Impactiviti Daily 061510 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Cheap drug could be a life-saver – A cheap drug that can stop bleeding in recently injured accident patients could potentially save the lives of tens of thousands worldwide, a new study says. Researchers studied the effects of tranexamic acid, or TXA, in more than 10,000 adult trauma patients in 40 countries who received the drug within 8 hours of being injured. They compared those patients’ outcomes to more than 10,000 accident victims who got a placebo treatment. The study was published online Tuesday in the medical journal Lancet…more

Pfizer ends development of one experimental RA drug from Trubion; keeps another one going.

Glaxo gets FDA OK for combo prostate treatment.

Human Genome Sciences: low expectations for Hepatitis C drug approval.

Judge to Abbott: Pay reps overtime.

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Social Media 101/201. Here at Impactiviti, we’re immersed in both social media and pharma. We’re happy to provide on-site workshops for our clients who need to bring sales/marketing/training/executive teams up to speed on Trends in Social Media.  Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for details.

PLUS

Fresh updates to the astonishingly helpful Dose of Digital Social Media (Pharma/Healthcare) Wiki. And, a little thought-provoking tidbit: The Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

JUST FOR FUN

Nature’s Patterns in Photography. Sheer eye candy.

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Impactiviti Daily 061410 Top Pharma News

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Had a great time last week at the SPBT conference. Planning to get out a summary post later this week…

TODAY’S NEWS:

Big news for Novartis: FDA panel unanimously recommends approval for oral MS drug – A Food and Drug Administration panel has unanimously backed the safety and effectiveness of Novartis’  multiple sclerosis treatment fingolimod. The panel voted 25-0 in support of fingolimod’s “substantial evidence of effectiveness” in treating patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. That makes it likely the drug will be the first oral MS treatment to gain FDA approval, beating Merck, Sanofi  and Teva – all of which are developing their own oral MS drugs – to the punch…more

Glaxo cuts 700 more sales/marketing positions – A Glaxo spokeswoman said 700 sales and marketing staffers (and related support staff) have taken buyout offers in recent months, while others’ jobs are being cut. She declined to give a total figure, but said the cuts are affecting “a variety of different positions in the U.S. pharma commercial staff.”…more

Uncomfortable links being investigated – ARB high blood pressure drugs/cancer; Daiichi‘s Benicar and heart disease; troubling new data on GSK‘s Avandia and heart disease.

A “pill mill” in Kansas and multiple fatalities from the “lollipop of death.”

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Fresh from the tube this weekend: the first ever DTC commercial for medical devices?

JUST FOR FUN

This may just be the most hideous website “designed” by man. Do not click with any consumables in your mouth…

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Impactiviti Daily 060310 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Could low-dose Avandia be useful in preventing diabetes onset? This would be good news for GSK – GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Avandia helped prevent the onset of diabetes when taken at a low dose with another drug, according to a company-sponsored study that suggests the regimen may help patients without raising heart attack risk. Half doses of Avandia and the therapy metformin, when combined, cut the risk of developing diabetes by two-thirds compared with placebo, Canadian researchers said..more

We’re in the gusher phase of the pre-ASCO press release flood. This sneak peek on BMS products is intriguing. More here – Four Scenarios for BMS.

Lying about data – people just don’t seem to learn. Sigh. And that goes for financial folks, politicians, climate scientists – it ain’t just pharma, folks!

Cephalon, Provigil and Nuvigil.

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New iPhone app released by Novartis subsidiary CibaVision. My “live” review while playing with it – mixed feelings. And, while we’re doing reviews – a north Jersey restaurant (Tabor Road Tavern) that blew me away.

JUST FOR FUN

Who needs PSA tests for prostate cancer when you have Fido? What’s interesting is that this is – amusingly – serious!

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Impactiviti Daily 0601110 Top Pharma News

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Impactiviti has launched a new venture, and we’d like to ask for your help to make it a success! Introducing the Impactiviti Talent Network – on-line job search joined to social networking. This can help you as a job seeker, AND as a company posting openings. Check it out!

TODAY’S NEWS:

So Novo Nordisk decides to pull certain drugs from the market in Greece because the bankrupt and irresponsible government there decrees price cuts that would force Novo to lose money. And Novo is the bad guy in this?? Not on your life! I’m glad the company had the courage to take the PR hit and act like a business.

Glaxo settles more Avandia lawsuits – A company spokeswoman said on Tuesday that consolidated cases which had been due to come to court in Philadelphia this month had been settled. She declined to give further details and said the terms remained confidential. Analysts estimate Glaxo had faced a total of 13,000 claims for damages involving Avandia, of which around 5,000 were consolidated in Philadelphia, and there had been fears it could face damages of up to $6 billion…more

From Forbes: The death of the blockbuster drug.

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JOB OPENINGS

Sales and Account Manager, Training Agency serving Life Sciences (Massachusetts), experience required. From the Impactiviti Job Board.

PLUS

The 10 Weirdest Drug Stories of the Month (May). From BNet.

JUST FOR FUN

From the Onion, of course. Adderall receives honorary degree from Harvard. Pretty funny! And – I’m not going to THIS Sunday roast (at least, not with the family!)

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Impactiviti Daily 052010 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS

Novartis: huge punitive fine in discrimination case. $250 million game-changing dollars.

FDA to the public – let’s talk more. Or, tell us more about what we should tell you.

GSK and more Avandia flak. This story will never end, it seems.

