MedWorm: Pharma PRs

J&j - ortho evra: $68 million and climbing

PharmaGossip — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:39:00 +0100

Johnson & Johnson has spent at least $68.7 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits filed by women who suffered blood clots, heart attacks or strokes after using the company's Ortho Evra birth-control patch, court records show.More at Bloomberg (Source: PharmaGossip)

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Takeda - alogliptin: delay.....hmmm!

PharmaGossip — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:02:00 +0100

Takeda, Japan's biggest drugmaker, said on Friday that U.S. health authorities have not been able to complete a review of alogliptin or SYR-322, which is critical to Takeda's mainstay diabetes business as it is expected to be the main replacement for its best-selling Actos.Actos generates almost 30 percent of Takeda's sales but loses U.S. patent protection in 2011.More (Source: PharmaGossip)

The wire - big pharma style

PharmaGossip — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:43:00 +0100

The US government's investigation into Cephalon's illegal marketing practices that culminated in a $425,000,000 settlement and guilty plea by the pharmaceutical company began in January 2003 with a Cephalon sales representative in Ohio.The sales representative, Bruce Boise, refused to follow company-ordered sales strategies to convince doctors to prescribe Cephalon's Actiq, Gabitril and Provigil drugs for unapproved ("off-label') uses because he was worried the sales practices were illegal and the "off-label" uses were dangerous for patients.Boise was so concerned about Cephalon's off-label marketing that he contacted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inform them of what the company was doing and then agreed to wear a wire to a company sales conference to help the government gather evidence.The decision to report Cephalon to the FDA cost Boise his job and future employment in the pharmaceutical industry. But his information helped end Cephalon's illegal marketing practices that put patients at risk and led to the settlement.Bruce, plus three other whistleblowers received a $46 million reward for this.Story Plus a recent Washington Post article stated they have enough qui tam suits to keep them busy for the next ten years! And, out of 900+ cases, over 500 have to do with the healthcare industry............ Kerching! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Cdo's nd cds's explained

PharmaGossip — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:54:00 +0100

Crisis explainer: Uncorking CDOs from Marketplace on Vimeo. Untangling credit default swaps from Marketplace on Vimeo. (Source: PharmaGossip)

Dow

PharmaGossip — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:02:00 +0100

Why start at 1978 - that's when Insider first met Mrs Friday! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Gsk - "exclusive interviews"

PharmaGossip — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:47:00 +0100

In exclusive interviews, Nature News spoke to two of GSK's most influential R&D leaders about both the company's own plans and about how they see the broader future of the pharmaceutical industry.LinkWhat questions would you have asked, dear readers? (Source: PharmaGossip)

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Bottom drops out of market: buy! buy!

Pharma Marketing Blog — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:16:00 +0100

(Source: Pharma Marketing Blog)

These wonderful women make me laugh out loud

PharmaGossip — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:04:00 +0100

Every day! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Fda and yaz: is fda helping marketers work around regulations?

Pharma Marketing Blog — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:38:00 +0100

As reported in today's AdAge, "Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals is pulling a 60-second ad for birth-control pill Yaz. The move comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expressed concerns that two ads for the drug go too far in suggesting the drug could help overcome PMS and acne" (see "Bayer to Pull Yaz Ad After FDA Warning").The FDA criticized the ad, 'Balloons,' which is still in rotation and can be seen on the YAZ product website (see image above; click for enlarged view). "The warning letter said that while Yaz had been approved as a contraceptive and a treatment for PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and in some cases for acne, the TV ads could be viewed as suggesting the drug also remedied PMS and broader conditions of acne."This broadcast DTC (direct-to-consumer) ad has been around for quite some time and I'm sure everyone that Bayer wished to reach by the ad has seen it at least once, maybe several times. So, this warning letter is just another example of the FDA closing the barn door after the cow has left (see, for example, "Vyvanse Warning Letter: Too Late! Shire Got Rid of Ty Pennington Long Ago!").But, more importantly, the FDA clearly reviewed the storyboards for this ad long BEFORE it was aired. In fact, FDA offers the storyboards as evidence along with the warning letter on its website. I've captured part of the storyboard that shows the balloons:My question is this: If the FDA is going to preview broadcast DTC ads AND get paid to do it, why didn't the agency stop the YAZ ad from being produced or aired after seeing this storyboard? Is FDA THAT slow in issuing warning letters? Or is it in cahoots with drug companies to help them avoid complying with regulations? Who needs a regulatory agency that regulates AFTER the fact and not before?This can only get WORSE when drug companies routinely pay for FDA to preview their ads. (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog)

