Vermont monitors marketing to physicians

A new law going into effect on July 1 in Vermont will make drug and device makers disclose the amount of money given to all physicians and healthcare providers. The laws will be the most stringent imposed by a state. This will in effect allow all citizens of the state to view what the doctors are paid by the drug makers.

In practice, the new law would let Vermonters learn each year which doctors have been paid, and how much, by the makers of the brand-name drugs for which they wrote prescriptions — or how much money certain surgeons have received from the makers of the stents, pacemakers, artificial knees and such that the doctors implanted.

Read the full article here.

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US wants to paint the world white to save energy

According to Yahoo.com, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday the Obama administration wanted to paint roofs an energy-reflecting white, as he took part in a climate change symposium in London. For people who found white hard on the eye, scientists had also developed "cool colours" which looked to the human eye like normal ones, but reflect heat like pale colours even if they are darker shades.

And painting cars in cool or light colours could deliver considerable savings on energy use for air conditioning units, he said.


The Green Pharma Summit is about how Pharma is going green. Pharmaceutical companies are discovering that going green is not just for altruistic reasons, but that going green actually has benefits to the bottom line. Going green saves and makes money. If you'd like to network with other professionals who are working in the Green Pharma field, join our Green Pharma LinkedIn Group!

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14th Annual Drug Delivery Partnerships Event Survey and Official Call for Presenters

14th Annual Drug Delivery Partnerships Event Survey and Official Call for Presenters
The 14th Annual Drug Delivery Partnerships event development is currently underway, and the planning committee wants to ensure that we develop an event which fully addresses your needs, concerns, and business opportunities.
First of all, please take the time to complete this short survey telling us what you want to learn and who you want to meet at next year's event-


Second, if you have first-hand perspectives, insights or case studies to share, your peers want to hear about it. Join the DDP 2010 speaking faculty to share your story and position your organization as a drug delivery leader.
We plan to focus on the following areas in 2010:

· Strategic Business Development Strategies
· Life Cycle Management & Product Development
· Partnering for Innovation & Forming R&D Alliances
· The Latest Innovative Drug Delivery Technology to Fuel Deals~
· Drug Device/Medical Device Products
· Venture Capital Perspective
· Globalization
· Patient Adherence

For consideration, please e-mail tcarle@iirusa.com or call 646 895-7341 with the following information no later than Friday, July 10th, 2009.

· Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
· Contact information including address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail
· Title and objective of presentation
· Please indicate which of the topics you plan to address. If it is the latest tools and techniques please indicate what is NEW about them. (Please indicate the topic area if it is a workshop and indicate how you plan to create an interactive session)

· Summary of the talk
· What the audience will gain from your presentation (please list 3-5 key “take aways”)
*Sessions are 30-45 minutes including Q&A.
Speakers receive FREE admission to the conference as well as any pre-conference activity such as workshops or symposium.

The 14th Annual Drug Delivery Partnerships event has a limited number of slots available for solution providers/consultants/vendors. There are opportunities available for organizations to join the event by sponsoring or exhibiting. We tailor our sponsorships to the individual requirements of your unique organization. To find out how we can work with you to raise your profile and help you maximize business at this MUST-ATTEND event, contact Beth George at 415 945-9044, or email: bgeorge@iirusa.com. If you are interested in exhibiting, please contact Michael Vidoni at 646 895-7479, or email: mvidoni@iirusa.com.

Mention to them you heard about it through this LinkedIn group!

To learn more about the Drug Deliver Partnerships event visit our LinkedIn group and start networking today!

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Full Disclosure of Payments to Physicians Might Soon be a Reality

According to this article in Courant.com lawmakers are considering legislation that will require health care providers to disclose any gifts or payments that are made to providers that exceed $1,000. There is a national debate on this topic and many advocates claim that gifts, no matter how small, can influence a doctor to prescribe more costly drugs instead of generics. Dr. Stephen R. Smith, a New London physician, mentions, "Patients need to know that their doctors are writing prescriptions based on the best scientific evidence and in the patient's best interests, and not because of pressure from drug companies."

Do you think that recognition of a financial relationship between health care providers and physicians are necessary?

If you're interested in networking with other professionals who market to physicians, join us in these groups:
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Biogen Idec lobbying for approval process for biosimilars

According to Forbes, Biogen Idec has spent over $290,000 lobbying for an approval process from the federal government for biogenerics. There is currently only an approval process to approve generic versions of chemical based drugs.

