Sales Force

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Company news: FDA, Ranbaxy, Daiichi Sankyo and ImpactRx

October 06, 2011

The FDA issued Driving Innovation, a blueprint for fostering American biomedical innovation, reiterating a prior commitment to reform regulation and announcing policies aimed at facilitating personalized medicine.

Vertex gears up sales force for CF drug launch

Marc Iskowitz September 15, 2011

Biotech firm Vertex, fresh off the introduction of Incivek for hepatitis C, is busying itself with launch preparations once again.

GSK revamps rep pay

Matthew Arnold July 05, 2011

On July 1, GlaxoSmithKline began pegging sales rep pay to a combination of "selling competency," customer evaluations and overall business unit performance instead of individual sales targets.

Bayer beefs up Ob/Gyn sales calls

Matthew Arnold June 30, 2011

Pfizer has usurped Merck as the most admired drug company among obstetricians and gynecologists, according to SDI's Pharmaceutical Company Image 2011 study, while Bayer increased its sales presence in that specialty significantly.

Supremes strike down Vermont data law

Matthew Arnold June 23, 2011

The Supreme Court came down on the side of data firms, overturning a Vermont law banning the sale of prescription data to pharmas because it violates First Amendment speech protections.

Data firms, pharmas upbeat on Vermont data ban chances

Matthew Arnold April 27, 2011

Data firms and pharmas are feeling confident after the Supreme Court arguments on Vermont's physician data ban.

Global healthcare pros prefer live reps, survey finds

Matthew Arnold April 15, 2011

For all the talk of e-detailing and digitizing the sales force, a plurality of international healthcare professionals would rather get info about new treatments from flesh-and-blood reps than through any other channel, a survey found.

One fourth of family medicine residencies "pharma free," says survey

Matthew Arnold March 25, 2011

Most US family medicine resident programs have limits on drug industry interaction with doctors, and a quarter shun doctor-company contacts altogether, said a survey by Georgetown University Medical Center and the American Medical Student Association.

Eisai job cuts part of shift to oncology franchise model

Marc Iskowitz March 04, 2011

Eisai is winding down a co-promotion deal with Pfizer and shifting toward a lean commercial structure it says will thrust it into the top 10 in women's oncology.

Savient focuses on reimbursement for Krystexxa launch

Ben Comer March 01, 2011

Savient Pharmaceuticals launched Krystexxa (pegloticase), an orphan drug for chronic gout, on Monday, and deployed a mix of sales reps, education specialists and business managers to help expedite reimbursement from payers, executives said on a conference call.

Forest Labs to acquire Clinical Data, add reps for Viibryd launch

Ben Comer February 22, 2011

Forest Labs will acquire Clinical Data for $1.2 billion, and expand its primary care sales forces in preparation for the launch of Viibryd (vilazodone HCI), executives said in a call this morning.

Sales reps say medical knowledge, business acumen are keys to access

Ben Comer February 16, 2011

A large survey of sales reps found that knowledge of evidence-based medicine and clinical practice guidelines, as well as information related to managing the business aspects of a healthcare practice, are the two best ways to get a foot in the door with physicians

Sunovion reps deployed for Latuda

Ben Comer February 10, 2011

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals is targeting 22,000 psychiatrists in the US, with a sales force of 336 reps, in support of Latuda, an atypical antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia. Psychiatrists can also request samples and track delivery online.

Progenics shifts Relistor marketing duties from Pfizer to Salix

Ben Comer 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.

GSK and HGS put the 'us' in lupus, ahead of Benlysta FDA decision

Ben Comer January 27, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline and Human Genome Sciences launched a patient community for lupus sufferers and their friends and family, in anticipation of an FDA decision on Benlysta in March.

GSK values drive flips rep bonus incentives

Matthew Arnold January 25, 2011

The drug industry must move from a mindset that emphasizes compliance with regulations to one steeped in core values of integrity and transparency if it is to regain the public's trust, GSK's Dierdre Connelly said at a conference yesterday.

New depression med hopes to grab a piece of the $12 billion pie

Ben Comer January 25, 2011

With depression brand leaders Cymbalta and Lexapro closing in on patent expiry, Clinical Data's newly approved Viibryd (vilazodone HCI) for major depressive disorders hopes to carve out a piece of the roughly $12 billion US market.

iRep lets docs sign an iPad for samples

Ben Comer January 19, 2011

Sales reps armed with an iPad can collect digital signatures for samples thanks to iRep, a physician detailing application set to launch in mid-February.

Merck, GSK expand sales forces in China

Ben Comer January 13, 2011

Merck and GSK are both increasing the number of sales reps operating in China, according to separate presentations given by the two companies. In both cases, added reps in emerging markets are helping to offset significant reductions in US sales forces, company executives said.

Court hears arguments in drug rep's free speech case

Ben Comer December 21, 2010

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Caronia vs. US on December 2, a case that challenges a sales rep's inability to speak about off-label uses of a drug, in this case, Jazz Pharmaceuticals' Xyrem.

Former sales rep to argue First Amendment protection in court

Ben Comer December 02, 2010

A federal appeals court has agreed to hear oral arguments about whether the First Amendment protects a sales rep's ability to share information about off-label uses of a drug.

Primary care docs like GSK reps best, study finds

Ben Comer November 30, 2010

Primary care physicians gave GlaxoSmithKline sales reps the highest marks on a quality scale, according to an SDI study. The higher physician ratings corresponded with a 12% decline in the number of sales calls GSK reps made to PCPs.

FDA approval pits Amgen's denosumab against Novartis' Zometa

Ben Comer 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.

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.

Allergan to shift headache sales reps to Botox

Ben Comer November 09, 2010

Allergan sales forces previously working on GSK headache drugs Imitrex and Amerge as part of a co-promotion will be reassigned to Botox, in support of the drug's new headache indication.