Cash makes big pharma king

PharmaGossip — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:46:00 +0100

Pharmaceutical companies are not only expected to weather the financial storm successfully but to also use this period “to exploit their unique cash strength by embarking on an acquisition spree”.This is the view of analysts at Datamonitor who have issued a report noting that the present financial difficulties has led to “the abrupt loss of cheap debt”. In the last decade, companies in other industries have exploited easy access to cheap debt to leverage their return to investors but the the sub-prime crisis in the USA and the collapse of big name financial institutions means “banks have no choice but to protect their own capital and stop lending”.However the large pharmaceutical companies “have wisely stayed out of the cheap debt game and as a result, the credit crunch will actually play out as a net positive” for an industry much in need of good news, according to Datamonitor head of company analysis Chris Phelps. He notes that a lack of innovation, coupled with increased regulatory scrutiny and tougher cost-containment measures from payors to drive down prices, “has made the healthcare environment more difficult to operate in than it has ever been before”.These negative long-term pressures have already been fully reflected in pharma’s stock market performance, the study notes, and between January 2007 and May 2008, the Dow Jones US Pharmaceutical Index fell by 10%, while the DJ Industrial Average “remained broadly unchanged”. However, the markets “have clearly recognised the balance sheet strength of pharma in the midst of the credit crunch”, Datamonitor notes, and there has been a recent reversal in stock market fortunes.PharmaTimes (Source: PharmaGossip)

Anger management

PharmaGossip — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:58:00 +0100

(Source: PharmaGossip)

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Advertising cigarettes - the best online gallery ever

PharmaGossip — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:50:00 +0100

http://lane.stanford.edu/tobacco/index.html (Source: PharmaGossip)

Pfizer - chantix: suicide watch

PharmaGossip — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:26:00 +0100

200+ lawsuits (Source: PharmaGossip)

Sara benincasa rocks

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:55:00 +0100

Go see! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Insider loves the cubs

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:11:00 +0100

Still. (Source: PharmaGossip)

Pharma pac donations to mccain increasing faster than donations to obama

Pharma Marketing Blog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:36:00 +0100

Back in September, I noted that Pharma PAC contributions to Obama was growing faster than contributions to Obama (contributions to Obama grew by 6.1% between August and September, whereas contributions to McCain grew by 4.6% during the same period (see "Pharma Money Continues to Pour Into Obama's Coffers").Now, however, the pharma PACs seem to be trying to play catchup. For the period between September 29 and September 2, PAC contributions to McCain increased 14.1%, whereas contributions to Obama increased only 13.2%. That's not much of a differential, but it's a reversal of trend that may signal a shift toward McCain by pharma folk?Is Obama better for pharma? What do YOU think? Who do you intend to vote for?If you haven't given me your opinion on Obama vs. McCain yet, please take 2 minutes to respond to the survey, which you can find here. If you have already taken the survey and wish to change your response (especially if you were undecided before and have now made up your mind who to vote for), you can go back and change your response as long as you are using the same computer and have not deleted cookies.As always, you can remain anonymous or you can identify yourself if you wish to be quoted in a Pharma Marketing News article I plan to write for the October, 2008 issue. I keep all comments confidential and, if I quote someone, I always let them review it before publication. (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog)

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Who to vote for?

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:27:00 +0100

That one! (Source: PharmaGossip)

The erectile projectile: a new form of outdoor advertising

Pharma Marketing Blog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:37:00 +0100

