Does the FDA Need to be Overhauled?
The Vioxx withdrawal put the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the spotlight. There were allegations that the FDA was in cahoots with Merck in keeping Vioxx problems under wraps (see,...
Drug Prices, Declining Profits Top Pharma Concern
The Pharma Marketing News 2005 HOT ISSUE Survey reveals some insight into the issues of most concern to pharmaceutical marketers in 2005. At the top of the list are drug prices...
ED Drug Sales Limp
The Wall Street Journal reports today that all is not well in the impotence-drug market.
"The growth since the competition came to the market has been modest and below expectations for the...
The End of DTC as We Know It
During the presidential election campaign of 2004, several pharma industry trade publications suggested that if Kerry/Edwards won the election, DTC (Direct to Consumer) ads for drugs would be banned. To be...
Canada: Mad Cows Yes, Drugs No!
Canadian health officials are drafting a proposal that could halt Internet sales of prescription drugs to U.S. consumers, which could "essentially kill" a $700 million industry, the AP/Washington Post reports (see...
The Pharma Industry Has Issues in 2005
In his excellent article, What Merck has to do to remain an independent drug maker, business writer Donald Johnson lists the following 10 scientific, political, financial, and marketing issues facing Merck...
Who Should Pay for Merck’s Obstructionism?
When public corporations break the law or act deceptively, it is often the small investor who pays the price. This was clearly evident in the case of Enron. In that case,...
Cox-2’s Die Hard: With a Vengeance
When Vioxx was first pulled off the market, I suggested that this would lead to what I termed a "Me-Too Drug Domino Effect" in which other drugs in the COX-2 class...
Drug Companies Give Aid to Tsunami Victims
Drug companies are among the biggest givers of aid to tsunami victims.
Pfizer will donate $10 million to local and international relief organizations operating in the region. Pfizer will contribute approximately...
