WHAT’S NEW
NEW HEALTHCARERELATED PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND COMPANIES
Grey Healthcare Group Establishes Global Franchise for ONCOLOGY-FOCUSED BRANDED COMMUNICATIONS
Grey Healthcare acquires Darwin Medical Communications to provide oncology-related communications and to establish a medical education hub in Europe.
In a move to launch the strongest oncology communications practice in the world, Grey Healthcare Group Inc. (GHG) has acquired Darwin Medical Communications Ltd. Darwin Grey Communications, as the company now is known, specializes in oncology medical education and branding in addition to providing the full spectrum of pharmaceutical marketing services to U.S. and international markets.
The oncology therapeutic category has annual sales of more than $50 billion and has more than 125 breakthrough biological and chemical products in the pipeline.
In addition to furthering GHG’s vision of creating a global oncology communications company, Darwin Grey establishes a GHG medical education hub in Europe that aims to meet the pharmaceutical industry’s need for multidisciplinary communications to doctors, patients, and their caretakers that are con trolled, accurate, and branded.
Darwin Grey works closely with BrandEdge, GHG’s New York-based strategic branding and consulting group, to focus on global branding, naming, logo development, and portfolio branding for oncology products.
The company continues to develop integrated healthcare communication programs to deliver targeted strategic planning through all phases of a product’s lifecycle. In addition, the company will develop strategic and tactical activities through its expertise in opinion leader development, medical writing, publishing, event management, exhibition services, information technology, and in-house media capabilities.
“Grey Healthcare Group has identified oncology communications as one of the major growth areas for marketing communications. Darwin is one of the fastest growing companies in the field and we are thrilled to bring these two outstanding companies together,” says Edward H. Meyer, chairman and CEO of Grey Global Group.
Boston University Offers NEXT-GENERATION MBA
The School of Management at Boston University has become the only business school in the world to offer the MSMBA, a program that encompasses concurrent master’s degrees in both business and information systems.
According to Boston University Professor N. Venkatraman, during the past 50 years, the content of MBA programs has evolved and adapted according to business philosophies of the time. MBA pro grams have experienced two main cycles. The first, the quantitative cycle, emphasized scientific management and operations research.
The second, the finance cycle, was a response to the rise of the modern corporation. During this second cycle, MBA programs stressed corporate finance, risk management, financial engineering, and the role of investment banking. Mr. Venkatraman says current business school rankings reflect this second cycle.
The next business cycle to affect MBA program content, which he says is still in its infancy, responds to the digital revolution’s impact on strategic management and operations. Mr.Venkatraman says this is about competing in the postindustrial age.
The MS MBA focuses on this new networked-business cycle. The MS MBA enables highly motivated graduate business students to earn both a traditional master of business administration degree with a concentration in one of the various business disciplines, as well as a master of science in information systems.
In this intensive program, the two degrees can be earned in the same 21month period normally required to earn a fulltime MBA, while still providing for a summer internship experience. The MS MBA is targeted toward CEOs and entrepreneurs around the world.
‘What business is about — namely, producing desirable products and services, at the lowest real cost, in the fastest time, and at the highest quality — has not changed,” says Louis E. Lataif, Dean of Boston University’s School of Management.
‘What has changed is how business functions. Information technology is radically affecting how businesses are structured, how products are developed, how customers are served, how productivity is improved, how quality is strengthened, and how speed to market is increased. Executives with this MS MBA education will distinguish themselves by their depth of insight and competence in this environment,” he says.
Cliggott Publishing Launches Quarterly HEADACHE-FOCUSED JOURNAL
Cliggott Publishing Co. has launched Headache & Pain: Diagnostic Challenges, Current Therapy. The new journal is published quarterly in association with the Diamond Headache Clinic Research and Educational Foundation, with the first issue slated for release this month.
Headache & Pain provides practical clinical help to an audience of more than 12,000 high-prescribing physicians in primary care, neurology, emergency medicine, and pain management.
The journal replaces Headache Quarterly, previously published by the Diamond Headache Clinic. Seymour Diamond, M.D., founder and director of the clinic, serves as editor-in-chief.
Cliggott Publishing publishes journals in a variety of fields, including primary care, infectious dis eases, pulmonary medicine, allergy, rheumatology, cardiology, critical care, orthopedics, urology, pediatrics, and managed care.
Cliggott Publishing is a division of SCP Communications Inc., which also provides continuing medical education, publishes references books and medical textbooks, handbooks, CDROMS, and videotapes; and offers a wide array of services for marketing programs, including tele-communications broadcasts, live event planning, and Web based programs.
