2004

The FDA just played the terrorist trump card in its battle against the legalization of the reimportation of drugs.

If the trend [in ED drug advertising] continues, lawmakers-some of whom already are gunning for DTC-are sure to take notice. In my opinion, ED product marketers should declare a moratorium on this ad 'shoot out' before it is too late. It's not doing anything to prove the argument that DTC is educational and it certainly is not sending the right message to the FDA, which just recently issued new guidances applauding the benefits of DTC advertising.

This article summarizes the results of a recent Pharma Marketing News Survey on this topic.

The typical pharma industry responses to criticism about rising drug prices may make economic sense, but they do not resonant with consumers' perceptions and emotions. In fact, sometimes it seems more like a slap in the face than a consoling pat on the back.

So, the economy sucks and there's less low hanging fruit to go after. That's life. In order to deal with the hand we've been dealt and get our share of the available crumbs out there, we really can't afford to have marketing that sucks. We have to engage in some extreme marketing

A shifting, global regulatory environment, complex consumer behavior, and unpredictable competitive response all contribute to the complexity of the Rx to OTC switch decision. An effective strategy for maximizing the profitability of a switch begins prior to even Rx approval. The optimal timing of the actual switch may not always coincide with the end of patent protection, bottoming Rx sales, or loss of competitive advantage. Multivariate models are now available to help pharmaceutical mar-keters develop more preemptive strategies for switching.

This article documents the effect of the withdrawal of Vioxx and other COX-2 revelations on physicians' prescribing behavior using data from ImpactRx. Also included are results from a recent survey we conducted of Pharma Marketing News susbcribers regarding the wisdom of Pfizer's decision to test Celebrex to see if it is able to prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients with serious cardiovascular disease.

Whatever your opinion of the CAN-SPAM law and blacklists, a bright light is now focused on the spam e-mail problem. As usual, those e-mail marketers who want to obey the law have to jump through new hoops and change their business practices. Meanwhile, the real spammers will no doubt continue to outfox the regulatory agencies, attorneys general, and the ISPs and continue to spew spam at will.

Dear Reader, Welcome to the archive of the July/August, 2004 issue Pharma Marketing News. Vol. 3, No. 7: July/August 2004 - CONTENTS...

This article focuses on what marketers need to do to face the tough 2004 DTC environment. It summarizes a presentation made by Robert Ehrlich, CEO, DTC Perspectives Inc. at the Achieving DTC Success Conference in October, 2003. Ehrlich talked about TV ad creativity, government regulations, the issue of brand retention, DTC ROI, and the challenges of a consumer-centric approach.