Impactiviti Daily 061810 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Prostate cancer drug treatment (Sanofi) approved on the fast track. But – a warning flag for S-A about possible Lantus/cancer link.

Bayer and OncoMed to co-develop oncology drugs in new agreement.

Novartis‘ blood cancer drug Tasigna gets approval for earlier use with CML.

RECOMMENDED

SocialRx – pharma social media resources. A page full of goodies, newly updated from us here at Impactiviti. Enjoy!

PLUS

Sex pills for women. Count me among the skeptics. And, medical flops of the decade (from Forbes).

JUST FOR FUN

Impactiviti Daily 061710 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Boehringer‘s female sex pill: maybe not. The drug “failed to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement” in sexual desire, Food and Drug Administration staff said in a review released today. It was also linked to appendicitis, depression and loss of consciousness. Side effects led about 15 percent of women to stop treatment with the drug, the review said…more

What is Eli Lilly paying laid-off workers? This (interesting chart).

Pharma mergers – do they really deliver on efficiencies? Interesting summary.

Sanofi-Aventis – more cuts, but future expansion. I’ll leave the math to you!

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Any kind of pharma training. Our business at Impactiviti is partnering with the best vendors for all aspects of training, and then helping you identify the best one(s) for your needs.  Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) to discuss your needs, and we’ll make recommendations (yes, the service is free!)

PLUS

Marketers must embrace the connected patient. Amen.

JUST FOR FUN

Starbucks to begin sinister Phase Two of operations. Funny goodness from The Onion, America’s Finest News Source. :>}

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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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Coaching skills. Our Impactiviti partner network has the experienced and recommended vendors to help you bring your coaching program to the next level.  Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

PLUS

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 – Top Pharma News 060410

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Impactiviti Daily will not be published next week, as I will be attending the annual Society of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Trainers conference (SPBT) in Orlando.

TODAY’S NEWS:

As the pre-ASCO news heats up, the big headline will be leukemia treatments – specifically, BMS‘ Sprycel and Novartis‘ Gleevec and Tasigna (just in – Tasigna shown superior to Gleevec in slowing CML: 18-month results). Treatments in this class, by the way, are something near miracle drugs. They’ve totally revolutionized blood cancer treatments. In related news, Novartis’ Afinitor (approved for kidney cancer) meets goals in a trial for pancreatic cancer.

Why should you be interested in a “nanosponge”? Well, there’s this – Scientists have found that a delivery system based on a technique called nanosponge is three to five times more effective at reducing tumor growth than direct injection…more

Will Amgen‘s new osteoporosis drug Prolia find its true home in oncology treatment? – The company has also applied for FDA approval to market the drug to breast cancer and prostate cancer patients who are undergoing a hormone treatment that weakens their bones. What’s more, the company is conducting tests designed to show that Prolia prevents cancer from spreading to the bones — an indication that could push sales of the drug to as much as $6 billion annually, some analysts predict…more Also – huge sales force push for Prolia.

20% of high school students abuse prescription drugs. Wow – sobering.

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Simulations/Gaming. Live training simulations, digital sims (eLearning) and on-line games – our partner network has the expertise you need.  Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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How to reduce e-mail ping-pong. You know all that back-and-forth? Here’s a way to undercut it at the start!

JUST FOR FUN

See-through animals. Ten of them. Amazing.

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Impactiviti Daily 060210 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Amgen finally gets approval for Prolia – After months of delay, Amgen finally won FDA approval for Prolia, an injectable treatment for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for fractures. The endorsement is a big boost for the biotech, which has been counting on Prolia to reverse a series of setbacks over the past few years, notably a decline in sales of some of its largest-selling products, Aranesp and Enbrel…more

Encouraging early-early-early result? Sure. Overly optimistic headline? Of course. New vaccine “could eliminate breast cancer.” Sally Church gives us some good cautionary words about over-hyping such results.

Biogen sues multiple rivals over MS drug – seeks royalties. I’m sure the lawyers, at least, are happy about this development.

