PM360 March 2010

Hot Topics / Healthcare Highlights

ONLINE ADVICE
Forget the doctor is in. The doctor is now online. Overall 39% of physicians currently email, secure message, or instant message their patients, according to Manhattan Research’s latest report “Physicians in 2012: The Outlook on Health Information Technology.” This type of secure messaging can take place through online providers, such as RelayHealth and Medfusion, which allow doctors and patients to communicate with each other about non-urgent medical issues via encrypted messages. Online patient communication is a growing trend as it has increased 14% since 2006 and could lead to more advances in health IT. “We find that physicians connecting with their patients online are more likely to be accessing the Internet during patient consultations and using various forms of health IT across the board,” says Erika S. Fishman, Director of Research at Manhattan Research and lead author of the report. “As we work to remove the barriers to physician adoption of online communication with patients, and each party becomes more comfortable with exchanging health information online, we could see a parallel movement in use of electronic medical records and personal health records.”

Dermatologists rank first among specialist groups most likely to communicate with patients online, which includes answering clinical questions, discussing symptoms and/or treatment options, or determining whether an office visit is necessary. Medical oncologists are the next specialist group on the list followed by neurologists. Rounding out the top five are endocrinologists and infectious disease specialists. —Andrew Matthius

TOP 10 HOSPITALS
When it comes to selling to hospitals, it may be helpful to know that Texas, California, New York, and Florida top the ranks of states with the most hospitals. Or that Physical Therapy, Physical/Rehabilitation Therapy, and Radiology/CT Scan/Ultrasound are the most popular treatment programs. But perhaps the most useful bit of information is the top hospitals ranked by bed count because bigger hospitals mean more patients, more supplies, and bigger budgets. Here are the Top 10 U.S. hospitals, according to a recent report from SK&A. —A.M.

DTC TRENDS
The 2009 figures on DTC spending for pharma brands include increases over 2008 for 12 of the top 15 brands, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus Ad*Views. Only Plavix, Ambien CR, and Flomax decreased spending. Overall spending from 2008 to 2009 was relatively flat (up 2%), an improvement over 2008, which saw a decline of 9% compared to 2007. TV is still the dominant channel, with measured Internet spending up 35% over last year but still only 3% of the DTC mix. Pfizer is the top spender by far, supporting its brands such as Lipitor, Lyrica, and Viagra. The next biggest spenders, in order, are AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Otsuka, Boehringer Sohn, Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi, and Bayer.

FDA UPDATE

Xiaflex
Xiaflex (collagenase clostridium histolyticum), manufactured by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, has received FDA approval for the treatment of a progressive hand disease known as Dupuytren’s contracture. This disease can affect a person’s ability to straighten and properly use his or her fingers. Before Xiaflex, the only effective treatment was surgery. Side effects of Xiaflex include fluid buildup, swelling, bleeding, and pain in the injected area.

Oleptro Extended Release Tablets
The FDA has approved Labopharm’s Oleptro (trazodone hydrochloride) Extended Release Tablets, a novel once-daily formulation of the antidepressant trazodone, for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults. Oleptro uses Contramid, Labopharm’s clinically validated technology that controls the release of active substances within oral medications. It is Labopharm’s second Contramid technology-based product to receive approval in just over a year. The most common side effects are somnolence/sedation, dizziness, constipation, and blurred vision.

Crestor
The FDA has broadened the approved use of AstraZeneca’s cholesterol-lowering medication Crestor (rosuvastatin) to include patients who are at increased risk of heart disease but have not been diagnosed with it. This includes patients with an elevated amount of high sensitivity C-reactive protein in their blood and at least one additional traditional cardiovascular risk factor such as smoking, high blood pressure, a family history of premature heart disease, or low amounts of high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. Crestor is already approved for use in patients with elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides.
—A.M.