Goodbye. Lipitor. Pfizer Bids a Farewell - posted May 14, 2012
Even a very aggressive (and expensive) marketing campaign to keep patients on the brand could not hold off the inevitable. Lesson here…even a $4.00 copay, wishful thinking, and corporate muscle can’t beat Walmart. As soon as Walmart jumped on the generic, the end was in sight. Read the Wall Street Journal article below.
Farewell after all, Lipitor. Pfizer, Inc. conducted an intriguing experiment in brand marketing this year, aggressively pushing the cholesterol-fighting drug Lipitor in the U.S. even after its patent expired on Nov. 30. But after spending more than $87 million promoting the medicine, the world’s biggest drug company is quietly giving up on its once-great cash cow for good because more generic versions will soon be going on sale. Pfizer officials told The Wall Street Journal that the company is no longer negotiating new contracts to sell Lipitor to health plans, which are signing up to sell generic versions at far lower prices. The company recently stopped sending sales representatives to promote Lipitor to doctors and halted advertising in print, on television and online, which once commanded a $271.9 million yearly budget. continued
Why Hospitals Need “Policy Statements” for the Use of Mobile Devices
There are privacy policies, consent policies, payment policies, and administrative policies. There are processes for inpatient scheduling, outpatient rehab, diagnostic support, and insurance copay. Modern hospitals are some of the most regulated and process driven places on the planet. So, where is the policy on using mobile devices within the hospital setting? continued
A Medical App to Predict How Much Pain You Will Encounter After Hernia Surgery
Not that I doubt the accuracy or intent of an app like this, but since the dawn of the internet, isn’t one of the issues the vast amount of bad information that is available to potential patients? As apps become more and more ubiquitious to docs and consumers, the experience and information within the app could become just as conflicting as the information found when randomly searching the web. Do we really want patients self diagnosing prior to seeing a doctor? Or, even worse, prior to getting surgery? continued
Health Care, Ease of Use, and Social Media…Wrapped up Into One Neat Package
This idea is so good and seems so convenient that there must be a catch. This medical group, “One Medical Group,” has integrated immediacy, ease of use, and social media into one extremely practical idea. Not sure how well it’s working, but the web site and idea behind it is so compelling that I almost want to get sick and give it a try. Much like a concierge physician practice, for $199 per year…continued
Expanding use of Medical Apps by Physicians
I’m not sure how I feel about the quickly expanding usage of medical apps by doctors. After all, what regulations actually cover an app, designed by a software engineer, loaded onto an an iPad, and used by your doctor? The future is clear, the technology to communicate with patients, diagnose, and treat them is changing rapidly, but it still does not mean each tool will function as intended, be effective, and actually assist with treatment. Cost savings are drivers for many apps…continued
Social Media & Physicians – Scenarios to Consider
Doctors and privacy go hand in hand. Patients understand that what is said within the walls of the physicians office is confidential. So how can the use of social media be used by physicians without the risk of crossing time-honored boundaries? And, how can physicians minimize the risk of jeopardizing HIPPA and other FDA laws? Before embarking on the use of social media…continued
AMA: Professionalism and the Use of Social Media
Recently, the AMA posted an important guideline on physician use of Social Media. With more and more doctors utilizing these channels, and the lack of FDA guidelines, the AMA stance is refreshing and the start of what should be an interesting time for physician marketing. The guideline begins with what seems to be a warning to medical students and physicians by focusing on the share scope of quickly being able to reach millions of people. If that is not taken as a warning, it should…continued
The Shifting Tide of Patient Relationships
Pharmaceutical companies have one goal when it comes to the patient – ownership. In order to fully realize profits, the brand marketer’s goal is to influence the patient experience, shape it and feed it. Their plan is complete stewardship of the patient to maximize adherence and brand loyalty. In essence, the perspective of the brand marketer is that the patient is theirs. It’s time healthcare providers adopt the perspective of drug brand marketers and realize that by using the same techniques successfully deployed by pharmaceutical marketers, they can take ownership of patient dialogue and create a “patient for life…”continued
Social Media Guidance from the FDA - What Does it Mean?
