Trend

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.

"Facebook for pharmacists" to offer news, CE and community

Matthew Arnold June 18, 2009

JMI Health is launching PharmQD, which aims to be something like a cross between LinkedIn and Facebook for pharmacy students, hospital and retail pharmacists, said JMI SVP, eproducts Tina Pang Mayer (pictured).

Non-compliance, requests for generics on the rise, says survey

Matthew Arnold May 28, 2009

Physicians say patient compliance is getting worse, and they're hearing more requests for generic or OTC alternatives to prescribed medications as the economic malaise takes its toll, according to a PriMed survey.

Coalition flags ACCME plans

Matthew Arnold May 22, 2009

The Coalition for Healthcare Communication said it doesn't oppose ACCME's proposal to set up an independent entity for disbursal of CME funding - provided that it's not the only game in town and CME providers don't have to pay for it.

AMA ethics group rethinks CME funding

Matthew Arnold May 14, 2009

A pair of American Medical Association committee reports urges that industry-funded CME be put on a tighter leash, but they're a far cry from the ban on commercial support called for by the AMA's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs a year ago.

DTC spend set to slide, loyalty cards up, says survey

Matthew Arnold May 13, 2009

Marketers anticipate substantial cuts in DTC spend in 2009, according to a Cegedim Dendrite survey in which 58% of respondents said they'd cut consumer ad spend this year. Last year 28% said they'd cut back on consumer advertising.

Pfizer taps former Gore aide to lead policy efforts

Matthew Arnold May 12, 2009

Pfizer hired onetime Gore advisor turned healthcare think tanker Gregory Simon to head its global policy efforts as the industry gears up for a health reform fight in Washington.

WebMD to launch Medscape iPhone app

Ben Comer May 07, 2009

WebMD hopes to extend its professional network reach with the launch of a Medscape iPhone application. The app will become available during the last week of May, or in early June, according to a WebMD spokesperson.

McNeil launches adult ADHD Facebook page

Ben Comer April 30, 2009

Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Pediatrics launched a second ADHD-focused Facebook page on April 22, this time targeting adults in the US with the disorder.

Pharma industry reputation gains, says Harris Interactive

Matthew Arnold April 29, 2009

It seems corporate reputation is countercyclical for pharmas, as well. The drug industry was the only sector to see appreciable gains in public perception from 2007 to 2008, according to Harris Interactive, posting its highest rating in five years as financial services firms and automakers displaced pharmas in the dregs of public esteem alongside tobacco.

IOM: quit gifts, reps, samples

Matthew Arnold April 28, 2009

Physicians and medical institutions should shun gifts, reps, samples and ghostwriting, said the Institute of Medicine's conflict of interest committee in its full recommendations.

Docs comfy with ePromotion, and many prefer it, says study

Ben Comer April 27, 2009

Sixty-seven percent of physicians had a positive attitude toward electronic promotional activities, up from 62% a year ago, according to an SDI study.

Worldwide, consumers prefer generics, says study

Matthew Arnold April 22, 2009

Consumers worldwide overwhelmingly prefer medicines that have been around a long time to the latest treatments, and over half prefer generics to branded drugs given the choice, according to a DDB Health survey.

GSK buys derm firm Steifel

Matthew Arnold April 20, 2009

GlaxoSmithKline is buying dermatology specialist Steifel for $3.6 billion.

ACCME won't ban industry funding of CME

Matthew Arnold April 10, 2009

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education said that for the time being, it won't ban commercial support of CME.

Rx TV ads more memorable in '08, Nielsen says

Matthew Arnold April 02, 2009

TV ads for prescription drugs loosened up a bit in 2008 and exercised greater creativity despite intense scrutiny, The Nielsen Company found in a review of advertising recall rates for 2008.

Stanford to disclose faculty payments over $5K

Ben Comer April 02, 2009

Stanford University's school of medicine will publicly disclose pharma industry payments to its faculty and physicians, whenever those payments exceed $5,000 per year.

Associations should cut ties with pharma, says JAMA

Matthew Arnold March 31, 2009

The Journal of the American Medical Association is calling for professional medical associations to sever all ties with the drug industry--with exception to journal advertising and exhibit hall fees, of course.

APA to phase out pharma-sponsored CME, dinners

Ben Comer March 26, 2009

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) will put an end to industry-sponsored continuing medical education (CME) and meals served during its annual meetings, the association said Wednesday.

GSK to expand clinical trial disclosures

Matthew Arnold March 26, 2009

GlaxoSmithKline said it will broaden its transparency policies to include greater disclosure of its clinical research and the physicians the company works with on clinical trials.

Number of reps down 10% since 2007, says study

Anthony Vecchione March 23, 2009

Job security for pharma sales reps is looking bleak, going by the results of a ZS Associates study. The survey found that the number of US reps has plummeted 10% since 2007 to 92,000, and the management consultancy projects a further decline, to 75,000 by 2012.

Iowa Senate passes harsh gifts, data ban bill

Matthew Arnold March 20, 2009

Iowa's state Senate passed a healthcare bill containing some of the toughest restrictions on drug company contacts with physicians yet.

IMS: US Rx drug sales were flat in 2008

Matthew Arnold March 19, 2009

IMS said US prescription drug sales grew 1.3% in 2008 to $291 billion amid increased use of generics, lower sales of new products and slackening consumer demand resulting from the economic downturn.

Consolidation redraws pharma marketing map

Ben Comer March 17, 2009

In just the first three months of 2009, several of the largest companies in the industry announced mergers that will change the face of an industry dogged by sluggish pipelines.

Pharma US ad spend fell 18.4% in '08, says Nielsen

Matthew Arnold March 13, 2009

Pharmaceutical industry ad spend fell 18.4% in 2008 to $4.3 billion in the US, according to The Nielsen Company. J&J, the sole drug company among the nation's top 10 advertisers, spent $1.2 billion on advertising -- a drop of 5.4% from 2007 spend.

Roche to acquire Genentech

Ben Comer March 12, 2009

Roche will buy all remaining shares of Genentech at $95 dollars apiece, or $46.8 billion total, the companies announced in a joint statement. Prior to the deal, Roche held 56% of the company's shares.

Massachusetts antes up with tough transparency law

Matthew Arnold March 12, 2009

Massachusetts passed regulation governing drug and device company sales and marketing that the state's deputy counsel boasted is "the most stringent of the existing state laws" and "sets PhRMA and AdvaMed codes as the floor."

As patients scrimp, BMS ads offer to pay Orencia co-pays

Matthew Arnold March 11, 2009

Recession got you down? Having second thoughts about filling that prescription? How about some help with your co-pay? That's the tack Bristol-Myers Squibb is taking with its Orencia Promise program.

Amgen's Matsuda offers grist for the regulatory rumor mill

Ben Comer March 10, 2009

Marketers may soon need to reconsider their online strategies in light of new regulatory developments, Mas Matsuda, associate general counsel and executive director at Amgen, told attendees at an e-marketing conference today.

Supremes deny Wyeth in pre-emption bid

Matthew Arnold March 04, 2009

The Supreme Court struck a blow to FDA pre-emption of state laws with a 6-3 decision in Wyeth v. Levine finding the company liable for a failure-to-warn claim under Vermont state law.