Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8772

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

Gaudio T.
Novartis and Barrier Therapeutics Ink Deal
NJBIZ 2007 Mar 6
http://www.njbiz.com/article.asp?aID=64342194.3521082.911326.921867.4298146.691&aID2=70093

Full text:

Novartis Pharmaceuticals will begin marketing Vusion Ointment, a diaper-rash salve made by Barrier Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BTRX), to pediatricians across the country in May under a deal announced today. Shares of Barrier, a Princeton-based pharmaceutical company that specializes in dermatological products, were up $0.20, or 3.2 percent, to $6.49 in late morning trading.
Novartis’ consumer health division will spearhead the marketing effort for the Swiss drugmaker and act as a supplement to Barrier’s salespeople. Novartis has its U.S. headquarters in East Hanover.

For every sales call that Novartis makes it will receive an undisclosed flat fee from Barrier, which will continue to handle the product’s development, production, distribution and marketing strategy. The agreement runs through 2008.

“We expect that adding the Novartis promotional efforts will more than double the promotional reach to pediatricians for this unique prescription product,” said Al Altomari, COO of Barrier.

Vusion Ointment treats diaper rash that has been exacerbated by Candida, a fungal infection, in children four weeks and older. More than 40 percent of the some one million outpatient children treated for diaper rash each year have complications caused by Candida, according to Barrier.