Sales Force

Company news: Auxilium and GSK; J&J's Janssen

May 22, 2012

Auxilium inked a co-promote deal with GSK on its Testim 1% testosterone gel for the US.
 

No-see docs are know-nothings when it comes to new drug info, study suggests

May 22, 2012

An AstraZeneca-sponsored study found that doctors who don't see sales reps are far slower to respond to medical developments such as new products, black box warnings and clinical trials data.
 

Sales forces shrank in 2011, but not everywhere

May 16, 2012

Pharmas shrank their US sales forces by 7% between 2010 and 2011, but the pain wasn't shared evenly between the biggest of pharmas, as a number of players scaled up.
 

Siding with Lilly, appeals court overturns decision in rep overtime case

May 10, 2012

The latest round of Sales Reps vs. Pharma has favored...the pharma industry. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said that Eli Lilly did not owe former rep Susan Schaeffer-LaRose overtime.
 

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.
 

Enbrel reps risk layoff, as Pfizer calls early end to US selling

April 23, 2012

When Pfizer's US Enbrel sales force gives way to Amgen's in July, reps risk layoff if they don't get picked up by Amgen or re-assigned to Pfizer's new JAK inhibitor.
 

Merz can't tout drug for wrinkles until 2013, judge rules

March 13, 2012

Merz Pharmaceuticals must wait 10 months before launching its botulinum drug in the cosmetic market, a district judge has ruled.
 

Judge puts freeze on Merz bid to challenge Botox

March 07, 2012

US District Court Judge Andrew Guilford slammed the breaks on Merz's foray into a market dominated by Botox, siding with Allergan in a case about stealing intellectual property and poaching sales reps.
 

Samples no longer hold sway in pharma marketing mix: study

February 21, 2012

Over the last four years, drugmakers have slashed support for samples as they rethink what once was an essential part of their marketing mix.
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.
 

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

The Best MM&M Awards Ever!

MAHF Ceremony 2012

Photos from the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame Awards ceremony