Pfizer and multiple corporate cultures. An interesting interview at Forbes magazine.

The Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology gives a raspberry to the Vanda/Novartis schizophrenia drug Fanapt.

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Software training. The Impactiviti partner network has the providers you need for training on software systems. Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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Good advice for all situations, including business: Give them your heart, then your head. From my friend Drew McLellan.

JUST FOR FUN

Visual treat. The stunning colors of Glacier National Park. I visited there once, years ago – it really is magnificent! And – Slow Motion Gum And Gelatin. Cooler than you might think (quick video).

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Impactiviti Daily 051810 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS

Novartis loses this round on the big discrimination suit – A federal jury in New York reached a verdict on Monday requiring Novartis Pharmaceuticals to pay $3.36 million to 12 former female sales representatives for discrimination in pay and promotions…more

With a sweetened bid, Astellas lands OSI Pharmaceuticals.

Novo Nordisk – doing well! And continuing high market expectations for Celgene.

Glaxo‘s big bet on a new type of cardiovascular treatment.

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The Ultimate List: 300 up-to-date Social Media Statistics

JUST FOR FUN

The World’s Most Bizarre Man-Made Disasters. Maybe this isn’t “Just For Fun,” but it’s still fascinating…

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Impactiviti Daily 022310

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TODAY’S NEWS

Big approval news for Gilead Sciences – Gilead Sciences Inc., the world’s largest maker of HIV treatments, won U.S. approval of an inhaled antibiotic for lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The Food and Drug Administration cleared sales of the medicine, given the brand name Cayston, the company said today in a statement. Outside advisers to the FDA backed the product’s safety and effectiveness in a 15-2 vote on Dec. 10…more

What is the future of “personalized medicine”? Probably, it’ll look a lot like this (encouraging story from NY Times). Plus, in a cooperative effort, Eli Lilly, Merck and Pfizer have formed an independent, not-for-profit company Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG) to accelerate research and ultimately improve treatment for patients affected with the most commonly-diagnosed cancers in Asia…more

Of course, in this industry, there is often a mix of good news and bad – and “bad” usually means bad behavior by people who love dollars above sense: lack of openness at AZ?; secret tapes and GSK (plus, a “fixer” who spiked research?); research fraud by rogue doc; kickbacks and J&J; risk of depression assessment and Eli Lilly (are you alive? then you’re at risk!!!). Reminds me of some prior posts on the Gold-in Rule…

Novartis looking to expand even more at East Hanover campus. Including themed food venues!

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I’m feeling much safer now. FDA finally comes out against “ear candling“! Next up, perhaps – a prohibition of USB-to-nasal-passage uploads??

JUST FOR FUN

Delightful (and BIG) pictures from Vancouver Olympics. Love the colors in the very first one. From Boston.com’s very nice The Big Picture section.

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Impactiviti Daily 022210

TODAY’S NEWS

Big news for Novartis on two fronts – Novartis has received a couple of pieces of good news from regulators in the USA this morning who have approved its meningococcal vaccine Menveo and granted a priority review for the Swiss major’s investigational oral treatment for multiple sclerosis fingolimod…more

Avandia – the bad news just won’t quit. The heart attack factor, and the when-did-they-not-share-what-info questions. And a call to just pull it from the market. A rough patch for GSK.

BI gets FDA approval for new Extended Release version of Mirapex (for Parkinson’s)

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PLUS

From Wendy Blackburn: 7 things I Learned at the ePharma Summit. And, from Betsy Raymond Stevenson – Curing Pharma. Restoring the industry’s reputation will mean a lot of hard work, not just a PR campaign.

JUST FOR FUN

Time-killer: Top 10 Time-lapse Videos showing Nature at Work.

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Impactiviti Daily 020110

TODAY’S NEWS

Tykerb + Femara for breast cancer approved – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Tykerb (lapatinib) in combination with Femara (letrozole) to treat hormone positive and HER2-positive advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women for whom hormonal therapy is indicated...more Good for Glaxo on Tykerb, but GSK also announcing thousands more cuts.

UCB to U.S. primary care market: Good-bye now – UCB announced today that it plans to accelerate its U.S. transition to a purely specialty-focused biopharmaceutical company and will exit the primary care market in the U.S., effective 1 March 2010…more

Assuming FDA approval, five drugs to watch this year (one already approved).

Boston Scientific to J&J – Here’s $1.7B. Are we OK now?

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ePharma Summit, next week in Philadelphia. I’ll be there – how about you?

JUST FOR FUN

Rain outside the plane.

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Impactiviti Daily 010810

What is Impactiviti? In short, we’re a pharma network and consultancy. We help pharma/biotech/med device clients find optimal vendor/partners for training and social media needs. If you need advice and want to tap into our extensive network of best-in-class providers (the vendor matchmaking service is free to clients), contact us!

TODAY’S NEWS

Glaxo getting into the movie-making business? This film sounds gastronomic!

Diabetes and donuts. Well, donut holes.

Teva looking to supersize by 2015.

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Selling to the C-Suite. For certain high-level salespeople – in pharma or outside of that vertical – there is an art form to selling higher. Our provider network can help design a program for you. Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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A free e-book for pharma marketers – how to approach the on-line world of patient advocacy, communities, and social media. Written by multiple experienced folks in the field (yes, even I contributed a chapter.

JUST FOR FUN

Two minutes of high-flying post-Christmas fun (video).

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