According to the article: The generic drug industry has put its support behind bills calling for about five years of market exclusivity for biotech drugs before competition can be introduced in the market. The biotech industry has been supporting proposals for up to 14 years of competition-free sales. Both sides are at odds over how much time it takes for companies to recoup development costs and make a profit.

Read the full article here.

If you're interested in networking with other professionals in the field of Biosimilars, join our LinkedIn Group here.

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Which Country Ranks Highest In Biotech Innovation?

A recent report issued by Scientific American, "Scientific American Worldview: A Global Biotechnology Perspective"ranked the countries with the highest level of biotech innovation. Medical News Today reports that "overall, the US had the highest final score, it did not come out on top for all five benchmarks: intellectual property, enterprise support, the intensity of a country's biotech activities, education/workforce, and infrastructure." The report continues, "although the US came out on top in intellectual property protections, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the UK weren't too far behind. The small country of Denmark, however, leads the world in the number of biotech patents per member of the population."

How can countries continue to spur innovation within the biotech industry?

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Green Pharma Summit: Who you're going to hear from

Who is going to be at this year's Green Pharma Summit?

Over 20 Leading Pharmaceutical and Industry sustainability experts providing you with green strategies and tools that you can implement immediately upon your return:

Pharma/Biotech
• Michael Whaley, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Allergan
• Ann Lee-Jeffs, Manager, Worldwide Environmental Affairs, Johnson & Johnson
• Ingrid Mergelsberg, PhD, Director, Chemical and Physical Sciences (Chemical Development), Schering -Plough Research Institute
• Concepcion Jimenez-Gonzalez, PhD, Director, Operational Sustainability, GlaxoSmithKline
• Peter Dunn, PhD, Green Chemistry Team Leader, Pfizer
• Marcus Chung, MBA, Director, Corporate Citizenship, McKesson Corporation
• James Hagan, Vice President, Corporate Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, GlaxoSmithKline
• Norman Goldschmidt, Principal, Pharma Engineering Advisors, and Former Sr. Director of Global Engineering & Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Government
• Chen Wen, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxics, US Environmental Protection Agency
• Åke Wennmalm, MD, PhD, Professor, Environmental Director, Stockholm County Council
• Michael Gonzalez, National Risk Management Research Lab, US Environmental Protection Agency
• Walt Tunnessen, National Program Director for the EPA Energy Star® Program, US Environmental Protection Agency

Academia
• Terrence J. Collins, PhD, Thomas Lord Professor of Chemistry, Director, Institute for Green Science, Carnegie Mellon University
• William Trombetta, Professor of Marketing, St. Joseph’s University

Enviromental Guru Keynote
• Kim Carlson, Founder, Earthsmart Consumer and author of Green Your Work: Boost Your Bottom Line While Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

The Green Pharma Summit is about how Pharma is going green. Pharmaceutical companies are discovering that going green is not just for altruistic reasons, but that going green actually has benefits to the bottom line. Going green saves and makes money. If you'd like to network with other professionals who are working in the Green Pharma field, join our Green Pharma LinkedIn Group!

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Pfizer Program Means Free Meds, Even Viagra, For Many Jobless

The main circumstance through which a consumer becomes eligible for Pfizer's new "free drug" assistance program is one to avoid. Nonetheless, the program's benefits are sure to be welcomed by the unemployed who are able to take advantage.

Eligibility requirements of the new program include:

• Loss of employment since January 1, 2009



• Prescribed and taking a Pfizer medicine for at least 3 months prior to becoming unemployed and enrolling in the program



• Lack of prescription drug coverage



• Can attest to loss of employment/loss of insurance



• Must fill out application and provide needed documentation

The good news is that there is no limit to previous income before the consumer is laid off. And, more than 70 medications will be covered through the program. Interestingly enough, the program includes Viagra. It does not include many expensive treatments, for cancer, for example.

The program will be fully operational on July 1, 2009 and will be open for enrollment through Dec. 31, 2009. Qualified consumers and their families can take advantage of free treatment for up to one year, or until they become reinsured.

The Wall Street Journal ran a blog item on Pfizer's new program. This informative entry also includes examples of other companies who are providing benefits to consumers who lose their jobs.