SCP Communications also is the parent company of Premier Research, a full-service contract research organization located in Philadelphia.
Fusion MEDICAL EDUCATION Launched
Axis Healthcare Communications has added Fusion Medical Education LLC to its family of healthcare companies. Fusion is the conceptual idea of Laura Shepherd and Neil Matheson, both of whom bring extensive and distinguished experience in continuing medical education to the new company.
As managing director, Ms. Shepherd is responsible for managing day-to-day operations and facilitating t he development implementation, and delivery of programs and materials. Mr.Matheson is CEO of Axis Healthcare Communications LLC.
Working in partner ship with leading medical experts, universities, medical specialty groups, and industry, Fusion develops continuing medical education (CME) meetings, training and preceptor pro grams, Websites, books, videos, and other appropriate media.
All programs will be in compliance with the standards set forth by the ACCME, as well as the recommendations and opinions of the Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association.
Fusion’s approach to medical education responds to concerns of medical associations, physicians, and consumer groups, as well as state legislators, about the information disseminating practices of pharmaceutical companies.
In recent years, educational programs developed by pharmaceutical companies have come under much criticism. There is concern that educational meetings developed by the pharma industry may not be an unbiased source of information.
” There is a crucial need in the professional healthcare community for educational programs that are independently developed and provide high-quality, credible information and practical training,” Ms. Shepherd says.
“Fusion dedicates itself to the implementation of cutting-edge, informative, and balanced pro grams and offers companies the opportunity to support these programs that have been developed by leading healthcare experts to provide useful, up-to-date clinical information to satisfy unmet medical education needs.”
Laura Shepherd says there is a crucial need in the professional healthcare community for educational programs that are independent from pharmaceutical companies.
Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer Expands Consumer Capability With FOCUS ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer is expanding its consumer marketing business. As part of this effort, the agency has hired Brian Heffernan, former president of J.Walter Thompson Chicago, to serve as executive VP and lead GSW’s consumer group with responsibility for overseeing GSW’s current consumer accounts.
The consumer group primarily is focused on attracting and serving accounts that relate to health and wellbeing. This type of business may include direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceutical products, marketing for over-the-counter products, marketing for health-services companies, including hospitals and long-term care facilities, and working with general market companies to develop brands that appeal to today’s health-conscious consumers.
“As we look toward the future, our goal is to continue expanding the strong professional marketing competency we have built, while at the same time developing a world-class consumer marketing capability that will complement and support our professional work,” says Phil Deschamps, president of Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer. ‘Our goal is to bring a unique perspective to our clients on how healthcare products and services are consumed by the physician, payer, patient, and consumer. GSW will now be well-positioned to deliver even more integrated marketing, advertising, and promotional solutions to our clients.”
Mr. Heffernan is responsible for generating new business for the group as well as leading the agency’s existing relationships with consumer clients. Before joining GSW, Mr. Heffernan spent more than 15 years at J. Walter Thompson in senior business development roles and, most recently, as president of the Chicago office.
“As baby boomers age and innovative advances in healthcare continue to be developed, the next quarter century will bring a focus and fascination with all things related to health and well-being,” Mr. Heffernan says. “The impact on society will transcend age groups. I can’t think of a more exciting place to be.”
Brian Heffernan is directing GSW’s expanded consumer group. “As baby boomers age and innovative advances in healthcare continue to be developed, the next quarter century will bring a focus and fascination with all things related to health and well being. The impact on society will transcend age groups.”
BBDO New York Launches Division Dedicated to DTCAND PHARMACEUTICAL ADVERTISING
BBDO New York has launched BBDO Health Work, a division dedicated to direct-to-consumer and pharmaceutical advertising. The unit is headed by Anne Devereux, a recognized leader in healthcare advertising.
“This is an important growth opportunity for us,” says Andrew Robertson, president of BBDO Worldwide and CEO of BBDO North America. “In Anne Devereux, we have finally found the person to make this happen. By naming the new division BBDO Health Work, we have made it abundantly clear that our focus and plan is to create the most focused, motivating, breakthrough, and results-driven work in the category.”
According to Ms. Devereux, president of the new division, because there were only half the number of new entities submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval in 2002, there will be fewer new products launched during the next few years, putting considerably more pressure on current com pounds and those new products to succeed.
‘Clients are looking for agency partners with the sophistication to help them understand the importance of getting diagnosed, treated, and staying on therapy for as long as their doctor prescribes,” she says. ” And all of this needs to be done with maximized message efficiency and optimized return on investment.”
