Medical Marketing & Media back issues from November 2008:
Never mind the ballots.(EDITOR'S DESK)(Column)
Nov 01, 2008; ... Chances are that by the time you read this column the dust will already have settled on the voting machines and the identity of the next president will be known. Even before this election race--traditionally a time of frayed nerves for the industry--became overshadowed by the ...
Staff retention isn't just about salary or benefits.(Viewpoint)
Nov 01, 2008; ... As a recruitment professional, I found particularly meaningful the September issue's discussion of the current state of careers in our industry. Tanya Lewis's "Office Party" article was a tremendously insightful piece into the often overlooked importance of employee retention. ...
Industry anticipates a shift to universal coverage.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... REGARDLESS of the victor, the US healthcare system is likely to see fundamental change under a new presidential administration. That's the opinion of pharma executives and political observers on both sides of the aisle, who are anticipating some form of universal healthcare and ...
For social media, old media rules apply, say experts.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... PHARMAS spooked by the recent warning letter on an Adderall XR YouTube video shouldn't shy away from social media, according to industry regulatory experts. In the case of the Adderall XR video, featuring celebrity spokesman Ty Pennington, Shire says it was lifted from a company ...
Pfizer creates global business units.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... PFIZER established global business units to house its primary care and specialty drugs, along with a separate group for its efforts in emerging markets, moving away from a regional structure and putting development, medical, sales and marketing teams for those brands worldwide under one ...
Waterfront Media, Revolution Health merge.(NEWS)(Revolution Health Network)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... ONLINE HEALTH companies Waterfront Media and Revolution Health Network announced a merger Oct. 3. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The merger will incorporate all of Revolution Health Network's websites--including RevolutionHealth.com, HealthTalk.com, CarePages.com and ...
Novartis announced it would eliminate 550 positions from its US sales force, half of them coming from unfilled vacancies, and establish five new regional units with cross-functional responsibility for primary care as part of its "Customer Centric Initiative.".(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Novartis announced it would eliminate 550 positions from its US sales force, half of them coming from unfilled vacancies, and establish five new regional units with cross-functional responsibility for primary care as ...
Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak (both D-MI) questioned FDA's use of a pharma PR firm in developing a website about DTC advertising for consumers.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak (both D-MI) questioned FDA's use of a pharma PR firm in developing a website about DTC advertising for consumers, saying the site "could be viewed as less of a guide to ...
J&J.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... J&J named Sheri McCoy to lead J&J's pharmaceuticals group, replacing Christine Pooh, who is ...
Eisai's Ontak won.(Pipeline)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Eisai's Ontak won FDA approval for IV injection for the treatment of patients with persistent or recurrent cutaneous T-cell ...
Eli Lilly launched a new delivery device for its Forteo osteoporosis drug.(Pipeline)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Eli Lilly launched a new delivery device for its Forteo osteoporosis drug. The new design includes a larger and wider body, fewer ...
FDA added a boxed.(Pipeline)
Nov 01, 2008 ... FDA added a boxed warning and other changes to the label of Raptiva. The boxed warning cautions of the risk of bacterial ...
Johnson & Johnson.(Pipeline)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Johnson & Johnson's Concerta Extended Re lease tabs won FDA approval for the treatment of ADHD in adults. The drug, previously ...
Meda AB's Alstelpro.(Pipeline)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Meda AB's Alstelpro, a reformulation of Astelin nasal spray, ...
Purplepill.com tops in product sites.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... THE WEBSITE for AstraZeneca's heartburn medication Nexium, www.purplepill.com, generated the most site traffic in Q2 2008 with more than 1 million unique visitors, up 55% from a year ago, according to a study by comScore. The study which looked at the top pharmaceutical brand ...
Bayer Schering Pharma AG.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: BAYER SCHERING PHARMA AG teamed up with celebuspawn Kelly Osbourne for World Contraception Day 2008, a campaign of events in 70 countries aimed at educating young people on making informed choices about contraception, on Sep. 26. The campaign's ...
Younger patients watch TV online.(NEWS)(Survey)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... ACNE AND adult ADHD sufferers are the condition groups most likely to watch their TV on the Internet, according to a Manhattan Research survey. The Cybercitizen Health v8.0 study found that as less than half of US adults reporting doing all their TV viewing the old-fashioned ...
Antidote.(NEWS)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... I have nothing against generic medications. In many cases, they are just as good as brand name products. But there are times when I find that generic chemicals are not absorbed as well, aren't as potent or as well tolerated. In these cases I write a big, fat "D.A.W." (dispense as written) ...
