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A new study suggests the medical professionals are more active on social networking sites than ever before. With the rise of doctor-specific Web 2.0 outlets, pharma has a new tool for reaching elusive physicians. The best part: Doctors don?t seem to mind.

Pfizer Sheds More Staff

Sales reps aren't the only ones heading for the unemployment line - Pfizer is eliminating researcher positions as fewer drugs are making it to development. But could streamlining the crux of drug R&D cause more harm than good?

Merck isn't bragging about the positive data it received regarding the use of its landmark HPV vaccine in men. But the pharma giant also isn't wasting time submitting the info to FDA. Pharm Exec talked to the lead investigator behind the trials to find out why this could be another milestone for Merck.

With the departure and retirement of two-thirds of Donahoe Purohit Miller, the middle child has rebranded itself Purohit Navigation and is going after the pharma market as a one-stop-shop for all its branding needs.

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The headlines are about layoffs, but some segments of pharma are still hiring. Pay, meanwhile, tightens.

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It's just the way life works: You're always crossing the bridge before you get to it-or after it's gone

Consumer pharma marketers are going to have to be a little more careful when using celebrity spokespeople or actors playing physicians. PhRMA has updated its rules and the consensus is clear - if you are paying for promotion, it must be noted in the ad.

Forget putting a cap on how much a gift to doctors should cost, the state of Massachusetts is considering outlawing everything from pens to meals - and don't even think about handing out free tickets to next week's Red Sox game.

At its annual business briefing, Merck surprised analysts with the announcement that it would be launching a new business in the biologics sector in an effort to create generic biotech drugs.

It's beginning to look a lot like layoffs. Lilly and Sanofi-Aventis announce sales rep cuts amid an economic downturn and the holiday season.

The already crowded health portal market will get a bit tighter with the addition of myOptumHealth.com. But unlike the other WebMDs of the world (wide Web), Optum comes with a built-in base of 60 million users and the muscle of the UnitedHealth Group.

The Federal Trade Commission is tightening the rules for who is a paid endorser and what advertisers need to disclose about them. Look for new transparency on payment and new language to replace "your mileage may vary."

Once a breeding ground for dense jargon about mechanisms of action and prescribing information, Web sites like Centocor's new Medversation are giving doctors consumer-friendly content to help them spell out treatment options in a language everyone can understand.

Significant and dramatic healthcare policy changes are likely to follow after Barack Obama takes the oath of office and the expanded Democratic congressional majority settles in. But what does the electoral outcome mean for healthcare companies and the industry as a whole?

AstraZeneca caused a ruckus at the American Heart Association's annual meeting as data was released proving that its statin not only works for its target indication, but also reduced major CV events in patients who don?t have high cholesterol.

US heparin manufacturer ordered to turn over contaminated batches of heparin. Just how much of the tainted chemical is on the market?

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No Ordinary Joe

It's been a year since consumer marketing master Joe Jimenez took over the top spot at Novartis Pharma. How's he faring?