"You don't tug on Superman's cape," says Jim Croce, and you don't mess around with Pfizer! That's a lesson some guys from West Babylon, NY (ie, Long Island) learned when they parked a missile emblazoned with the Viva Viagra logo in front of the Pfizer headquarters in NYC (see Pharmalot for the story about the lawsuit Pfizer has initiated against the West Babylon guys).The "guys from West Babylon" actually have a company called JetAngel, which intends to put logos on a number of different types of military ordinance. JetAngel's concept “takes the target marketing capabilities of mobile billboards and adds an experience for consumers to achieve the ultimate viewer captivation. It is a new, non-traditional outdoor medium that has no competition. We can capture the consumer’s attention and engage them one-on-one with an advertising message that has proven to provide a positive reaction.”The company's quaint website is chock full of images of military projectiles parked in a West Babylon backyard. But you won't find the Viva Viagra missile among them.Instead, I found this Levitra missile appropriately displayed attached to one of the guys (see image on left). Bayer, which markets Levitra, is no Superman in the pharmaceutical pantheon and that may explain the switcheroo. Or perhaps these guys are geniuses of word-of-mouth litigation marketing!JetAngel's "Corporate Offices"When I first saw this and other photos on the JetAngel website, I was sure the location was somewhere on Long Island, maybe even Brooklyn, NY, where I lived as a kid. West Babylon is not that far off.Just for fun, I located JetAngel's "Corporate Offices" using Google Earth and just as I suspected, it is located in a middle-class suburban residential neighborhood.I wonder what JetAngel's neighbors think of all the missiles and other projectiles parked next door? The guys from West Babylon may have many more lawsuits to contend with before they make any money from their "new, non-traditional outdoor medium that has no competition."Sung to the tune of "You Don't Mess Around With Jim":Uptown got its hustlersBowery got its bumsAnd 42nd street got big Pfizer PharmaIt's a pill poppin' son of a gunYa, it's big and dumb as a drug company can comeBut stronger than a suburban backhoeAnd when the bad marketing folks all get together at nightYou know they all call big Pfizer's ceo, just because, and they sayYou don't tug on Superman's capeYou don't spit into the windYou don't pull the mask off the old Lone RangerAnd you don't mess around with Pfizer, da do da do...Well out of West Babyon come a suburban guyHe said, "I'm looking for a company named PfizerI am a pill poppin' ad boy, my name is JetAngel, the real OOH McCoyAnd I'm looking for the king of 42nd streetLast week he took all my mom's money, and it may sound funnyBut I've come to get her money back in advertising," and everybody said, Jack, don't you knowYou don't tug on Superman's capeYou don't spit into the windYou don't pull the mask off the old Lone RangerAnd you don't mess around with Pfizer, da do da do...Well a hush fell over pharma landWhen big Pfizer come boppin' off 42nd streetAnd when the cuttin' was doneThe only part that wasn't bloody was the soles of JetAngel's feetAnd you better believe they did NOT sing a different kind of storyWhen JetAngel hit the floorYou don't tug on Superman's capeYou don't spit into the windYou don't pull the mask off the old Lone RangerAnd you don't mess around with Pfizer, da do da do...(I changed the outcome -- the "Big Guy" wins, as in real life.) (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog)

Cleaning the stables - words don't move sh*t

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:24:00 +0100

The pharmaceutical industry is addressing the need to develop a “more mature” relationship with doctors, but the medical profession has so far failed to do so, even though many doctors have abused industry hospitality, a meeting in London has heard.The General Medical Council (GMC) – the registration body for doctors in the UK - must take more of a lead against such wrongdoing by doctors, according to Dr Des Spence, a general practitioner (GP) who works with No Free Lunch, a group which is highly critical of pharmaceutical industry promotion.Dr Spence, who was speaking at a debate held in London last week to mark the 50th anniversary of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)’s Code of Practice for the industry, said that the key issues of inappropriate behaviour by companies relate to hospitality, not promotion materials, and that the problem with the Code now is a lack of policing and implementation.One improvement could be the introduction of spot checks on pharmaceutical reps’ activities, he suggested.William Harbage QC, chairman of the Appeal Board of the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) - which administers the Code at arm’s length from the ABPI – agreed that awareness is key. “If industry reps are doing something they shouldn’t, there will be someone at the receiving end,” he pointed out.But Mr Harbage disagreed with suggestions that companies should be fined for serious breaches of the Code. Financial Times journalist Andrew Jack had told the debate that the bad publicity arising from such wrongdoing causes internal turmoil at companies, but that the ultimate sanction is money. Mr Harbage stressed that the public aspect does hurt – no company wants to see its name hauled through the mud, and jobs, appraisals and bonuses are all at stake.Moreover, there are serious issues of practicality; for example, how big should such fines be?“You’d have to go a long way up to hurt Big Pharma,” he warned, adding that companies would counter the threat by bringing in teams of lawyers and the result would be full-scale civil litigation.Self-regulation, on the other hand, deals with these issues speedily – certainly by the standards of the law courts – and it seems to be working. It “has teeth with naming and shaming,” and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) can step in if an individual act of wrongdoing is covered by the Medicines Act rather than the Code, said Mr Harbage, who emphasised: “these things are well worth holding onto.”Dr June Raine, director of the Vigilance and Risk Management Division of the MHRA, said that she would not rule out the introduction of fines for breaches of the Code, but these must be proportionate and not “telephone numbers.” Regulatory oversight is now focusing more on public health issues, such as new medicines coming to market, she said, and reminded the debate that the Agency has powers to bring criminal actions. “The statutory nature of this is that we are at the ready,” she said.APBI president Chris Brinsmead said the Association is proud of the Code, whose requirements are stricter than the law’s, and he forecast that it will continue to evolve over the next 10 years. And at that time, added Dr Raine: “the regulator will still be there, with niftily-applied teeth.”-The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) working party convened in September 2007 to examine relationships between doctors and the industry was due to present its findings by the end of this year. However, a RCP spokesman told PharmaTimes that the group’s report is not now expected before next February.By Lynne TaylorPharmaTimes (Source: PharmaGossip)