Cephalon CIA mandates disclosure of payments.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... BY ENTERING into a corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with the Department of Health and Human Services, Cephalon became the first drugmaker required to disclose payments to physicians. The five-year CIA stipulates that Cephalon post all payments to physicians "in a prominent ...
Sanofi-Aventis aims.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: SANOFI-AVENTIS AIMS to wake up the sleep aids market with its "Silence Your Rooster" campaign for Ambien CR, featuring TV ads and an advergame titled "Ruffle Some Feathers." Visitors to SilenceYourRooster.com can bat ...
As I see it.(WASHINGTON INSIDER)
Nov 01, 2008; ... Add to all the other Washington unravelings of the past nine years the loss of FDA innocence. This agency was once second to the National Park Service in public respect. The FDA's fall was barely noticed when it began with the first politically directed drug approval: the ...
Waxman questions FDA's industry goals.(WASHINGTON INSIDER)
Nov 01, 2008; ... HOUSE Government Reform and Oversight chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has opened an investigation into the FDA's rush to get industry-desired changes implemented before the Bush administration leaves office. In a letter to FDA commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, he asked whether ...
DDMAC guide stirs up controversy.(WASHINGTON INSIDER)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... DESPITE THE impending finalization of FDA's much-anticipated guideline designed to set parameters governing the use of reprints from peer-reviewed journals to inform physicians about off-label drug uses, long-simmering controversy over its goals flared up again in September at the Food & ...
Drugs chief still bullish on regulation.(WASHINGTON INSIDER)
Nov 01, 2008; ... FOUR YEARS after the FDA issued its seminal "white paper" outlining the agency's Critical Path Initiative (CPI) to modernize its scientific processes in drug regulation and evaluation, drugs director Janet Woodcock told a Drug Information Association meeting in September there has been an ...
1 in 8 approval actions call for REMS.(WASHINGTON INSIDER)(Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy )(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... ABOUT ONE in eight approval actions taken since FDA Amendments Act (FDAAA) provisions on drug safety went into effect in March contain a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), FDA associate director for drug policy Jane Axelrad told a Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society ...
Ahead of a US Supreme Court decision on pre-emption of state failure-to-warn suits, a three-judge CA appeals court overturned a lower court's pro pre-emption ruling in McKenney v. Purepac Pharmaceutical.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Ahead of a US Supreme Court decision on pre-emption of state failure-to-warn suits, a three-judge CA appeals court overturned a lower court's pro pre-emption ruling in McKenney ...
FDA funding has been boosted about $300 million or 17.5% on a full-year basis over FY 2008 available funds under a FY 2009 congressional continuing resolution.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... FDA funding has been boosted about $300 million or 17.5% on a full-year basis over FY 2008 available funds under a FY ...
As the FDA issues it with Warning Letters and an import alert, generic drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories announced that it has retained the services of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... As the FDA issues it with Warning Letters and an import alert, generic drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories announced that it has retained the services of former New York ...
The director of the FDA's biologics center, Mary Malarkey, reports that product deviation reports were up 26% last year.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... The director of the FDA's biologics center, Mary Malarkey, reports that product deviation reports were up 26% last year. Allergenic ...
Weston Medical Publishing announced publication of the first issue of Journal of Neurodegeneration and Regeneration.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Weston Medical Publishing announced publication of the first issue of Journal of Neurodegeneration and Re-generation. The ...
Dowden Health Media.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Dowden Health Media named Trevor Deal publisher of The Journal of Family Practice and Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Deal was previously publisher of Advanstar's Medical Economics, ...
Quadrant HealthCom.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Quadrant HealthCom announced that Meg Wunsch has joined The Female Patient as business development manager. She will work with ...
Elsevier has announced the publication of the 40th edition of Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Elsevier has announced the publication of the 40th edition of Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. With ...
New journal offers a la carte content.(MEDIA NOTEPAD)
Nov 01, 2008; ... SEQUENCE Medical is launching what it claims to be the first-ever individually customizable medical journal in the US. The company's Journal of Medicine, launching in December, will be "the first and only peer-reviewed, multispecialty, indexed medical journal that is ...
Media choice.(MEDIA NOTEPAD)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... The Journal of the American College of Cardiology is one of the most widely read journals in a very crowded field. It is sent weekly to each fellow of the ACC and each issue is broken down into sections which detail the articles within the various sub-specialties; for example, pediatric ...