According to Ms. Devereux, BBDO Health Work is expected to bring efficiency in spending and the creative firepower of BBDO to help devise smarter strategies that are meaningful and that encourage people to take action. BBDO Health Work is based in New York and will draw upon all of the resources of the BBDO Worldwide network, including online, direct, CRM, public relations, and more.
Anne Devereux leads BBDO Health Work, which focuses on DTC advertising.
CARDINAL HEALTH Creates Biotechnology and Sterile Life-Science Business, Opens Advanced Drug Development and Services Center
Cardinal Health Inc. has formed a new business, Biotechnology and Sterile Life Sciences, to bring together a full complement of existing biotechnology and sterile technology and services, furthering Cardinal Health’s strategy to expand the breadth of its offering to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Frank Leo has been named president of the new business, which offers a full range of services — from drug discovery to the commercial manufacture of sterile pharmaceuticals and biotechnology based products. The new business operates under the Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services group of Cardinal Health.
Combined with other services offered by Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services, Biotechnology and Sterile Life Sciences provides a seamless transition from protein drug development to commercial-scale manufacturing. The new business offers customers the added benefit of access to other Cardinal Health services such as contract sales, logistics, specialty distribution of commercial products, and medical education.
In addition, Cardinal Health has opened a new center that delivers a full range of advanced pharmaceutical services. These services include drug development, analytical science, formulation of innovative delivery technologies, and clinical manufacturing.
Located in Somerset, N.J., the facility enhances sourcing resources worldwide. The 265,000squarefoot facility, which cost $80 million, employs almost 125 scientists and researchers.
The full-service ,drug-development facility allows the Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services group to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the drug-development process.
The new center houses a state-of-the-art pilot plant for producing clinical supplies on a turnkey basis. The center also includes lab oratories that can formulate many of Cardinal Health’s proprietary delivery technologies.
‘The Somerset facility provides a sterling example of how Cardinal Health makes healthcare work better and provides the broadest range of products and services in the healthcare industry,” says Robert D. Walter, chairman and CEO of Cardinal Health. “We can assist pharmaceutical and bio-technology firms to overcome internal resource constraints while handling the development demands of their drug pipelines to ensure their products get to market faster and more efficiently.”
The Somerset center is the most significant facility investment in the company’s 30year history, and the new facility reflects a shift during the past two decades in how drugs come to market.
Drug-development costs have skyrocketed, resulting in not enough compounds being discovered and fewer drugs emerging from the industry’s pipelines to meet pharmaceutical companies’ return on investment goals. These developments have made outsourcing a growing trend for development and manufacturing.
The Somerset facility has the proficiency and proprietary delivery technologies to develop and manufacture virtually any dosage form of oral drugs. The center specializes in soft-gel, oral solid and liquid, and the company ‘s proprietary Zydis technologies.
“We can assist pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms to overcome internal resource constraints while handling the development demands of their drug pipelines to ensure their products get to market faster and more efficiently,” says Robert D. Walter.
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BBDO NEW YORK, New York, is the flagship office of BBDO Worldwide, the third-largest global agency network. BBDO Worldwide is a part of Omnicom Group Inc., a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. For more information, visit bbdo.com.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY, The School of Management, Boston, is the business school of Boston University. For more information, visit management.bu.edu.
CARDINAL HEALTH INC., Dublin, Ohio, is a provider of products and services supporting the healthcare industry. Cardinal Health companies develop, manufacture, package, and market products for patient care; develop drug delivery technologies; distribute pharmaceuticals, medical, surgical, and laboratory supplies; and offer consulting and other services that improve quality and efficiency in healthcare. For more information, visit cardinal.com.
CLIGGOTT PUBLISHING, Darien, Conn., a division of SCP Communications, publishes 10 leading journals reaching more than 500,000 physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and managed-care decision makers each month. For more information, visit scp.com.
FUSION MEDICAL EDUCATION LLC, Yardley, Pa., a fully owned subsidiary of Axis Healthcare Communications LLC, develops CME meetings, training and preceptor programs, Websites, books, videos, and other appropriate media, all in compliance with the standards set forth by the ACCME, and the recommendations and opinions of the FDA, and the AMA. For more information, email [email protected].
GERBIG,SNELL/WEISHEIMER, Columbus, Ohio, is a full-service marketing and advertising agency and a subsidiary of inChord Communications Inc. For more information, visit.gswa.com.
GREY HEALTHCARE GROUP INC., New York, is the world’s fifth-largest healthcare communications company, providing an extensive array of services supporting global brand acceleration. For more information, visit ghgroup.com.
