PM360 recognized the best innovators in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotech industries with their annual Trailblazer Awards Gala on Friday, September 23, 2016. The honors, bestowed at a gala banquet at Gotham Hall in Manhattan, are given to outstanding companies, marketers, brand managers, and cutting-edge initiatives.
The sold-out Gotham Hall was filled with the industry’s best and brightest in their sharpest tuxes and most beautiful gowns. Not only did attendees and winners celebrate in style, they had fun doing it. Emmy-award winning actress, comedian, and writer Judy Gold provided plenty of laughs as the night’s emcee. Attendees then got to cut loose on the dance floor until the clock struck midnight.
“It is our honor to provide a night of celebration for these wonderful individuals and their achievements, which are ultimately aimed at improving patient outcomes,” says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. “This year’s winners showed a true dedication to better understanding patients and finding new ways to meet their needs, as well as the needs of physicians, caregivers, and payers.”
As always, the awards honor the pharma and medical device marketers and companies whose work over the past year best exemplified the forward thinking our industry needs. This was also the first year PM360 honored a Marketing Team of the Year. That honor went to the APTIOM Marketing Team from Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and their agency partners AbelsonTaylor and CMI/Compas. Meanwhile, Jennifer Thomas, Product Director, Oncology Marketing, Janssen Biotech, Inc. was named the Trailblazer Marketer of the Year.
This year’s Pharmaceutical or Biotech Company of the Year Gold Winner went to Amgen, while UCB took home Silver. The Medical Device/Diagnostics Company of the Year Gold Winner was Baxter International Inc. and Celsee Diagnostics was named the Silver Winner. Additionally, Shire was named the Specialty Pharma Company of the Year with Horizon Pharma being named the Silver Winner in the category.
This year’s PM360 Lifetime Achievement Award went to Douglas G. Watson, Chairman of OraSure Technologies Inc. and former President & CEO of Novartis Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Novartis AG. Doug has a long history of developing patient-centric programs and initiatives—long before it became the buzzword that it is today. His team introduced transdermal delivery pharmaceuticals, both colored and single-use contact lenses, fixed price guarantees with Lotensin, and the use of a celebrity spokespersons by featuring Yankees great Mickey Mantle with the Voltaren launch.
“Throughout his career, Doug Watson exemplified loyalty and integrity as he remained with the same organization for 33 years while always preaching that his employees do the right thing,” explains Stashower. “Additionally, he constantly put the patient first with several groundbreaking initiatives.”
Entries are judged and winners selected by the PM360 Editorial Advisory Board, a cross section of experts from across the industry. Winning entries were judged based on different criteria for each major category including Company of Year (innovation, talent development, and social responsibility), Brand Champions (innovation, leadership, communication, analytical, and organizational skills) and Initiatives (content, format, success in reaching targeted audience, and overall quality).
Each distinguished themselves in their ability to stand out in the complex healthcare environment. Additionally, the Marketer of the Year award singles out the individual who best exemplifies the most insightful, forward-thinking, and transformative marketing ideas and actions in the industry, while the Marketing Team award recognizes the group who best met those qualifications. PM360 will publish profiles of this year’s Trailblazer winners in its October issue.
This year’s PM360 Trailblazer winners include:
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT
Douglas G. Watson, Chairman of OraSure Technologies Inc. and former President & CEO of Novartis Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Novartis AG
MARKETER OF THE YEAR
Jennifer Thomas, Product Director, Oncology Marketing, Janssen Biotech, Inc.
MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
APTIOM Marketing Team (Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Agency Partners: AbelsonTaylor, CMI/Compas)
PHARMACEUTICAL/BIOTECH COMPANY OF THE YEAR: Silver Winner
UCB
PHARMACEUTICAL/BIOTECH COMPANY OF THE YEAR: Gold Winner
Amgen
MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANY OF THE YEAR: Silver Winner
Celsee Diagnostics
MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANY OF THE YEAR: Gold Winner
Baxter International Inc.