Lilly - zyprexa: attention future drug rep whistleblowers

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:47:00 +0100

Here are the details of Lilly's recent, ahem, little problem with 33 DAs.It gives us lots of information, including a "shopping list" of things that are a no -no:The consent judgment, also filed today in Suffolk Superior Court, contains comprehensive injunctive terms that will prohibit Eli Lilly from unfair and deceptive promotion of Zyprexa. The terms, which will remain in effect for six years, also prohibit the following:- misuse of grants and Continuing Medical Education (CME) to market Zyprexa;- inappropriate and conflict-creating payments to consultants and speakers to discuss off-label uses;- samples of Zyprexa for off-label use;- and false and misleading use of scientific data. So, every Lilly drug rep now knows what they could blow the whistle on ( and earn megabucks - like Bruce Boise) ! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Emerging markets - big pharma's great white hope

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:17:00 +0100

Watch Fred Hassan. Now read this.LOL (Source: PharmaGossip)

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Pfizer - neurontin: file under "dirty tricks"

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:54:00 +0100

Anyone know more about the people named in red?Pfizer tried to suppress medical studies that reached unfavorable conclusions about the effectiveness of the company's epilepsy drug Neurontin, internal Pfizer documents submitted in a lawsuit against the company showed.The documents suggest that Pfizer's marketers influenced Neurontin's scientific record to boost sales at least until 2003 by delaying the publication or altering the conclusions of studies that had found no evidence the drug worked for various conditions besides epilepsy.The documents, including reports by experts who reviewed thousands of company documents for plaintiffs, were submitted to the U.S. District Court in Boston.In the case of the European study, called 224, the full findings were never published as a stand-alone paper; data from the study were pooled into results from several other Pfizer studies and published in a minor journal in 2003."We must delay publication of 224, as its results were not positive," wrote Pfizer marketing executive John Marino in a September 2000 e-mail to Angela Crespo, senior manager of major markets for Neurontin.Later that month, Michael Rowbotham, Neurontin team leader, e-mailed Crespo about the problem of Dr. John Reckless, an investigator on the study who was pressing Pfizer to publish the results for ethical reasons. Along with delaying publication for as long as possible "it will be more important how WE write up the study," Rowbotham wrote. "We are not allowing him to write it up himself."More at The GlobeAlso - Stephanie Saul at the NYT covers the story (Source: PharmaGossip)

Watch 5 mccain myths

PharmaGossip — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:08:00 +0100

Here (Source: PharmaGossip)

Some good news

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:02:00 +0100

Embedded video from CNN VideoLess than a week after the federal government committed $85 billion to bail out AIG, executives of the giant AIG insurance company headed for a week-long retreat at a luxury resort and spa, the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, California, Congressional investigators revealed today....AIG documents obtained by Waxman's investigators show the company paid more than $440,000 for the retreat, including nearly $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 in spa charges."Less than one week after the taxpayers rescued AIG, company executives could be found wining and dining at one of the most exclusive resorts in the nation," said Waxman as he prepared to question AIG executives. (Source: PharmaGossip)

Ghetto mama

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:04:00 +0100

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com. (Source: PharmaGossip)

Well, it would work!

