Promotion

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.
 

Pfizer promotes Canada chief to lead US primary care marketing

February 08, 2012

Pfizer named Paul Levesque chief marketing officer for its US primary care business.
 

J&J says no shakeup at McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit

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.
 

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

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.
 

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

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.
 

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

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.
 

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

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.
 

Kramer to retire as CEO of Digitas, Razorfish health shops

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.
 

Branded Benlysta DTC campaign ready to roll out

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?
 

CME exerts highest influence on docs' intent to Rx: survey

June 28, 2011

A new survey shows certified CME bested dinner meetings, mailings and even sales rep visits in one promotional measure.
 

As brand revenue shrinks, so does brand promotion

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.
 

Roche maintained DTC spending on Boniva, while competitors cut back

March 03, 2011

Sally Field's winsome smile may have helped to curb declining sales of Roche's Boniva in 2010, but it didn't carry the drug past Warner Chilcott's Actonel, despite a substantially higher DTC spend.
 

Sanofi taps NBA players to assist in teen vaccine awareness

February 09, 2011

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi-Aventis, tapped Denver Nuggets all-star Chauncey Billups as its 2011 spokesperson for Vaccines for Teens, an ongoing educational and awareness campaign. Other players will join the effort in local markets this year, in concert with the NBA, WNBA and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM).
 

Progenics shifts Relistor marketing duties from Pfizer to Salix

February 08, 2011

Progenics announced that it will hand over commercial duties on Relistor, a subcutaneous injection for opioid-induced constipation, to Salix Pharmaceuticals, beginning in April. Financial terms include a $60 million upfront payment to Progenics, and another potential $290 million in development and sales-based milestone payments.
 

People news: Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline

February 01, 2011

Pfizer named GSK's Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet SVP, head of medicines development for its Specialty Care Business Unit.
 

GSK launches new Alli spots, hands five OTC brands to Meda

January 05, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline launched new commercials for Alli, in time for New Year's resolutions and holiday overeating remorse, and handed off five OTC products to Meda Pharmaceuticals.
 

FDA approval pits Amgen's denosumab against Novartis' Zometa

November 22, 2010

Amgen received FDA approval for a higher dose of its denosumab injection, Xgeva, which puts the drug in competition with Novartis' Zometa (zoledronic acid) for the prevention of bone damage in patients with certain types of cancer. A lower dose of denosumab, Prolia, was approved by FDA in June for osteoporosis.
 

McCann taps Cahill to lead global healthcare

September 30, 2010

McCann Worldgroup named EMEA/Asia-Pacific healthcare head John Cahill to lead its global healthcare practice. Cahill replaces a leadership group and reports to McCann Worldgroup poobah Nick Brien.
 

Why do doctors like branded med ed? Topics draw more than drug names

July 01, 2010

Pharma's support for continuing medical education has been narrowing, due to budget cuts and intense scrutiny on commercial funding. However, so-called branded med ed programs have remained a mainstay.
 

Merck Serono calls for short film scripts in global MS effort

May 26, 2010

Merck Serono announced the launch of a global MS awareness campaign calling for "script concepts" on the topic of multiple sclerosis. The winning script will be developed into a short film and distributed later in 2010. The contest is not open to US residents.
 

How's my detailing? Dial 1-877-RX-DDMAC

May 11, 2010

The FDA is asking healthcare professionals to keep an eye out for violative promotion and to call 1-877-RX-DDMAC or emailing badad@fda.com when they see it. "Recognize and report" is the message of the agency's Bad Ad Program, an educational outreach effort by the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising and Communications (DDMAC) that will "help healthcare providers recognize misleading prescription drug promotion and provide them with an easy way to report this activity to the agency," according to DDMAC director Tom Abrams.
 

GSK awareness ad for Arzerra a stealth product promotion, says FDA

April 19, 2010

The FDA scolded GlaxoSmithKline over a disease-awareness ad that failed to mention side effects but alluded to newly approved cancer treatment Arzerra. It's a sign the agency is construing the exemption for disease-awareness promotions quite narrowly.
 

Healthy Advice to mount flat screens in doc's offices

February 08, 2010

Healthy Advice Networks is betting docs need one more video screen to look at during office hours.
 

Pfizer nearly doubles amount spent on e-detailing

January 19, 2010

Pfizer increased its spending on online professional promotion by more than 90% last year, according to a study, a sign the drugmaker is emphasizing alternatives to live sales reps for detailing certain products.
 

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

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.
 

Pfizer pays $2.3 billion for deceptive marketing practices

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.
 

MedImmune taps soccer champs for flu awareness

August 20, 2009

MedImmune launched a branded awareness campaign starring soccer greats Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain to underscore the importance of getting immunized for the flu.
 

Zogenix and Astellas to co-promote migraine injectable

August 03, 2009

California-based Zogenix announced a partnership with Astellas to co-promote Sumavel DosePro, a subcutaneous injection for migraine relief.
 

Only a tenth of scripts are up for grabs, says IMS study

June 09, 2009

Traditional promotion efforts, including details and sampling, can only affect about 10% of prescriptions, an IMS study found, suggesting that the bulk of promotion dollars is misplaced.
 

Sanofi, Cegedim launch mobile CRM for managed markets

June 08, 2009

Sanofi-Aventis partnered with Cegedim Dendrite to launch a CRM mobile platform for its managed market managers. The three-year agreement spans 28 countries, including the US, France and Japan.
 

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

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MAHF Ceremony 2012

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