Pharma Marketing Network

Featured Conference Field-Based Dissemination of Scientific Information May 13-14, 2004 * Philadelphia, PA...

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.

The PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, which became effective in July 2002, affirms that a sales rep's primary function is to educate and inform doctors. In pursuit of this function, certain activities are supposed to be forbidden. However, there may be some differences among pharmaceutical companies regarding the interpretation of the Code and how it is applied in practice. Pharma Marketing News hosted a survey of its subscribers and visitors to the Pharma Marketing Network Web site about this issue.

Pharmaceutical advertising was historically directed toward health care professionals and mainly communicated through medical journals. Rigorous research is needed to evaluate and determine the most effective format for communicating benefit and risk information to consumers. New standards for drug advertising to consumers should be grounded in data derived from this type of research.

In a world crowded with many similar competing consumer goods, the most successful companies have been those who control the marketing, sales AND distribution systems. Government intervention, complex reimbursement systems and numerous intermediaries, however, handicap the pharma industry, which is a long way behind Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in terms of product branding.

This article summarizes a presentation made by Lynne Brookes, Vice President, US Marketing, Cephalon Inc. at EyeforPharma's Successful Product Branding in Pharma conference in London, UK on 23 March 2004 in which she discussed the marketing strategies behind Gabitril and Actiq.

As US pharmaceutical companies search for best practices to battle patient drop-off, their European counterparts have overcome Byzantine regulations and reduced margins to implement strikingly effective compliance programs.

Yahoo's record earnings and Google's IPO announcement are hot financial stories, but they also herald an important trend that is changing the way marketers think about the interactive channel. Search Engine Marketing, also known as SEM or Search, is one of the fastest-growing e-marketing strategies today.

Vol. 3, No. 5: May 2004 - CONTENTS Up Front Pushing the Envelope is Bad for DTC ...

Featured Conference 2nd Annual Aligning Medical Affairs and Marketing Optimal Drug Promotion Through Innovation and Collaboration ...