As reported in MediaPost Marketing Daily,  the results are in from marketing services firm Epsilon.  Consumers would rather learn about prescription drugs via Web sites and email than through traditional offline advertising and marketing…  While an in-person conversation still topped the list of sources for new information, Epsilon reported that receiving an email from a physician was significantly less desirarble at just 14%.   Other findings include: Consumers who opt to receive emails from pharmaceutical companies are more likely to fill prescriptions and take them properly (42% of respondents said the emails have a direct impact on such offline activities). More loyal to the sender’s products and brands (60% said they have a more favorable opinion of the senders, 53% expressed more loyalty to those products and brands, and 44% said they are more likely to stay on a drug). Read more »

URCH reports in their newly available Cancer Market Trends 2008 – 2012 that Roche is expected to overtake Amgen as the top seller of oncology products. Only Genentech and Merck are expected to post double digit growth, causing a shift in balance for former leaders anofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Read more »

Shire’s Vyvanse™ is the newest addition to the family of medications used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) in children and as of April 23 adults as well.  Given that ADHD is a disorder shrouded in confusion, shame and sometimes controversy, there is a demonstrated  need for premium patient education. We reviewed the “Vyvanse™ : Child’s Starter Kit” (made available to parents by physicians) and found it to be one of the best DTC-Patient Ed pieces we’ve seen in a long while.  The kit consists of: 16 page, full color booklet with basic information about the disease state. Read more »

We all know that Google reads our email.  Those contextual ads in Gmail are the quid pro quo for free Internet email.  With the launch of “Google Health” the question becomes “but will they read my healthcare records?” John Halamka, M.D., CIO of the CareGroup Health System, CIO and Dean of Technology for Harvard Medical,  author of the highly regarded Geek Doctor Blog and an unpaid advisor to Google (hat’s off to Dr. Halamka) says no. Read more »