WebMD grows in online ad sales.(MEDIA NOTEPAD)
Nov 01, 2008; ... WEBMD IS expecting strong numbers for Q3, due in part to increased industry foresight. In a statement released Oct. 10, the company projected a 20% increase in online ad revenues, as compared to the same period in 2007. Traffic across the WebMD Health Network during Q3 also grew, to more ...
The fine line between old and new: with all the buzz over Web 2.0 and social media, are pharma marketers losing sight of interactive fundamentals like SEO and old-fashioned banner ads? Is it time to get back to basics?(MEDIA FORUM)
Nov 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Joe Shields Product director, Wyeth BioPharma A phrase I like to use is "Balancing the new with the now." It reminds me to set aside a portion of the budget for smart experimentation. But when push comes to shove, I need to ensure ...
In a response to ACCME's call for comment.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... In a response to ACCME's call for comment, Amgen said: "We support ACCME's goal of maintaining freedom from bias and we believe that the provisions within the OIG Guidance and the new PhRMA Code will achieve this ...
The chair of Emory University's psychiatric program, Dr. Charles Nemeroff, resigned after an investigation by Sen. Grassley's office revealed he had failed to report income from speaking and consulting for GlaxoSmithKline.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... The chair of Emory University's psychiatric program, Dr. Charles Nemeroff, resigned after an investigation by Sen. Grassley's office revealed he had failed to report income from speaking and ...
Participants in a Mayo Clinic Consensus Conference on CME.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Participants in a Mayo Clinic Consensus Conference on CME Sep. 24-26 agreed that providers must: focus on collaborative best practices and patient-centered outcomes; research how ...
Merck, Lilly unveil disclosure policies.(CME REPORT)
Nov 01, 2008; ... MERCK ANNOUNCED plans to disclose some grants made by its global human health division for independent educational initiatives in the US, including those for accredited CME. The company said it would expand its disclosures over the course of 2009 to include other grants to ...
Minnesota medical school weighing gift and grants ban.(CME REPORT)
Nov 01, 2008; ... THE UNIVERSITY of Minnesota Medical School is weighing a tough ban on gifts to physicians and requiring docs to publicly disclose all relationships with drug companies, according to a university newspaper. Those measures are included in the recommendations of a University ...
Web watch.(DIGITAL MARKETING)
Nov 01, 2008; ... Marjorie Martin, SVP and general manager of Everyday Health, believes consumers will be the big winner in the merger of Revolution Health and Everyday Health. Prior to the merger, Everyday Health was the second most popular health website with 14.7 million unique visitors and ...
Reuters Health joins The Doctor's Channel.(DIGITAL MARKETING)
Nov 01, 2008; ... THE DOCTOR'S Channel, an online provider of streaming medical videos, has partnered with Reuters Health. Through the partnership, the companies have launched Reuters Health: The Doctor's Channel Daily Newscast, which offers doctors succinct video content covering Reuters' top ...
Online detailing taking off: study.(DIGITAL MARKETING)(Survey)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... ACCORDING TO the results of a new study, about 45,000 US physicians meet with sales reps via online video, and more than 300,000 have shown an interest in interacting with sales or other company reps online. Data from the study by Manhattan Research reveals that physicians who ...
RTC Relationship Marketing.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... RTC Relationship Marketing (RTCRM) has announced two executive promotions. Michael Duke has been promoted to senior vice president, and Elizabeth Upton ...
Shire was issued a warning letter from the FDA Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) after a review of a webpage and a video testimonial for Shire's drug Adderall XR, featuring the celebrity Ty Pennington, which was posted on YouTube by Shire.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Shire was issued a warning letter from the FDA Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) after a review of a webpage and a video testimonial for Shire's drug Adderall XR, featuring the celebrity Ty Pennington, which ...
Harte-Hanks.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Harte-Hanks has announced the promotion of Don Aicklen to corporate VP. He was ...
Sudler & Hennessey's S&H Digital has partnered with OPTIMIZERx to create, market and manage customized patient adherence programs.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Sudler & Hennessey's S&H Digital has partnered with OPTIMIZERx to create, market and manage customized ...
BDA helps reps navigate PhRMA regs.(DIRECT MARKETING)
Nov 01, 2008; ... IN ANTICIPATION of the new PhRMA guidelines that go into effect in January 2009, drug companies are scrambling to find innovative ways to deliver pharma code compliant merchandise to doctors. One company on the forefront of helping sales reps provide docs with promotional gifts ...
Free samples don't target poor kids.(DIRECT MARKETING)
Nov 01, 2008; ... A STUDY published in the October 2008 edition of the journal Pediatrics concluded that poor and uninsured children are not the main recipients of free drug samples and that free samples do not target the neediest of children selectively and in addition, they have significant safety ...
