PM360 March 2010

NEW TO NUCLEUS
Four life science companies have contracted Cegedim Dendrite for its Nucleus as a Service customer master data management (cMDM) solution. Three are among the world’s top 25 pharmaceutical companies and the fourth is a midsize specialty pharmaceutical company. Nucleus as a Service addresses the industrywide challenge of maintaining an accurate database of customers and prospects.

SERVICE SUITE
IMS Health, a provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, has launched IMS Aggregate Spend Compliance Services. This suite of information and advisory services helps pharmaceutical and medical device companies comply with U.S. federal and state transparency and marketing disclosure laws. These services combine the capabilities of the IMS Business Transformation Services organization, IMS Healthcare Relational Services, and R-Squared’s SpendTracker.

RX SOLUTIONS

McKesson is adding to its portfolio of marketing solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturers. RxBulletin will initially reach 2,500 pharmacists to help manufacturers increase awareness about product launches, discontinued items, and national drug code number changes. RxUpdate will reach more than 5,000 independent pharmacies with product information such as safe dispensing, patient counseling, and other clinical topics.

DIGITAL ALLIANCE
Healthcare communications agency Goble & Associates has joined forces with JHG, a strategic digital marketing agency. Both companies will function under shared ownership but continue to operate as individual agencies, while benefiting from each other’s established expertise. “We eat, sleep, and breathe strategy and communication across all channels within healthcare on behalf of our clients,” says Joe Kuchta, President, CEO, and principal of G&A. “JHG eats, sleeps, and breathes the digital communication world we find ourselves living in, so it’s a perfect match.”

DIRECT MAIL
Rx EDGE has teamed with Walgreens to launch HealthTrack, a new DTP adherence solution. This direct mailing program will start in early May and go out to patients within two weeks of filling a prescription. It includes an interactive CD-ROM and other materials providing information about managing the disease along with product information, lifestyle advice, links to automatic refill programs, and other support tools. Depending on the therapeutic category, the program can reach as many as 200,000 new patients per year, and a third-party research company will analyze the data to determine the program’s impact.

SMARTER SALES
inVentiv Selling Solutions has launched Selling2Scale, a new sales model that identifies the sales and marketing resources that can deliver the most value in achieving a product’s business goals. “Regardless of whether a pharmaceutical company is launching an innovative new therapy, trying to boost its market position, or sustaining product growth, Selling2Scale customizes the approach to help clients manage product challenges and achieve business success in a changing marketplace,” says President Paul Mignon.

MORE INSIGHT
Kantar Health, a healthcare consultancy, announced that ACNielsen HCI, a promotion research organization, has joined Kantar Health’s Marketing Insights practice. HCI’s Professional Health Communication Measurement services deliver research about media usage tactics in the healthcare market. HCI’s campaign tracking solutions will add to Kantar Health’s portfolio of complementary solutions for pharmaceutical marketers.

FDA SEEKS INFO
Dr. Jean-Ah Kang, Special Assistant to DDMAC Director Tom Abrams, said the FDA is requesting additional information from the public, including pharmaceutical companies and other health organizations, to help determine whether explicit Internet-specific guidance should be drafted. The FDA will accept supporting data and comments past the original February 28 deadline. Information can be submitted at www.Regulations.gov, docket #FDA-2009-N-0441. “The FDA is a data-driven agency, so if you have data to support a particular position on an issue, that’s really important. A lot of our decisions are based on having good, solid, robust data,” says Dr. Kang.

MEDSCAPE MOBILE UPDATE
WebMD Health announced enhancements to Medscape Mobile, its free medical application for physicians available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The app now provides access to thousands of in-depth clinical reference articles on diseases, conditions, and procedures, in addition to complete reference information on over 7,000 brand names, generic, and OTC medications. The new multimedia clinical reference also includes medical images and procedure videos.

—Andrew Matthius