In December, 2011, the FDA released what should be the first of many guidance notices on how pharma marketers should work with social marketing platforms. In The FDA’s “Guidance for Industry – Responding to Unsolicited Requests for Off-Label Information About Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices” they offer important, yet lackluster, guidance on how pharma marketers work through the unique spects of utilizing social networking marketing channels…continued
Creating a Patient Journey
Big pharma marketers typically focus on understanding the “patient journey” in order to create effective adherence strategies. But where does the patient journey actually begin? Most brand marketers use the following methodology:
1. Acquisition of the recently diagnosed
2. Brand conversion
3. Adherence
There seems to be one missing component to this fundamental aspect of typical brand strategy – the brand building that can occur prior to a consumer becoming a patient. This is a missed opportunity to create a consumer relationship prior to diagnosis…continued
The High Cost of Retaining a Large Agency
According to a recent study by the National Conference of State Legislators, the total retail prescription drug spend in 2010 grew only 1.2%. This historically low rate of growth was driven by a slower volume of drugs consumed, a continuous increase in the use of generic medications, the loss of patent protection for certain brand-name drugs, fewer drug introductions than in previous years, and an increase in Medicaid prescription drug rebates. With drug spending at such a slow rate, the well known lack of a pipeline for blockbuster drugs, and leading brands as Lipitor and Avandia either off patent or coming off soon, big pharma are in major cost-cutting mode…continued
Why Develop Oversight In Social Media
Now that 2012 is here and the FDA is continuing its delay on issuing social media guidance, what is the best course of action for big pharma and brand marketers? I say be proactive and do it yourself; it’s going to be a long time until guidance is created. The difference in social media, as opposed to traditional TV, print, and mail, is the light speed in which platforms and capabilities are changing. And why should the FDA issue guidance anyway? The best course of action is for the FDA to adapt existing guidances…continued
FDA Guidance – Product Name Placement, Size, Prominence in Adv & Promo Labeling
Earlier in 2012, the FDA posted updated guidance for “Product Name Placement, Size, and Prominence in Advertising and Promotional Labeling.” The guidance was intended to clarify the FDA interpretation of the requirements for product name placement, size, prominence and frequency in promotional labeling and advertising for prescription human and animal drugs…continued
For Social Media, FDA criteria for reporting AE’s is pretty cut and dry
1. Must be an identifiable patient
A post within a social media context must contain information pertaining to a specific patient. In other words, the post must state that “I had an experience” or my “father had an experience.” continued
Social Marketing and Building Your Brand
In the early days of the internet the mantra was ‘build it, promote it, and drive traffic to it.” So, why have so many companies abandoned this philosophy to adopt a ‘build it, don’t promote it, and drive traffic to Facebook” approach? It seems counterintuitive that corporate marketing dollars are geared so heavily toward social networking sites when brand roll-out and recognition must start with the creativity of making one’s own site engaging, interactive, and compelling. continued
Pew Study – American’s and Texting
As I sit through agency pitches, creative reviews, and media planning sessions, I often take a moment to look around the room to notice the people sitting at the table. Agency teams often comprise of 20- and 30-year-olds who were still in high school when the internet started changing the global face of business. There is significant relevance in who at your agency is aligned with your brand…continued
Rising Use of Copay Cards May Change the Game
As I have written before, more brand marketers are going the co-pay card route to offset rising drug costs, patent expiration, and to boost adherence. The more prevalent these cards become, the more scrutiny they get from the FDA and insurers. I came across this great white paper written by Larry Blandford, the SVP, strategic services, for The Hobart Group. The bottom line is this, co-pay cards are leading to an increase in payer costs…continued
This past December, the FDA finally released its first official Guidance that references how pharmaceutical companies should manage their social networking marketing presence. Although it only covers how to facilitate response to ‘unsolicited requests for off-label information,’ it is one of the first of its kind. Later, I will post more of a detailed analysis, but below is what I consider to be the most important aspect of the Guidance.
You can download the complete Guidance, here.
Selections from the draft Guidance dated December, 2011, “Responding to Unsolicited Requests for Off-Label Information About Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices.” continued
How Drug Ads Can Violate FDA Guidelines
Since the FDA does not require drug companies to submit ads for approval (they merely require brands submit ads when they first appear in public) prescription drug advertisers must be aware of the number of ways a drug ad can violate FDA guidelines.
Many of the guidelines have become second nature to brand marketers and are very straight forward, including:
- Never state or imply a drug can treat a condition not approved by the FDA
- Not making claims that are not supported by adequate evidence
- Misrepresentation of study data or drug benefits
- Suggesting a drug can be used for off label indications
While other FDA guidelines are more open to interpretation, such as:
- Not stating in a clear manner how a consumer can report negative side effects
- Failure to assist the consumer to find prescribing information for product claim ads
- Not presenting fair balance of information relating to drug risks and benefits
- Appearing to be a ‘reminder ad’ but making a claim about the drug
- Appearing to be a ‘help-seeking’ or disease awareness ad while recommending a specific drug brand…continued
Coupons Higher Insurance Premiums
As brand marketers turns more and more to the use of copay cards to keep consumers on their medication, they should be aware of the growing concern amongst insurers whose goal is to switch consumers to cheaper, generic alternatives. According to a recent article in the New York Times, coupons are leading to an overall increase in health care costs since they circumvent the system of higher co-pays that insureres use to encourage consumers to use less expensive drugs…continued
IVR Drop Out Rates Can Increase Costs
An effective brand IVR can be one of your most cost effective weapons to meet the challenge of optimizing your marketing dollars. Every time a consumer opts to speak to a live agent, your costs skyrocket. By keeping consumers engaged in an effective IVR, containing them there, and successfully answering their questions, brand marketers can decrease live agent costs. So what drives IVR drop-off rates? continued
Cost-Cutting by Cross Brand Sharing
Marketing support does not come cheap. There are email, print, copay card vendors…big ad agencies…call centers…compliance experts…the list is endless. So with all this expensive brand support why does big pharma silo their brand marketers and treat them as independent small companies? This approach not only wastes valuable marketing dollars, it keeps marketers from sharing valuable results information. Companies can stop wasting excessive budgets trying to reinvent the old and start using resources more effectively through best practices development, utilization of proven efficiencies, and increased cross brand communication. continued
Cutting a Deal with Pharmacy Benefit Managers
I came across this on the Rx Savings Solutions web site and found it interesting. According to a post by Michael Rea, PharmD, Pfizer cut a deal with Pharmacy type insurance companies called PBM’s (Pharmacy Benefit Managers) to push the brand name Lipitor and make it mandatory for their patient not to go on the generic alternative. In exchange, Pfizer agreed to drop their price…continued
Drug Ads are Designed to Sell. What’s Wrong with That?
I recently read something interesting on the New York Times web site. A quote from an anonymous physician. He said, “As a physician who has to deal with the pharmaceutical industry on a daily basis, I can tell you that the information they provide me is very biased. They like putting a positive spin on non-relevant data to entice me to prescribe their products…continued
Beer and Pharma Ads
Since the Super Bowl is approaching and we will be seeing a super-sized volume of beer, drug, and pickup truck ads I thought it would be interesting to look at how the alcohol vertical monitors their TV advertising. Similar to drug advertising and PhRMA Guidelines, the self governing Beer Institute publishes its “Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code.” The Beer Institute represents its industry before Congress, state legislatures and public forums across the country…continued