Sales & Marketing

Pharm Exec sits down with Kathryn Metcalfe, Pfizer's new vice president of corporate reputation and policy communications to discuss the new position, the perception of pharma among laypeople, and what needs to be done to boost public opinion of the drug industry.

Manhattan Research singled out type 2 diabetes sufferers and their online search patterns; it turns out diabetes patients are less likely to confront doctors about branded drugs they?ve seen in DTC ads, yet more apt to take Lipitor.

The arms race is over, and it's time to reinvent pharma sales. Here's what forward-looking companies are experimenting with-and how it's working

Two pharma companies dabble in online video in two different but effective ways. Sanofi-aventis attempts to reach patients through educational videos, while AZ calls for consumers to upload their own testimonials.

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.

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.

The graphic novel emerges as a versatile, effective medical education and marketing tool

With no formal fair market value guidelines imposed by the government, how "fair" is it for pharma to play by the rules?

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.

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."

How to extract valuable market research from e-marketing campaigns

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.

Top Rx Club Award winners exhibit qualities that ironically juxtapose industry's paradigm (pdf)

A five-year forecast of the multiple-sclerosis market following the disruptions of Tysabri

Don't throw out sales force effectiveness with the sales force-some sure-fire strategies

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.

To be effective, an adherence strategy must be responsive to an array of patients with different habits and medications, while providing information, encouragement, and support until adherence becomes reliable.

A DTC backlash is forcing branders to come up with new marketing approaches. Some are better than others ... much better

Pharma is looking to advertising agencies for more support, but companies are also under financial pressure, which in turn puts pressure on the agencies. Here are some ways to ease the situation

With an updated understanding of what type of patients use a brand under what clinical conditions, marketers can find ways to invigorate even a mature brand

What companies need is a LCM plan for the long haul that's strategic, funded, and includes a pipeline realignment process for every stage along the way. And they need it now

Drugs are being mentioned more and more on TV shows. Is it just part of the script-or promotion on the part of the industry? If so, should it be regulated?

Dr. House, the lead character in TV's hit medical drama, House, is a high-prescribing diagnostician whose drug treatments can as easily kill or cure a patient. Can this be marketing?