“Connect-to-Web” Driving Patients and HCP’s Online
The new web-key technology made available by IPAK, will assist companies looking for new ways to drive patients and HCPs online. The wafer-thin product, customizable to reflect a brand’s identity, can be made into a brochure, direct mail piece, or inserted into magazines. It comes with its own identification number to track and measure individual engagement, and once plugged in, is capable of capturing the number of plug-ins, date and time of access, geographic area and service provider used. The technology helps healthcare companies explore new ways to increase brand awareness, reach out to physicians, educate patients about their condition, and provide treatment options and timely CRM opt-in.
Inhance Digital Wins Big in Vegas
Inhance Digital, an interactive agency dedicated to combining complex science and technology-based ideas, was recently honored with the Buyers Choice award for their Interactive Model System at the Exhibitor 2013 in Las Vegas. The Interactive Model, which creates a photorealistic virtual model, uses the company’s proprietary high-end 3D video game technology and intuitive graphical user interfaces. With interactive components that have the ability to rotate the 3D objects in real time, explore its inner features and product benefits, isolate key components and view the equipment in different geological settings, the product is said to be one of the best in the interactive space.
MD Mindset’s Healthcare Agency Services
MD Mindset, LLC, a leader in proactive sales and marketing effectiveness, announced the release of their Healthcare Agency Services. The services include fast and cost-efficient HCP Project Based Market Research and Medical Director On-Call Services. Through this research MD Mindset is also able to gather physician data outside the purview of traditional market research, including OTC products. MD Mindset is also able to eliminate the time spent on research during the pitch and launch process with its specialty-centric research and quick results.
Agnitio Launches Rainmaker One
Agnitio, which brings together pharmaceutical and medical device companies to connect with medical professionals with their pull-marketing software and services, launched its service-based solution, Rainmaker One. Aimed at creating a product customized to the needs of pharmaceutical companies, Agnitio retains the standard app features while eliminating the complexity of managing multiple apps. The new app allows pharma marketers to internally review, approve, publish, update and remove content without the involvement of the IT department.
BioDigital Wins 2013 SXSW Interactive Award
New York-based BioDigital, a company in the vanguard of 3D medical technology, won the 2013 SXSW Interactive Award in the Classic category for their product, BioDigital Human. As the first cloud-based, 3D interactive human body platform, it serves both as an interactive tool to study human anatomy as well as a powerful way to visually communicate with health subjects.
BioDigital Human, pioneered by the medical students and faculty at NYU School of Medicine is now part of the school’s futuristic new curriculum. It is also being used by thousands of students from across the globe. The company has also partnered with healthcare communications firm Greater Than One to bring the BioDigital Human to medical device and pharmaceutical companies to help them visualize the value of products throughout the body.
AstraZeneca Cuts More Jobs
AstraZeneca’s workforce is shrinking fast. After its recent loss of 1,600 jobs and consolidation of its work force at three centers—Britain, U.S., and Sweden—it announced yet another 2,300 job cuts in the sales and administration departments. Having already reduced its global workforce by 10,000 under the previous management, AstraZeneca’s efforts to cope with competition is ongoing. It currently employs a total of 51,700 employees across the globe. The company’s new Chief Executive Pascal Soriot’s efforts to strike more external deals is an effort to refill its sparse new-drug pipeline. Its future focus will be on research in the areas of cancer, cardiovascular and metabolism disorders, and respiratory and inflammatory diseases.
Shire Acquires Two Companies
Shire acquired the Sweden-based privately held biotechnology company, Premacure AB, which is currently in Phase II development of a protein replacement therapy for the prevention of retinopathy of prematurity. The acquisition opens doors to a new therapeutic area, Neonatology. The primary goal of the research is to restore IGF-1 levels in the preterm infants to those found during normal utero development.
After Neonatology, Shire also expects to expand its presence in Ophthalmology by acquiring the Brisbane, California-based biopharmaceutical company, SARcode Bioscience, Inc. With this acquisition Shire will bring in a new Phase III compound, Lifitegrast, a drug for dry eye disease, which affects 25 million Americans.
Americans Confident in Coverage Choices
A recent national survey released by Express Scripts states that a majority of Americans, including those currently uninsured, are confident in their ability to choose their healthcare coverage. The study, conducted by Deft Research on behalf of Express Scripts, included a national sample of 2,765 adults in the age range of 18–64, among which 39% were uninsured, 25% were direct payers and 36% were under an employer’s insurance plan. Among other findings, factors such as pharmacy network, formulary and co-payment amounts heavily influenced healthcare plan choice.
It was also discovered that people in the age range of 45–64 are more confident about their ability to make the right choice than the younger 18–44 age group. Additionally, females seemed to be more ready for the task than their male counterparts, whereas among the uninsured, both males and females were nearly equally confident. The survey also tested the attitudes of American’s towards prescription drug plan preferences, which were found to be positive.
Galderma’s New Adherence Program
A first-of-its-kind online and mobile patient platform, Epiduo TAP (Treatment, Adherence, and Performance) Program, enabled by HealthPrize, educates acne patients about the correct application of Epiduo Gel. The program encourages acne patients to adhere to its procedure with the help of an interactive and integrated performance-based platform. The program is available for both patients and dermatologists to promote better adherence and thus improved treatment outcomes. The interactive program encourages patients to register and begin earning points by using various elements of the program, reporting daily usage and participating in weekly quizzes and surveys. The points earned can then be redeemed for rewards.
Baush & Lomb and Walgreens Collaborate
Baush & Lomb and Walgreens are collaborating to increase eye health awareness. “SightSense” is the new online and in-store education program to encourage and educate patients about proactive eye-care measures. The program aims at enhancing the wellness experience, and making it accessible to customers nationwide. The “SightSense” in-store events will be launched in 10 cities. Educational forums and general eye-screenings led by eye-care experts are some of the features of the “SightSense” program.
