The FDA issued Driving Innovation, a blueprint for fostering American biomedical innovation. In it the agency reiterated a prior commitment to reform regulations by removing those that are outdated or excessively burdensome (those currently under review can be found here.) Among other new policies, draft guidance is being created for designing clinical trials that simultaneously test a companion diagnostic and therapy (i.e., personalized medicine), as well as new strategies for approving targeted drugs. The agency also said it appointed a new deputy commissioner for medical products. The blueprint was developed with input from industry, academia, small businesses and patients.
Ranbaxy and parent company Daiichi Sankyo are taking a one-two punch to penetrating the Italian market. Ranbaxy Italia’s reps, leveraging their firm’s strong pharmacy sales and distribution network, will detail two of Daiichi Sankyo’s heart drugs, Congescor and Lopresor, to pharmacists in the country. Daiichi Sankyo Italia, meanwhile, will cover the physician market, mainly cardiologists and internists. The new partnership, the firms said, is part of a hybrid business model to improve access to meds by addressing both stakeholders in the pharma value chain.
ImpactRx launched TabletImpact, a tool offering insight into the execution and impact of details and messages delivered via tablets. Certain messages have a greater impact when communicated through a tablet, and the tool can drill down to determine which messages are most effective, said ImpactRx. As use of the tablet for competitive pharma detailing increases, the company said there is a need for guidance on optimal deployment.