Merck inks rep deal with inVentiv.(DIRECT MARKETING)
Nov 01, 2008; ... IN A STRATEGIC partnership with inVentiv, Merck announced that it will utilize inVentiv's contract sales staff to supplement Merck's in-house sales force. The move comes in the wake of Merck's elimination of 15% of its US sales force (1,200 jobs) four months ago. According to a Dow Jones ...
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) hailed the suspension of several print ads for GlaxoSmithKline's HIV treatment Lexiva, though the manufacturer said they had been scheduled to end in September all along.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) hailed the suspension of several print ads for GlaxoSmithKline's HIV treatment Lexiva, though the manufacturer said they had been scheduled to end in September all along. One ad urged users not to take a chance with other drugs and "stick ...
Schering-Plough and GlaxoSmithKline have awarded the consumer advertising business for Levitra to Havas' Euro RSCG Life following a competitive pitch, according to an AdWeek report.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Schering-Plough and GlaxoSmithKline have awarded the consumer advertising business for Levitra to Havas' Euro RSCG Life following a competitive pitch, according to an AdWeek report. The incumbent ...
Nielsen Monitor-Plus figures showed a 9% drop in spending on consumer ads for prescription drugs for the first half of 2008.(Update)
Nov 01, 2008 ... Nielsen Monitor-Plus figures showed a 9% drop in spending on consumer ads for prescription drugs for the first half ...
DDMAC warns Bayer on YAZ TV ads.(DTC REPORT)
Nov 01, 2008; ... THE FDA slapped Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals with a warning letter on two 60-second TV ads for its YAZ contraceptive. The agency's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising and Communications (DDMAC) said the spots, "Not Gonna Take It" and "Balloons," "are misleading because ...
Kohl seeks backup for device ads.(DTC REPORT)(direct-to-consumer)(Herb Kohl)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2008; ... SEN. HERB Kohl (D-WI) said DTC ads for devices should be regulated just as much as those for drugs and called on his colleague in the House, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), to work with him toward that end. Kohl chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which recently held hearings ...
GlaxoSmithKline launched.(DTC REPORT)
Nov 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: GLAXOSMITHKLINE LAUNCHED print and TV ads for Treximet, its follow-on to migraine treatment Imitrex, in September. The ads feature women speaking about their symptoms as they cradle their heads, an expression of the key insight that many sufferers ...
PR view.(PUBLIC RELATIONS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... As a company that focuses on healthcare PR, we are often involved in early-stage product communications. Some of our most exciting assignments are with start-up companies who are on the cusp of commercialization of their first product. While these companies are well-attuned to the ...
Johnson & Johnson reorganizes its PR team.(PUBLIC RELATIONS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... JOHNSON & JOHNSON (J&J) has announced a restructuring of its public affairs and corporate communications team. The changes, first reported by MM&M sibling publication PRWeek, follow the retirement of Nancy Walker, J&J's former VP of global pharmaceutical communications, the ...
Porter Novelli partnering with CMS.(PUBLIC RELATIONS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... PORTER NOVELLI'S Washington, DC, office landed a multimillion dollar contract from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS hired Porter Novelli for outreach and awareness activities for the 2009 Medicare open enrollment, that includes "an integrated multimedia ...
Vantage point.(MARKETING RESEARCH)(Brief article)(Column)
Nov 01, 2008; ... As we have discussed in this column from several different perspectives, pharma marketing research is going through major transitions. Reduced budgets and the increased involvement of procurement departments in placing projects have become sufficiently ubiquitous that they have left the ...
FDA database aims to limit Rx name mix-ups.(MARKETING RESEARCH)
Nov 01, 2008; ... FDA WILL initiate a pilot project to help manufacturers choose safe proprietary drug names. The project hopes to prevent mistakes made during drug administration to patients based on similarly named products. To address that goal, FDA's pilot program will enroll manufacturer ...
SK&A launches doc verification tool.(MARKETING RESEARCH)
Nov 01, 2008; ... EACH YEAR, UP to 18% of doctors move, retire, pass away or make other professional changes. If you're relying on a database of physicians and other healthcare practitioners, SK&A's DMR Source Verified offers "sophisticated match identification technology and research-based manual ...
Lilly deal could set the bar for disclosures.(IN FOCUS)
Nov 01, 2008; ... ELI LILLY & Co.'s $62 million settlement with 32 states and the District of Columbia over off-label Zyprexa marketing comes with a stringent agreement requiring, among other things, that the company furnish those state attorney generals with a list of all healthcare professionals paid more ...