SPECIALTY PHARMA COMPANY OF THE YEAR Silver Winner
Horizon Pharma plc
SPECIALTY PHARMA COMPANY OF THE YEAR: Gold Winner
Shire
ADVERTISING AGENCY OF THE YEAR: Silver Winner
Concentric Health Experience
ADVERTISING AGENCY OF THE YEAR: Gold Winner
AbelsonTaylor
SUPPLIER/VENDOR OF THE YEAR: Silver Winner
Lifescript
SUPPLIER/VENDOR OF THE YEAR: Gold Winner
InCrowd
BRAND CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS
Autoimmune: James R. Berger, Associate Director, Entyvio, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
Cardiology: Donna Fromhold, Group Product Director, XARELTO, Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Central Nervous System: Chris Saunders, Sr. Director, U.S. Marketing Lead, Neuroscience Franchise, Shire
Dermatology: Jon Meneese, Director, Rosacea Franchise and Lee Hatton, Associate Director, Acne, Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
Diabetes/Metabolic Disorders: Kevin Bell, Diabetes Marketing Director, AstraZeneca
Gastrointestinal: Catharine Sanders, Patient Engagement Lead, IBD Marketing, UCB
Hematology/Oncology: Dr. Norm Nagl, Executive Director, International Medical Lead, Merck & Co.
Infectious Disease: Andrea Porzio, Director, HCV Marketing, Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Innovation: Lisa Flaiz, Group Product Director, Digital Marketing, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
Managed Markets: Beth Davis, Entyvio Brand Lead, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A Inc.
Medical Device/Diagnostics: Angela Donohue, Global Platform Leader, Oral Healthcare, Dentsply Sirona
Men’s Health: Erica Krakower, Senior Marketing Manager, Pfizer
Ophthalmology/Optometry: Michelle Poole, MBA, Sr. Director Marketing – Ophthalmology, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Pain/Inflammation: Matthew D. Tucker, Senior Director, Specialty Marketing, Mylan N.V.
Rare Diseases: Manny Gaspar, Director, Hereditary Angioedema Marketing, Genetic Diseases Franchise, Shire
Respiratory: Henry McMillan, Senior Director, Respiratory Marketing, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Women’s Health: Therese Heimbold, RN, BSN, Marketing Director, Galen US
INITIATIVE WINNERS
APP/DIGITAL SOLUTION OR SUITE
Myrbetriq / RunPee Movie App Sponsorship (Astellas, Pathway, Katalyst)
CONSUMER WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE
LVNG With (AstraZeneca, DigitasLBi)
DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER CAMPAIGN
ELIQUIS (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Publicis North America)
DIRECT-TO-PATIENT CAMPAIGN
CINRYZE Campaign (Shire, Dudnyk)
EMR/EHR PROGRAM
EMR Coupons & Co-Pay Access (PSKW/PDR)
HCP EDUCATION
Astellas Learn & Earn Driving Challenge (Astellas, Katalyst)
INTERACTIVE MARKETING PROGRAM
Insights, Research and Messaging Achieve Increased Understanding of Diagnosis and Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder (Shire, Healthcasts)
PATIENT/CONSUMER EDUCATION
You Don’t Know Jack About MS (Teva Pharmaceuticals, Intouch Solutions, Rx Mosaic)
PERSISTENCE/ADHERENCE PROGRAM
SaxendaCare® (Novo Nordisk, MicroMass Communications, Inc.)
POINT OF CARE
Patient Mobile Connect and Digital Infusion Room Tablet (ContextMedia:Health)
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Atypical Antipsychotic Product Launch (Otsuka, Lundbeck, Concentric Health Experience)
PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN
Iressa Global Campaign (AstraZeneca, AbelsonTaylor)
PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE
AskNow Service Platform Launch for Entresto (Novartis, Havas Lynx)
SALES AID
Praxbind Virtual Reality MOA (by Confideo Labs for Boehringer Ingelheim)
SELF-PROMOTION
“Call for Good Creative” (Sentrix Health Communications)
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Straight Talk Acromegaly (Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Ruder Finn)
UNBRANDED CAMPAIGN
Caregivers Speak Up (The Bloc)
VIDEO/TV CAMPAIGN
Linzess – “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” (Allergan, Inc., Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc., FCB Health)