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Territory Management Training. We’ve got the vendor/partners you need for this – contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

JOB OPENINGS

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

PLUS

Looking Forward to the SPBT Conference – here’s what I’ll be doing, and the workshops that look appealing. Will I see you there? Download my digital business card (see linked post) and let’s get together in Orlando! (SPBT = Society of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Trainers)

JUST FOR FUN

16 Thin Buildings. Actually, I’d prefer to see one thinner consultant, in the mirror. Sigh.

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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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Negotiation Training. We’ve got the vendor/partners you need for this – as well as Speaker/Presentation training, and Coaching.  Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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 052710 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!

TODAY’S NEWS:

Head of Pfizer R&D pulls up stakes, goes to AstraZeneca.

Pfizer‘s Inspra meets primary study goals early – Pfizer reported Thursday that it plans to stop enrolling patients ahead of schedule in a late-stage trial of Inspra (eplerenone) after those taking the drug experienced a significant reduction in risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalisation compared with those receiving placebo...more

Sanofi‘s prostate cancer drug: 28% survival improvement in study – Sanofi-Aventis’ cabazitaxel candidate prostate cancer drug combined with prednisone reduced the risk of death by 28 percent compared with another treatment, the outcome of a final-stage trial showed. The French drugmaker said on Thursday that the combination of the treatments led to an improved median overall survival of 15.1 months against 12.7 months in patients who took a chemotherapy of mitoxantrone with prednisone/prednisolone…more

Intermune to lay off 40% of workforce – InterMune Inc. said it will fire about 60 employees, or 40 percent of its workforce, to reduce costs after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the company’s lung drug earlier this month...more

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Facebook page development/monitoring. If your marketing group is thinking about Facebook as a platform, we have the development and management partners you need for social media.  Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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I don’t usually wander into political waters on this blog. But I found this article to be so compelling and cogent, I had to share. America’s New Culture War: Free Enterprise vs. Government Control. Worth the read!

JUST FOR FUN

Splash of yellow. From my backyard. And, daisies in the evening.

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Impactiviti Daily 052610 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Very big news for Vertex – 75% of hepatitis C patients never treated before achieved a viral cure after receiving a 12-week course of the company’s experimental drug telaprevir plus the current standard of care, according to results from a phase III study…more

Genzyme’s Pompe remedy approved by FDA; meanwhile, more detail on their consent decree.

More on alleged Wyeth tactics to promote Rapamune off-label. If true, yuck! Gold-in Rule at work.

Connecticut passes new pharma ethics code.

Part 2 of my interview over at MessagingLab blog (by Karl Schmieder): Pharma, Social Media, and the FDA.

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Coaching skills. Your field managers and other leaders are constantly in need of improvement here.  And we have great partners to recommend for coaching programs. Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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Social Media in Pharma stuff today: An “Ultimate Guide to Facebook“, from our friends over at Pixels and Pills. And, reporting adverse events on social media. More? Sure – comparing how pharma companies are using social media currently (from @healthcarengage). Even more? OK, you asked for it – Social Media and Celebrities in pharma (from John Mack’s blog)

JUST FOR FUN

Examples of Lightning Photography. Stunningly beautiful.

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Impactiviti Daily 052510 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Watson gets FDA approval to start shipping generic Valtrex.

Novartis oral MS drug – FDA extends review another 3 months – Novartis will have to wait a bit longer in its bid to get the first oral treatment for multiple sclerosis on the market after regulators in the USA put back a review of Gilenia. The US Food and Drug Administration has extended by three months, to September, its review period for Gilenia (fingolimod), previously known as FTY720…more

Genzyme: Big fine, big changes to get manufacturing back under control.

Another day, another whistleblower suit comes to light. This time, Wyeth and Rapamune promotion for unapproved uses.

Layoffs at Quintiles.

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Train-the-Trainer. Your new trainers have whole new sets of skills (curriculum design, ISD, project management, presentation, etc.) – we have great partners to recommend. Contact us (stevew at impactiviti dot com, or phone at 973-947-7429) for recommendations.

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The Three “I’s” of Tomorrow’s Successful Company. An important perspective from Dennis Urbaniak (VP U.S. Diabetes, Sanofi-Aventis). Titles, Budgets, and Staff are out – Ideas, Initiative, and Inspiration are in.

JUST FOR FUN

50 Beautiful Examples of Architecture Photography.———-

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