Healthy Skepticism Library item: 11497
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: news
Pfizer Proves It Can Do More with Lipitor - Protecting Vital Access to Patients at the Heart of Winning Managed Care Strategy
Business Wire 2007 Aug 30
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=471340&categoryid=43
Full text:
FEASTERVILLE, Pa.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug 30, 2007 – With Lipitor’s formulary access constricting due to generic competition and looming patent expiration, Pfizer aims to extend the health of its flagship cholesterol reducer with an aggressive promotional regimen rivaling that of a new drug in its launch phase. During the first half of 2007 Lipitor was the most-promoted drug to leading pharmacy executives, according to Cognet-X’s PAR-Rx (Promotional Assessment Research) Report™.
At the center of this effort is Pfizer’s strategy to maintain, and in some cases regain, “preferred” access to Lipitor for millions of Americans whose drug coverage is controlled by a managed care plan’s formulary.
The crowded cholesterol-reducing market includes generic Zocor (simvastatin), AstraZeneca’s Crestor and Merck/Schering-Plough’s Vytorin. During the same period, PAR-Rx promotional activity of these two branded competitors was little more than half of Lipitor’s.
To preserve valuable access and market share, Pfizer is offering more flexible contract and rebate terms, PAR-Rx panelists report: 0 “Contract offered for Lipitor with Tier 2 (preferred) status
without any step therapy or prior authorization restrictions.”
Nonetheless, challenges remain for the blockbuster nearest to Pfizer’s heart: 0 “We recently removed Lipitor from formulary due to simvastatin
generic.”
“Managed markets access and reimbursement are critical to every brand’s success, and Pfizer seems aggressively committed to keeping Lipitor’s market share healthy for as long as possible in the product’s life cycle,” said Sharon Bender, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives at Cognet-X. “Because Lipitor is vitally important to Pfizer’s bottom line, the company will continue to ‘do more’ to make the brand attractive to managed care.”
Rounding out the top 5 most-promoted products to PAR-Rx panelists in the first half of 2007, were:
2nd – Abbott Laboratories’ rheumatoid arthritis therapy Humira, which recently gained a new indication for Crohn’s disease
3rd – Merck’s Januvia/Janumet, new oral treatments for Type 2 diabetes
4th – Novartis’ Tekturna, the first direct renin inhibitor marketed to treat hypertension
5th – Daiichi Sankyo/Forest Laboratories’ Benicar line, for hypertension
About the PAR-Rx Report
Cognet-X’s PAR-Rx Report is a year-round service that provides the pharmaceutical and biotech industry with timely, Internet-based competitive intelligence on pharmaceutical company promotion to influential managed care pharmacy executives. The Report offers Cognet-X clients the ability to evaluate and analyze variable differences that are critically important to their decision-making process.
About Cognet-X
Cognet-X is a privately held, employee-owned healthcare research, consulting and software development firm based in Bucks County, PA. The company’s focus is providing and developing business intelligence solutions centered on the managed care marketplace for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
For more information about the PAR-Rx Report™ or other Cognet-X services, please contact:
Sharon Bender, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives 215-396-8300 ×148 (sharonb@cognetx.com) or
Rick Bourland, Executive Director, Sales & Marketing 215-396-8300 ×103 (rickb@cognetx.com)
Contact
Cognet~X
Sharon Bender, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives
215-396-8300 ×148
sharonb@cognetx.com
or
Rick Bourland, Executive Director, Sales & Marketing
215-396-8300 ×103
rickb@cognetx.com
