjustments to its US pharmaceutical operations, including a change at the top: Ludwig Hantson, CEO and head of North American pharmaceuticals, will exit the company, a Novartis spokeswoman confirmed.

Aging Committee raps pharma on brand drug price hikes

Ben Comer March 18, 2010

Armed with AARP and Kaiser Family research, members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging asked panelists why brand drug prices in the US continue to increase, while other countries pay half as much for the same products.

Juvederm Facebook campaign features Dayna Devon

Ben Comer March 17, 2010

Allergan launched a celebrity Facebook campaign for Juvederm, on the heels of a new FDA approval for Juvederm XC, a formulation that contains lidocaine to make injections less painful.

Covidien, Biovail to beef up sales forces

Ben Comer March 11, 2010

While many sales jobs at large pharmaceutical companies continue to be shed amidst reorganizations, mergers and consolidations, Covidien and Biovail are bucking the trend and hiring new personnel.

Physician referral directory revamped for 2010

Ben Comer March 10, 2010

Doctors using The Little Blue Book for patient referrals will be able to decide how they want to use their thumbs -- for page turning or mobile app navigation -- when a revamped edition launches next quarter.

GSK launches surprising cervical cancer ads

Ben Comer March 09, 2010

What began as a sparkly new ad for perfume quickly shifted gears, from trivial to terrifying, once the young female actor glimpsed the perfume bottle's script: cervical cancer.

Merck to consolidate media accounts

Ben Comer February 24, 2010

Merck will consolidate media duties on all of its brands, including the newly acquired Schering-Plough portfolio, after a review.

Novo reps to spotlight weight loss for Victoza launch

Ben Comer February 04, 2010

Sales forces for Novo Nordisk's Victoza will underscore the injectable's weight loss properties when it launches next month.

GSK relocates 2,200 sales positions as part of 'growth strategy'

Marc Iskowitz October 29, 2009

GlaxoSmithKline has put a twist on pharma's strategy of slashing sales reps to improve the earnings outlook, reallocating the positions to emerging markets.

Sanofi card trick draws warning

Ben Comer October 28, 2009

A promotional card for Sanofi Aventis's Uroxatral omitted indication and risk information, and also used outdated product labeling, according to a DDMAC warning letter.

Merck discloses a portion of US speaker fees

Ben Comer October 20, 2009

On Monday, Merck disclosed fees paid to US-based medical and scientific professionals who spoke at promotional medical education programs during the third quarter of 2009.

McNeil mobilizes ADHD awareness in NYC

Ben Comer October 16, 2009

Pedestrians mulling around Times Square in New York City can learn more about ADHD - and McNeil Pediatrics' Concerta - by responding to an advertisement on the CBS jumbotron, via text message.

Pharma resilient during economic slog, says IMS Health

Ben Comer October 08, 2009

The global market for pharmaceuticals is expected to grow by 4%-6% in 2010 - exceeding $825 billion - due in part to near-term growth in the US, according to an IMS Health forecast.

Lilly delves into social media for oncology art contest

Ben Comer October 02, 2009

Eli Lilly entered the Twittersphere without fanfare in early September for its fourth biennial Lilly Oncology on Canvas initiative, an art contest for those who have been affected by cancer.

Shire prepares marketing efforts for Intuniv

Ben Comer September 04, 2009

Shire announced an FDA approval for Intuniv (guanfacine) Extended Release Tablets yesterday, and is preparing professional advertising efforts for a November launch, with "closely aligned" consumer ads to follow in 2010.

FDA to address deficiencies in post-marketing surveillance

Ben Comer September 03, 2009

Over 80% of the manufacturers that submitted postmarketing information to FDA met their obligations, despite weaknesses in FDA's monitoring and tracking of postmarketing requirements (PMR) and postmarketing commitments (PMC), an FDA-commissioned study found.

Pfizer pays $2.3 billion for deceptive marketing practices

Anthony Vecchione September 02, 2009

The world's largest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, and its subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. have agreed to pay $2.3 billion, the largest healthcare fraud settlement in the history of the Department of Justice, to resolve criminal and civil liability charges arising from the illegal promotion of certain pharmaceutical products, the Justice Department announced today.

Boehringer Ingelheim broadens YouTube, Twitter efforts

Ben Comer August 26, 2009

Boehringer Ingelheim recently launched new YouTube videos and a channel devoted to Parkinson's disease, while the firm's US operations just launched a Twitter feed, following its German parent, which got onto Twitter last year.