Nearly 46 million Americans lack health insurance coverage, and that number is increasing as unemployment rates reach their highest levels in 25 years.

Brian Bujdos
AccessRx.com

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Should Pharma readjust its marketing dollars?

A recent article at Fierce Biopharma looks at a report issued by the IMS that states even though Pharma has taken major steps and eliminated many of their sales reps, a lot still needs to be changed when it comes to Pharma marketing. The recent analysis stated that there needs to be $15 billion overhaul in promotional spending. New focuses for the drug marketing should be placed on drug-budget plans and how to be more cost effective when it comes to marketing. Read the full article here.

How can you re-adjust to be more cost effective when marketing to doctors? The MDRx: Physician Relationship Management Conference will help you navagate some of the new paths Pharma companies are taking:

· Gain insight into how physicians are trained, work and think to improve sales teams interactions
· Work in executive-led think tanks to develop key physician relationship strategies
· Improve satisfaction with your brand by optimizing your physician channel mix
· Better understand and responsibly adapt to the changing regulatory landscape
· Create customized education initiatives tailored to today’s physician
· Engage effectively and compliantly in social media initiatives

If you're interested in networking with other professionals who market to physicians, join us in these groups:
Join MDRX on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1811679
Follow MDRX on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mktg2docs

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Making the Business Case for Improving your Comparator Studies

The globalization of clinical trials has arrived. As you know, the increasing use of comparator studies means that you’re playing by a new set of rules. At this critical junction, you can either evolve in 2009 to stay ahead of the curve or choose to play catch-up and try to deal with the challenges as they arise.

We hope you join us this July at the Global Congress on Comparator Studies in Philadelphia. Meet with visionaries from Merck, Wyeth, Schering Plough Corporation, Bernstein CMCRegulatory Consulting, GlaxoSmithKline and Allergan, among many other participating companies.


www.comparatorstudies.com.

Now available for download! Click here to view.
• Evolution of a Sourcing Strategy for a Midsize Specialty Pharmaco
Fredrick L. Naids, Ph.D., Senior Strategic Sourcing Director, Clinical R&D
• Supplier Identificationand SelectionCatie Cleary, Biogen Idec

Register by May 22 to save $400 off registration!

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Zero discharge policy can earn Pharma a few dollars

Recently in the Business Standard, B Krishna Mohan wrote about how some companies are taking their waste and selling it for profit. Waste discharged while making Pharmaceuticals can be turned around and used as raw materials in other industries, which can often be purchased at up to a 50% discount. Some companies have even gone as far as to call for a zero-discharge policy, which eliminates all liquid discharge.

Virchow Laboratories sells sodium sulphate, gypsum, solvents and flyash generated at the company’s Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam bulk drug manufacturing units. While sodium sulphate is the raw material for the soap and detergent industry, gypsum finds use in the cement industry and solvents are the key raw materials for the paint industry. The fly-ash is used for making bricks, says Virchow chairman M Narayana Reddy.

Read the full article here. If you're interested in networking with other professionals who are interested in Green Pharma, join our Green Pharma LinkedIn group and Follow us on Twitter!

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Swine Flu Vaccination Meeting at World Health Organization

The AP reports that that vaccine makers and others met at the World Health Organization to discuss the current situation and production of vaccinations that will prevent the swine flu. There are already vaccinations being made, but there are other questions that have to be answered about the vaccine: How much should be produced? How will it be distributed? Who should get it?

Although many questions are still left unanswered, and reasons officials believe that they should continue on with the development of the vaccine as stated by David Fedson, a vaccines expert and former professor of medicine at the University of Virginia. "It's a foregone conclusion, if we don't invest in an H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, then possibly we could have a reappearance of this virus in a mild, moderate, or catastrophic form and we would have absolutely nothing."

To connect with more professionals in the Vaccines field, join our Vaccines Development Forum Group on LinkedIn or join us in Boston September 23-25 for the Vaccines Development Forum.

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New biorepository for Laboratory Corp of America

The Charlotte Business Journal is reporting that the Laboratory Corp of America is moving to a new biorepository in Kannapolis, North Carolina. This new biorepository will be one of the largest in the world with over 40,000 square feet. Read more here.

If you're interested in networking with other professinals in the biorepository field, join us here at the Biorepositories LinkedIn Group!

