Archive for February, 2012

Overcoming Patient Recruitment Issues in Clinical Trials

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Pharmaceutical companies can have more success in drug development if they recruit enough of the right patients into their clinical trials,” says Dr. Jeffrey Litwin, Chief Executive Officer, ERT. More time must be spent on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, so that eligible patients are not unnecessarily excluded, he adds.

From a solution provider company at the upcoming marcus evans Evolution Summit 2012, in Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, Litwin offers his expertise into improving patient recruitment, clinical trial success and innovation.

What could improve the success rate of clinical trials?

Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) have to make sure that protocols are well written, so that the inclusion and exclusion criteria do not eliminate a large number of patients who would otherwise be eligible. Criteria are often copied from another study and new exclusion criteria for that particular drug are added. Some of the exclusions that carry over from one drug to another are inappropriate. What often happens is a study starts and the CMO finds that many people were excluded for an inapplicable reason. Re-writing the protocol ends up being costly and time consuming.

What is missing in clinical development today?

Companies are not sharing their data. Many are working on similar compounds, when others have already found that they do not work. There are few publications of failed studies. Pharmaceutical companies consider this information as a competitive advantage, but the reality is that the industry is spending billions of dollars on drugs that have proven unsuccessful. Also, if a certain compound has failed, it does not mean that it would not succeed in a better designed study or in a different formulation. At least other scientists would have some data to work from. Large pharmaceutical companies would all benefit by sharing information on their failures as much as their successes.

What should they focus more of their time on?

Everyone is focused on drug efficacy and labeling. Of course drug approval is based on that data, but drug safety and pharmacovigilance are important to ensure that patients have adequate information on both the benefits and risks of medications. The centralized collection of data would contribute to better safety databases.

What could CMOs take advantage of today, to enhance or nurture innovation in this field?

They have to look at the big picture, how the drug or drug development program fits into what is currently available in the marketplace and how they can create a marketing or labeling differentiation. What innovation is the drug bringing to the marketplace?

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Evolution Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on the future of drug development, developing a culture of safety and maximizing return on investment.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – life sciences / pharma sector portal

The Pharma Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About ERT

ERT (www.ert.com) is a global technology-driven provider of health outcomes research services and customizable medical devices supporting biopharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) to achieve their drug development and healthcare objectives. ERT harnesses leading technology coupled with unrivaled processes and scientific expertise to collect, analyze, and report on clinical data to support the determination of health outcomes critical to the approval, labeling and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products. ERT is the acknowledged industry leader in centralized cardiac safety and respiratory efficacy services and also provides electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) and Outcomes Assessments for multiple modalities across all phases.

For more information: www.ert.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Empowering Pharmaceutical Company Representatives

Jay Stribling and Ed Becker of Pharmaceutical Operations Provider, a solution provider at the marcus evans PharmaMarketing Summit 2012, on how to empower sales representatives with the tools they need on the job. Interview with: Jay Stribling, President & Chief Executive Officer and Ed Becker, Partner, Pharmaceutical Operations Provider (POP)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pharmaceutical companies must give their sales representatives the tools they need to succeed. This includes real-time transaction processing and physician validation at all times, say Jay Stribling, President & Chief Executive Officer and Ed Becker, Partner, Pharmaceutical Operations Provider (POP). A solution provider at the marcus evans PharmaMarketing Summit 2012 in Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, POP has developed an intuitive application that gives sales representatives that ability on an iPad. Ahead of the event, Stribling and Becker give us an overview of iPoint and how its use can empower pharmaceutical marketing through the sales representative.

Why do you consider operational simplicity a challenge for pharmaceutical marketeers today?

Ed Becker: The challenge I see with anyone in business is to simplify your goals and the means to accomplish them. Operational Simplicity is our solution for pharmaceutical companies looking to connect the dots among their business objectives, sales team, and customers. The idea is to create simple goals that can be measured by all the players at any time. iPoint and the Hub allow you to do that.

How are iPads changing the face of pharmaceutical marketing? How could they be better utilized in the pharmaceutical industry?

Jay Stribling: The iPad provides the ideal interface for presenting and recording your marketing efforts.

The days of printed marketing materials are fading fast. The ability to display and deliver the message electronically in a dynamic way has huge potential. It’s much more than being highly cost-effective. It also about being able to record and track the rep’s presentation times and content presented, to achieve the most effective message.

At the end of the day, this is about increasing sales and improving the organization’s bottom line. Is sales representative empowerment what was missing?

Ed Becker: Sales reps need the ability to see the entire field that they will be managing on a given day. In order to succeed, they need to know where they stand and who their customers are. Everything they do must be tracked, managed and reported so the company can use the information effectively. We consolidate and simplify this process and report the key elements in what we call the feedback-loop dashboard that is visible to all the players.

How can the iPad impact brand loyalty?

