Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7251

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

Industry Insider: Some doctors actually say they don't see enough sales reps
The New Jersey Star Ledger 2006 Oct 31
http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-0/116668016329040.xml&coll=1

Abstract:

To hear some doctors tell it, if you’ve seen one drug company sales rep, you’ve seen them all.

Turns out, not every doctor feels that way. In fact, 52 percent of physicians think the number of pharmaceutical sales reps calling on them is appropriate, according to a survey of more than 4,000 physicians conducted by Verispan, a market-research firm.

Just who are these doctors?

The survey found general surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, anesthesiologists and orthopedic surgeons most often reported there aren’t enough sales reps calling on them. Each group reported seeing an average of two or fewer reps per week.

There were exceptions, though. Forty-one percent of general practitioners and family medicine doctors and 35 percent of internists reported there are more reps than necessary or far too many reps in the field. They also reported seeing a higher-than-average number of reps each week — 10.

— Ed Silverman

Analyst sees great things ahead

A combination of strong prescription growth and corporate restructuring will push pharmaceutical companies’ fourth-quarter results beyond analysts’ expectations, according to a Bear Stearns report issued this week.

Bear Stearns analyst John Boris wrote that he expected five of the six drugmakers he follows to beat consensus estimates and he reiterated his “overweight” sector rating for the group.

Boris wrote that the new Medicare drug benefit is driving total prescription growth for the companies. He said prescription growth was up 10.5 percent for the quarter so far, compared with an 8.6 percent growth rate in the third quarter. Prescriptions for cholesterol drugs, antidepressants, diabetes treatments and erectile dysfunction pills were especially noteworthy.

Foreign exchange rates should positively affect sales in the quarter, Boris wrote. He also said restructuring efforts by the companies will help boost earnings.

He wrote that Wyeth, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Schering-Plough will beat estimates, while Merck will meet analyst expectations.

— Associated Press

FDA approves J&J schizophrenia drug

The Food and Drug Administration approved a long-lasting version of Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster schizophrenia treatment Risperdal, a key product for the company.

The once-daily treatment, called Invega, is designed to deliver the active ingredient in Risperdal through a technology that allows the drug to remain in the body over a longer period of time.

“Schizophrenia can be a devastating illness requiring lifelong medication and professional counseling,” said Douglas Throckmorton, deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Invega, whose chemical name is paliperidone, is considered by some to be the most important drug in J&J’s pipeline. It will be marketed in the United States by the company’s Janssen unit.