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:32:00 +0100

(Source: PharmaGossip)

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Pfizer rearrange the deckchairs into 3 groups

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:49:00 +0100

Pfizer is replacing its current geographic divisions with new ones focused on primary care, specialty care and operations in emerging markets.The new units, which will begin operating at the beginning of next year, will have complete responsibility for functions including strategic planning, sales and marketing, and even drug development process .More (Source: PharmaGossip)

Cramer says get out of the market

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:45:00 +0100

(Source: PharmaGossip)

Pfizer's new focus will usher in a golden age of pharma social media marketing

Pharma Marketing Blog — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:40:00 +0100

Pfizer recently decided to abandon its efforts to develop medicines for heart disease and focus instead on more-profitable areas, such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease.It was noted that this plan saves money because Pfizer could cut jobs in R&D and presumably buy the technology it needs from biotech startups.Also at stake, however, are traditional marketing and sales jobs.Here's how I see it.Pfizer's new focus is on biotech and other drugs that are complicated and need to be delivered or prescribed by specialists. There are fewer of these specialists than general practitioners, which means that fewer sales reps are necessary to sell to them. Also, institutional sales will become much more important. This takes advantage of the economy of scale -- fewer reps are needed to service an institution than a individual medical practices.Also, the number of patients for these treatments are measured in the hundreds of thousands versus tens of millions for patients taking anti-cholesterol pills -- the market is at least an order of magnitude smaller.Which means much less broadcast DTC (direct-to-consumer) advertising is justified. After all, why waste millions to reach thousands?All this is good news for non-traditional marketing; ie, targeted marketing, direct mail, and Internet-based marketing and especially social media marketing.Patients, caregivers, and physicians interested in specialty drugs for cancer and Alzheimer's disease are much more active online than are Lipitor patients and general practitioners. That's why I think Pfizer will usher in a golden age for pharma social media marketers!Discuss. First, however, you may wish to purchase the "Social Media Pharma Marketing" Supplement to Pharma Marketing News. Click here for more details -- including a table of contents and link for ordering the pdf file online. If you order it, use the discount code SMM444JM and get $17 knocked off the list price of $29.95! (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog)

Compare bush and mccain

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:58:00 +0100

In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot.Read this Rolling Stone piece - please! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Drug samples - just say no!

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0100

A new study suggests that free drug samples, an effective marketing tool for the drug industry, do little to help the poor and may put children’s health at risk.Researchers from Harvard medical school analyzed data from a federal survey, and found that in 2004 children in the lowest income group weren’t more likely than those in the highest group to get free samples — in part because poor children have less access to doctors overall. And uninsured children were more likely than those with insurance to get the samples.Free samples are often given for new drugs that have less of a proven safety record than older medicines, one of the study’s authors told the New York Times. And samples sometimes lack specific instructions for children.More (Source: PharmaGossip)

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What's coming up at the fda?

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:52:00 +0100

Click on image for largerMike Havrilla via Corey (Source: PharmaGossip)

Lilly - zyprexa: “the company’s deceptive marketing practices were illegal and highly dangerous,”

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:16:00 +0100

So says Lisa Madigan, the attorney general of Illinois.Eli Lilly has agreed to pay $62 million to 33 states to settle claims that it improperly marketed Zyprexa, its top-selling drug, to patients who did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, its only approved uses.The agreement may also be a sign that a much larger deal is near in a separate but related civil and criminal investigation led by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia. In that case, Lilly is expected to pay more than $1 billion in fines and restitution to states and the federal government and may also plead guilty to a misdemeanor criminal charge related to off-label marketing of Zyprexa.NYT (Source: PharmaGossip)

Quote

PharmaGossip — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:47:00 +0100

"Lenin is certainly right. There is no subtler or more severe means of overturning the existing basis of society (destroy capitalism) than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and it does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose."-- John Maynard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace. (Source: PharmaGossip)

As i predicted, drug samples under attack!

Pharma Marketing Blog — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:08:00 +0100