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Is Cost Containment Impacting Pharmaceutical Innovation?

By: Dr. Sandra Reynolds, Datamonitor senior pharmaceutical analyst and report author

With the costs of providing healthcare spiraling, governments and payers across the seven major markets are implementing cost-cutting initiatives in an effort to combat these escalating healthcare costs, which in turn is putting even greater pressure on pharma companies. Recently the National institute of clinical excellence (NICE) in the UK reject four new kidney cancer therapies on the basis of cost effectiveness. This decision effectively denies patients access to these novel drugs, a decision that has angered healthcare professional and patients alike.

In addition to pharmaceutical companies being under pressure due to the credit crunch, ever fewer novel products are coming to market, contributing to the declining return on investment. With the cost-effectiveness of a product at the top of the agenda for payers, pharmaceutical companies need to focus upon developing truly novel drugs if they wish to achieve a premium price and strong reimbursement position. However, according to independent market analyst Datamonitor senior pharmaceutical analyst Dr. Sandra Reynolds: ”This also comes at a risk in an increasingly safety-conscious era, leaving Pharma in a difficult-to-win situation,” she says.

Rising global healthcare costs putting pressure on governments and payers

Global healthcare costs are rising due to increasing ageing populations and poor lifestyle choices – particularly in western markets – combined with a lack of or insufficient existing cost-saving initiatives. Consequently, governments and payers across the seven major markets are implementing numerous healthcare cost-containment policies. With Pharma experiencing declining returns on investment, the ability to make a profit will become increasingly difficult if innovative drugs are not launched in the near future.

The innovation capacity of the pharmaceutical industry is determined, to a great extent, by the external environment. Consequently, pharmaceutical innovation is likely to suffer in Europe and Japan, partly due to increasing government barriers in gaining access to reimbursement lists. Government’s push for greater use of generic drugs will also increase the pressure on Pharma and ultimately on its ability to be innovative.

With that said it is entirely understandable why governments push for generic substitution and Pharma to an extent recognize this. However, there is an onus on Pharma to respond to the reality of global healthcare costs and adjust. Streamlining its R&D efforts and making strategic pipeline decisions early on in the development process will become vital, Dr. Reynolds says. “New drugs must show ‘value for money’ in terms of therapeutic outcomes and the companies that develop them must be able to demonstrate their efficacy if they want to receive favourable reimbursement.”

The US P&R system – generally regarded as relatively lavish-spending by international standards – has also become more cost conscious due to rising healthcare costs, which in turn are driving up insurance premiums. Insurance firms are beginning to seek better deals on prescription drugs from pharmaceutical companies, so to avoid raising insurance premiums further in a country that is in an economic recession, Dr. Reynolds says. “Large enrollment numbers in the Medicare Part D drug program has also increased costs with the Federal government reacting by looking to negotiate drug prices with the Pharma industry to reduce healthcare expenditure.”

P&R controls will become more stringent globally with introduction of value based pricing

In Europe healthcare systems are outdated, financially inefficient and in need of modernization. Remedying this situation is a long-term and hugely expensive process, so focusing on cutting costs on prescription drugs is a quick win. However, in the long-term this could be damaging to the development of new innovative drugs by pharmaceutical companies. The way forward for Pharma will be the implementation of assessments of cost-effectiveness that demonstrate value for money in their products, Dr. Reynolds says. “In addition, strong differentiation from competitor products will be essential in order to achieve reimbursement status and a return on investment.

“The industry must, therefore, adapt its R&D strategy and incorporate pharmacoeconomics early on in the drug development process,” she says.

With the UK’s National Institute of Clinical Evidence (NICE) evidence-based pricing strategy, gaining reimbursement for new medicines has become increasingly challenging and frustrating for pharmaceutical companies. Even when NICE approves a drug there is no guarantee it will reach patients if the National Health Service fails to implement its use due to its high cost, even if it is below the set limit of £30,000 ($60,000), as the limited funding of Primary Care Trusts means they cannot afford it.