Jay Stribling: While the iPad alone will not build and maintain relationships, it does provide some common ground for the reps to break the ice with their customers. It does help in terms of communicating a strong consistent message if utilized correctly; iPoint bridges the relationship gaps. It also helps new sales reps familiarize with the client and what other reps have communicated to them.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the PharmaMarketing Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on social media, healthcare reform and how to approach emerging markets.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – marketing/sales sector portal

The Marketing Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Pharmaceutical Operations Provider

POP provides Operational Simplicity to pharmaceutical companies through iPoint Mobile for iPad and The Hub, a PDMA compliant Web-based SFA tool. The first truly cloud-based SaaS software product for the pharmaceutical industry, the Hub provides CRM, sample accountablility, expense and timesheet management, and integrated prescriber validation services.

For more information: www.getpop.net

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

A Common Quality Language for Better Biomedical Research Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The lack of a common language on the quality of non-regulated biomedical research is resulting in the poor reproducibility of findings, says Ulo Palm, Senior Vice President – Clinical Operations & Biometrics, Forest Research Institute. This is wasting valuable resources and hindering innovation, as the majority of the work is having to be repeated by different laboratories, he adds.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans Evolution Summit 2012, in Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, Palm discusses how common standards for non-regulated biomedical research would create synergies that could lead to drug development breakthroughs.

From your perspective, why is there poor reproducibility of biomedical research findings?

There are no common quality standards or methods, therefore laboratories are producing different results that others are then unsuccessfully trying to validate. The majority of the efforts put into biomedical research are going into replicating work, instead of building on each other’s work and creating synergies. If you take into account that USD 100 billion a year is spent on mostly non-reproducible biomedical research, this has major implications from a productivity perspective.

Besides not spending our money efficiently, we seem to be unable to turn the promises of modern biology into new effective drugs for patients worldwide.

What should these standards include? How would compliance be monitored?

They must cover the process from the concept of an idea to the publishing of research results. This is about creating a common language in biomedical research.

These standards should be voluntary; we still have to continue to trust people. Scientists would state whether they followed the standards and over time, there would be methods developed to verify that they did. To start with, if labs were requested to provide a statement that they did follow the standards, it would go a long way.

Would such standards nurture or hinder innovation and creativity?

They would increase creativity significantly. There is a misconception of what creativity is. People often think that in order to be creative, there should not be any rules, but if you want to be productive with your creativity, you need to use tools in the way they were designed for.

For example, you cannot be a very creative musician without knowing how to play any instruments. Only when you know and follow the basic rules can your mind free up for creativity. You do not want to be creative in how you conduct your research, but in the concept of research. If the technical aspects of biomedical research were standardized, scientists would really be able to focus on the science.

We need a common quality language to create synergies in biomedical research that could lead to breakthroughs for patients who are desperately waiting for new research outcomes.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Evolution Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on the future of drug development, developing a culture of safety and maximizing return on investment.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – life sciences / pharma sector portal

The Pharma Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Pharmaceutical Marketing Driven by Science

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Pharmaceutical marketeers need to find a balance between science and commercialization,” says Josh Schafer, Vice President, Global Oncology Strategy, Astellas Pharma. It is the innovative science that drives our business, so marketeers must have a fundamental understanding of the science and how it can be translated into commercial and patient value, he adds.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans PharmaMarketing Summit 2012 in Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, Schafer talks about pharmaceutical marketing and why science should be driving marketing decisions. 

How is the pharmaceutical marketplace changing?

The industry is undergoing a transformation. The days of blockbuster drugs are behind us. Pharmaceutical companies need to find opportunities in smaller drug categories and patient segments. The ability to understand those and having a more intimate relationship with patients and other customers is the way of the future.

Would you say that the traditional methods for marketing pharmaceutical products are no longer effective?

They have worked up to this point, in a marketplace that was receptive to that. Now the marketplace and customer expectations are shifting, and the industry needs to shift with it. We need to be much more dynamic, flexible and creative in how we market in the future.

Marketing executives need to find a balance between science and commercialization. They must have a fundamental understanding of the science and how it can be translated into commercial and patient value. Science should be driving marketing decisions.

In the future, we need to ensure that innovative new products with clinical benefits reach patients. And as marketeers we need to do this in a way that goes beyond the traditional methods of promotional activity.

How is Astellas Pharma planning to reach its goal of becoming a global cancer treatment leader by 2015?

There are several elements to reaching our goal of becoming a Global Category Leader in Oncology. First, we are making sure that we are developing the right products to bring to the market and patients, and secondly we have built the infrastructure to bring new therapies to patients around the world.

Finally, it is important to have strong corporate support and commitment to the therapeutic area, as complex and dynamic areas require significant resources to be successful.

We have been able to put all of these pieces in place over the last three years and position ourselves as a category leader in oncology within that timeframe.

What is the best way of maintaining brand loyalty in this industry?

To maintain brand loyalty, pharmaceutical companies must demonstrate a commitment to patient care and ongoing innovation to bring new therapies that benefit patients. At the same time, companies have to understand the complexities of managing patients in a clinical practice and provide the support their customers need to better engage with patients.

Ultimately it is the commitment to innovation and advancing the science that helps drive loyalty.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the PharmaMarketing Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, Illinois, April 30 – May 2, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on social media, healthcare reform and how to approach emerging markets.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – marketing/sales sector portal

The Marketing Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com