First it was direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, then free gifts to physicians, followed by pharma-funded continuing medical education (CME). Now the distribution of free Rx drug samples to physicians by pharmaceutical companies is being attacked by physicians and reported in main stream news media. I warned of this back in August 2008 (seems like ages ago!) in the post "What's Next: Ban Free Drug Samples?"As reported today in the New York Times (see "Study Says Drug Samples May Endanger Children"), "a new study suggests that free drug samples, an effective marketing tool for the drug industry, do little to help the poor and may put children’s health at risk." The study was done by a Harvard Medical School researcher who analyzed an in-depth survey conducted in 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.A previous study done by research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that "physicians are over three times more likely to prescribe generic medications to uninsured patients when drug samples are not available; however, patients with comprehensive drug coverage (Medicaid) received a high proportion of generic prescriptions regardless of sample availability." (See "Drug Samples: To those that have, it shall be given. The rest pay list price!")PhRMA is Silent -- How About You?Both these studies are bouncing around lesser media outlets and the Pharma Blogosphere, but so far I have not heard any official comments from the pharmaceutical industry (ie, PhRMA).I offer PhRMA and ALL readers of this blog and and my newsletter -- Pharma Marketing News -- a chance to sound off on issues relating to the distribution of free Rx drug samples by the pharmaceutical industry. You can do this by taking the Pharmaceutical Sampling Practices Survey, which asks if you agree or disagree with following statements:Samples encourage physicians and patients to rely on medications that are expensive, but often not more effective than other available drugs. Physicians value samples and are willing to spend time with sales representatives to get them. Samples serve PRIMARILY as an enticement to prescribe new, heavily marketed and generally more expensive medications. Distribution of samples to low-income or uninsured patients is of limited utility in reducing the burden of high drug costs for these patients. Considering the other limitations being placed on pharmaceutical sales reps -- eg, no free gifts to physicians -- samples are the BEST way for sales reps to gain access to physicians. Banning the distribution of free samples to doctors by pharmaceutical sales representatives will be detrimental to patients (eg, patients will be forced to fill a prescription for a drug that may not be tolerable or efficacious for them). Samples are an essential component of physician marketing and assure market share growth for the drug. That is, without free samples, it is less likely that doctors will prescribe the drug as a first choice.I also welcome your comments.Your comments are confidential (anonymous) unless you specifically provide your contact information at the end of the survey and allow us to attribute comments to you personally. (The results of this survey will be published in the November issue of Pharma Marketing News.After taking the survey, you will be able to review a de-identified summary of results.Please take the Pharmaceutical Sampling Practices Survey (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog)

Keating - a "must watch" for mccain supporters

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:27:00 +0100

This is the story that the media refuses to mention. With the economic meltdown that we are witnessing, shouldn't the media be reminding the American people that John McCain was involved in the Keating 5 scandal? The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB).During the investigation, McCain revealed he and his wife, Cindy, had not reimbursed Keating for thousands of dollars in flights on his company jet to the Bahamas. The McCains blamed each other, reported McCain biographer Robert Timberg, causing the first rift in their marriage.Then, The Arizona Republic published a report about an investment that Cindy McCain had made with her father in a shopping-mall project owned by a Keating company.In 1991, McCain, along with his four Democratic colleagues, was found guilty by the Senate Ethics Committee of using "poor judgment" for attending the meetings with regulators on Keating's behalf.http://www.keatingeconomics.com/ Hat tip: http://www.crooksandliars.com/ (Source: PharmaGossip)

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Genentech /osi - avastin + tarceva: clinical trials, ain't they a bitch?!

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:48:00 +0100

Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals have announced top line results from a phase III study evaluating the combination of Avastin and Tarceva as second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.The trial did not meet its primary endpoint. (Source: PharmaGossip)

Safety first

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:22:00 +0100

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published Drug Safety Update for October 2008 (PDF).This issue provides a safety update for ergot-derived dopamine agonists and antibiotics in premature labour. There is also a hot topic discussion regarding the risk of illicit use with decongestants and a stop press covering the narrow therapeutic index of theophylline and its potential for misuse.Hat tip: http://www.prescriber.org.uk/ (Source: PharmaGossip)

Desperate times call for desperate measures

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:18:00 +0100

http://www.shatnerhasselhoff.com/ (Source: PharmaGossip)

This years ig nobel prize for medicine

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:02:00 +0100

MEDICINE PRIZE. Dan Ariely of Duke University (USA), Rebecca L. Waber of MIT (USA), Baba Shiv of Stanford University (USA), and Ziv Carmon of INSEAD (Singapore) for demonstrating that high-priced fake medicine is more effective than low-priced fake medicine.REFERENCE: "Commercial Features of Placebo and Therapeutic Efficacy," Rebecca L. Waber; Baba Shiv; Ziv Carmon; Dan Ariely, Journal of the American Medical Association, March 5, 2008; 299: 1016-1017.Source (Source: PharmaGossip)

Health care journalists - problem or solution?