Evidenced-based pricing is becoming an attractive P&R tool in other healthcare markets. Germany has also introduced a cost-benefit assessment for new and approved drugs in its equivalent of NICE. This will be carried out by the Institute for Quality and Economic Efficiency (Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen). If a drug fails to make it onto the reference pricing system due to a negative review, the GKVs (Germanys public health insurance funds) will more than likely not receive reimbursement. In the US where prescription drug sales have increased from $216.7 billion in 2006 to $274.9 billion in 2007, there has also been mention of setting up a comparative effectiveness board as the current director of the Congressional Budget Office believes that at present less than 50% of all medical care is supported by evidence of effectiveness, Dr. Reynolds says. “As such, leading health economists in 2007 called for the Comparative Effectiveness Board to review the cost-effectiveness of current medication, in the same way that NICE does in the UK.

“This means Pharma will have to work much harder at the differentiation of their respective products from competitors and demonstrating health benefits/outcomes if it is to succeed in securing reimbursement, and potentially their own financial future,” she says.

Related research

Pricing & Reimbursement - Seven Major Markets Update

Valuing Pharmaceutical Innovation: Pricing and reimbursement for innovative therapies

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Jenny McCarthy vs Autism and its effects on the public

Arthur Allen, keynote speaker at this year's Vaccines Development Forum, had a recent article published on Slate addressing celebrity influence on the health of our nation when it comes to vaccines. Even though there has been an abundance of information that proves that there is no connection between the vaccine and the disease, including a federal court statement believing the same thing, Jenny McCarthy continues to spread the information to the public about MMR vaccines resulting in Autism. McCarthy recently signed a business deal with Oprah pertaining to the topic, which will start with a blog, but will probably continue on to talk shows and beyond.

Allen points out that behavior like this is harmful to the American public. The American public has come to accept receiving information from celebrities, even though they may not be experts on the subject. Through this misinformation, the American public could see dangerous diseases come back into play that are a direct result of parents not having their children vaccinated. What should be done about situations like this? How do we assure that the public is receiving the right information from the right sources about vaccines?

If you're interested in connecting with other professionals in Vaccine Development, join our Vaccines Development Forum LinkedIn Group, and join us in Boston this September for the Forum. Find out more here.

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What are companies doing to make Pharma greener?

The pharmaceutical sector is working hard to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices that offer measurable improvements without sacrificing the bottom-line. As more and more environmental health and sustainability professionals turn their attention to green initiatives, the c-suite is looking to these programs to deliver measurable value with quantifiable impact.

At the Green Pharma Summit, learn how…
* Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline adopted successful greening strategies to engage all departments
* Pfizer implemented a company-wide Green Chemistry Team to substantially reduce waste throughout their manufacturing and chemical development processes
* Allergan earned the US EPA Energy Star® Partner of the Year Award by implementing Green R&D and manufacturing practices for energy efficiencies and cost savings
* Schering-Plough influences smart solvent and reagent choices by implementing solvent selection guides to encourage Green decisions from the start

To network with other professionals in the Green Pharma field, we invite you to join our LinkedIn group here.

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Gates Foundations supporting innovation in medical research

There are 81 unusual projects in the medical world receiving a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They will be focusing on new and innovative ways to focus on preventing and treating infectious diseases. The 81 projects received a grant of $100,000 in five-year health research grants.

Some of the projects:

The foundation said grant recipient Eric Lam at Rutgers University in New Jersey is exploring tomatoes as a antiviral drug delivery system.

Researchers at the University of Exeter in Devon, England, will seek to build an inexpensive instrument to diagnose malaria by using magnets to detect the waste products of the malaria parasite in human blood.

Mei Wu at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School will be getting a grant to see if shooting a laser at a person's skin before administering a vaccine can enhance immune response.

And Thomas Baker at Pennsylvania State University wants to see if malaria-carrying mosquitoes can be infected with a fungus that would act like a cold, suppressing the sense of smell that they use to find people as sources of blood.

Source: Yahoo!

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IOM speaks out on doctors fees and gifts

The Wall Street Journal Medical blog reported last week that the Institute of Medicine has made a statement about the conflicts of interest in medical practices, education and research.

Even though there is no hard evidence that suggests an influence when it comes to industry payments and gifts to doctors, they've still made suggestions that are strict in nature. They suggested:

• That doctors should refuse all fees and gifts offered to them
• There should be a public website established to disclose all industry payments that are made.

Read the full story here. What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel that doctors are influenced by the gifts and payments they receive from companies?

If you're interested in networking with other professionals who market to physicians, join us in these groups:
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