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Industry is cinching its belt, but news that Merck will shed 12 percent of its workforce - many senior and middle management positions - was a bombshell announcement.

New legislation gives US-based Web hosting companies the go-ahead to remove shady online pharmacies without a warrant. The new rule makes it harder to market counterfeit drugs, and for consumers to purchase medication without a prescription.

Novartis is the latest pharma company to move away from the traditional sales model of blanketing sales reps for one drug across the nation. The company is restructuring its force (and cutting jobs) to focus on a regional sales model.

Specialty drug firm Norgine splits from the British pharma association due to a growing rift about pricing. A "war of the roses" is escalating between Big Pharma and smaller drug manufacturers; Norgine could be the first casualty.

With the launch of Clinician 1, physician and nurse assistants now have a place to share information online. The increase in No-See doctors and general difficulty for reps to meet with prescribers might make this the opportunity for pharma to reach a major stakeholder.

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Future Shock

A vision of pharma's next business model is starting to emerge. But how do we get from here to there?

Cubist Pharmaceuticals CEO Michael Bonney has given the company a successful start-and is now predicting the future of drug resistance.

In an effort to give healthcare professionals and patients a one-stop source for factual drug safety information and treatment options, Pfizer has launched a handy new medicine safety Web site with a bevy of bells and whistles.

A new FDA Web site defines consumer print advertising so the general public can spot bad and good pharma ads. As a bonus, the site also serves as a checklist for pharma marketers trying not to step on any regulatory toes.

Glaxo's cancer departments will be consolidated into one big division encompassing discovery, research, and trials. The move is expected to cost some jobs, but GSK hopes it will strengthen synergy within its R&D unit.

A new study finds that doctors are three times more likely to prescribe generics when they don’t have access to free samples of branded drugs.

Celebrity spokesperson Dr. Jarvik has been replaced with a Regular Joe in the latest Lipitor DTC spots. Will the switch make a difference?

The Belgium-based drug maker is terminating 2,000 jobs and rebranding itself as a biopharm with a focus on CNS and immunology drugs. Pharm Exec gave UCB a call to find out more.

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Designed to rein in the relationship between sales reps and doctors, PhRMA's new, revised code may end up having an adverse effect on clinical trials

The New Code

Effective January 1st, sales reps will have a new standard for dealing with doctors the PhRMA way

The Orphan Opportunity

The Orphan Drug Act was passed 25 years ago. But the challenge of actually getting rare disease drugs and therapies to patients still remains

A new study tracks six high-traffic drugs that are turning up on shady online pharmacies, usually at huge discounts. The conclusion: Fancy Web sites are suckering customers and costing pharma money and credibility.