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:47:00 +0100

Medical research conflicts of interest are in the news lately, thanks to recent congressional hearings by Senator Charles Grassley.But are journalists part of the problem?A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that reporters for print and online media outlets failed 42 percent of the time to mention drug company funding of research cited in their stories. When asked, however, 88 percent of newspaper editors insisted that their publications "always or often" included funding information in their stories -- even though only 3 percent actually had a policy requiring such disclosure."If you're wondering about professional standards," comments Merrill Goozner, "the Association of Health Care Journalists lists reporting the financing of research and conflicts of interest of researchers as its number one guideline for health care reporters. This latest survey shows that the word has yet to filter down to the majority of reporters out there."The JAMA study also found that 67 percent of news stories mentioned the brand names of drugs rather than their generic names, further reinforcing pharmaceutical industry marketing campaigns. Once again, editors of the offending publications claimed that their reporting practices were better than they actually were, with 77 percent of editors insisting that they always or often reported only the generic names of medications.SourceInsider's view: Every profession has its good and bad! (Source: PharmaGossip)

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Lilly beat bms to imclone

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:19:00 +0100

ImClone has agreed to be acquired by Eli Lilly for about $6.1 billion, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the situation.More (Source: PharmaGossip)

Mccain and keating

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:27:00 +0100

http://www.keatingeconomics.com/ (Source: PharmaGossip)

Bi / pfizer - spiriva: clinical trials, ain't they a bitch!?

PharmaGossip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:57:00 +0100

Spiriva, marketed by Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim, offered no advantage over an inhaled placebo for moderate-to-very-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, researchers reported on Sunday.MoreAlso, remember this. Looks like Spiriva might be the next Vytorin - sales-wise! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Forest laboratories - values and transfer pricing

PharmaGossip — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:04:00 +0100

—Howard Solomon, Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerForest Laboratories, a US pharmaceutical firm, has channelled more than $2 billion in revenues through its Irish operation, making pre-tax profits of almost $810 million.The company paid corporation tax of just $22.3 million, the equivalent of 2.75 per cent. Forest Laboratories Holdings, an Irish-incorporated subsidiary of the New York listed company, sub-licenses the rights to manufacture drugs to other Forest subsidiaries.Revenues at the Irish firm rose by $500million to $2.1 billion in the 12months to the end of March, and pre-tax profits rose by $174 million to $809.4 million. At the end of March, the company had accumulated profits of more than $2.4 billion. At the Irish corporation tax rate of 12.5 per cent, Forest would have been liable for more than $101 million in corporation tax for the financial year.However, its accounts show a deduction of $76 million for ‘‘income not subject to Irish tax’’ and other reductions, including a $4.7 million adjustment for manufacturing relief.Forest Laboratories has acknowledged using Ireland to reduce its tax bill. In its annual report, filed with the US Securities & Exchange Commission, the firm said its overall tax rate for the year was 20 per cent, compared with the US rate of 35 per cent.‘‘A portion of our earnings is taxed at more favourable rates applicable to the activities undertaken by our subsidiaries based or incorporated in the Republic of Ireland,” it said. However, the company said its transfer pricing between intergroup companies ‘‘is the subject of an ongoing audit by the Internal Revenue Service’’ in the US.‘‘Changes in tax laws or in their application or interpretation, such as to the transfer pricing between Forest’s non-US operations and the US, could increase our effective tax rate and negatively affect our results of operations,” it said.More (Source: PharmaGossip)

Well - it is sunday!

PharmaGossip — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:32:00 +0100

Religion - LOL.Bill on The View:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dkfPZnyMaEYhttp://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nCrPWWqNl1I (Source: PharmaGossip)

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Let the subshine in

PharmaGossip — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:14:00 +0100

Go Chuck go! (Source: PharmaGossip)

Charles "king of bling" nemeroff - leader of the pharma psych crew

PharmaGossip — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:41:00 +0100

Back stories here and here.But now - meet the new "King of Bling"! Emory's very own Chuck Nemeroff.David Armstrong of the Wall Street Journal and Gardiner Harris of the New York Times broke the story.According to the Times, Nemeroff "earned more than $2.8 million in consulting arrangements with drug makers between 2000 and 2007 but failed to report at least $1.2 million of this income to his university.Let's hope he did a better job reporting it all to the IRS!Hat tips: ClinPsych and Dan Carlat (Source: PharmaGossip)

Late nite jokers

PharmaGossip — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:14:00 +0100

(Source: PharmaGossip)

The greed game

PharmaGossip — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:26:00 +0100

(Source: PharmaGossip)