New Healthcare-related Products, Services, and Companies
inChord and DWA Create New Agency The new agency’s focus is on providing pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing to clients in Italy and the surrounding region. inChord Communications Inc. and DWA have partnered to create a new agency, DWA Health, which is based in Milan, Italy, and has an additional office in Turin, Italy. The agency is jointly owned by inChord and DWA. Strategic leadership is provided by Edgardo Bianco, who is chairman of DWA and CEO of DWA Health. Phil Deschamps of inChord serves as president, and Peter Comber of DWA serves as VP, creative director. Also, Alessandra Toscano, a 10-year veteran of the healthcare advertising industry, serves as chief strategic officer and director of client services for DWA Health; she is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the new agency. “Healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing is a rapidly growing industry in Italy,” Mr. Comber says. “We are very optimistic about the opportunities for new client partnerships that will arise from the creation of DWA Health.” He and the other agency leaders expect to cull clients from inChord’s roster of global pharma clients, as well as Italian healthcare companies or divisions seeking a local advertising agency to handle their marketing efforts. “Over the past several years, inChord has made a significant investment in building its global network by partnering with strong independent agencies in each of the key global markets,” says Blane Walter, chairman and CEO of inChord. “DWA was a natural fit. The agency has established a reputation in Italy for producing fresh creative work and providing exceptional client service.” Alessandra Toscano, Chief Strategic Officer and Director of Client Services for DWA Health, oversees the daily operations of the new agency created through the partnership of inChord Communications and DWA. Every Woman Magazine Expands Distribution In 2006, Every Woman magazine will expand from an annual publication to a quarterly publication. Its Spanish-language sister publication, Toda Mujer, will become semiannual. Both publications have future plans to market directly to consumers via subscription and newsstand sales. These changes have been made under the leadership of Healthspring Inc., which purchased the five-year-old magazine earlier in 2005. Other changes have included the promotion of Marcus Diggle to CEO. Every Woman and Toda Mujer are the only consumer publications to contain health information and advice written by leading women’s health nurses and reviewed by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). The magazine also is actively distributed by AWHONN nurses to their patients during the moment of care to help women take a more active role in their own healthcare and to help drive patient compliance with both drug treatment and lifestyle changes. “Distribution is increasing primarily because Every Woman is actively used as an educational tool by AWHONN nurses who use the content to provide incremental health information to their patients during in-office moment-of-care situations to help drive patient compliance with both drug treatments and lifestyle changes,” Mr. Diggle says. J&J Names Selection Committee for Inaugural Dr. Paul Janssen Award The Dr. Paul Janssen Award seeks to promote, recognize, and reward the same passion and creativity that allowed Dr. Janssen to move the boundaries of medical science and to touch the lives of millions of people. We are especially proud of the global composition of the search committee, which represents today’s rapidly evolving scientific research community, says Dr. Per Peterson, Chairman, Research and Development, Pharmaceutical Group at Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson has appointed a top-level scientific committee of international experts to serve as the selection committee for the inaugural Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. The award was created in honor of Dr. Paul Janssen, the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, which later became part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. Dr. Paul Janssen, or “Dr. Paul” as he was known throughout the scientific community, was one of the 20th century’s most gifted and passionate scientists who revolutionized modern medicine and inspired a new generation of researchers. At the time of his death in 2003, Dr. Paul’s work had produced more than 80 medicines that helped save millions of lives. The award selection committee includes: Dr. Arvid Carlsson of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, a 2000 Nobel Laureate in physiology and medicine; Dr. Jean Marie Lehn, professor, Collège de France, a 1987 Nobel Laureate in chemistry; Dr. Hartmut Michel, director, department of molecular membrane biology, University of Frankfurt, Germany, a 1988 Nobel Laureate in chemistry; Dr. Edward Scolnick, director of the Psychiatry Initiative at the Broad Institute and former president of Merck Research Laboratories; Dr. Sol Snyder, professor and director of the department of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 1978 cowinner of the Albert Lasker Award, and 2003 winner of the National Medal of Science; and Sir Richard Sykes, rector of Imperial College, London, and former CEO of GlaxoWellcome. The award, which includes a $100,000 prize, will be given every two years to an active scientist in academia, industry, or a scientific institute. It will acknowledge the work of an individual who has made a significant, transformational contribution toward the improvement of human health. The first award will be presented in September 2006 at the Dr. Paul Janssen Biomedical Research Scientific Symposium and Award Program to be held in Beerse, Belgium, where Janssen Pharmaceutica was first established. “We are very pleased to establish the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research in recognition of Dr. Paul’s many pioneering contributions to the field of medicine and to have enlisted a world-renowned selection committee to identify a scientist who perfectly embodies the tradition of his scientific excellence,” says Per Peterson, M.D., Ph.D, chairman, research and development, pharmaceutical group, at J&J. Every Woman is a multimedia, bilingual women’s healthcare brand that delivers Rx-grade patient education to millions of women to spur behavior changes that lead to healthier lifestyles, says Marcus Diggle, CEO, Healthspring Communications Inc. M&A Activity Aptuit Inc., Greenwich, Conn., which focuses on streamlining and supporting the drug-development process for biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovators, has completed its acquisition of Almedica International. Almedica provides clinical-trial materials to more than 150 customers globally and has facilities in Allendale, N.J., and Deeside, United Kingdom. This acquisition, along with Aptuit’s recent purchase of Quintiles Early Development and Packaging business units, makes Aptuit the largest global provider of clinical packaging and logistics services by capacity. The company’s complete suite of drug-development services now includes: regulatory and strategic consulting, informatics, preclinical technologies, drug substance and drug product development, as well as clinical-trial materials. For more information, visit aptuit.com. Esprit Pharma Inc., East Brunswick, N.J., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the urology and ob/gyn areas, has acquired all of Metagen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Pompano Beach, Fla., and its operating subsidiaries, Star Pharmaceuticals and Stellar Pharmacal. Esprit also has acquired Metagen’s flagship product, Prosed EC, which is indicated for the relief of discomfort of the lower urinary tract and will expand the company’s focus in that therapeutic area. This is the third product acquired by Esprit since the company’s formation in June 2005. For more information, visit espritpharma.com. Jubilant Organosys Ltd., Uttar Pradesh, India, an integrated pharmaceuticals company, has acquired Target Research Associates Inc., a full-service clinical research organization based in Berkeley Heights, N.J. The deal marks the first-ever acquisition of a U.S. CRO by an Indian company and makes Jubilant the largest Indian CRO, with operations in India and United States. Jubilant has acquired a 100% equity stake in Target for a payment of $33.5 million in cash. The acquisition is earnings accretive to Jubilant. Target is now able to offer its U.S. clients all of the benefits of providing clinical research services out of India, including data-management services and access to a large patient population of diversified ethnicity. For more information, visit jubl.com. MedImmune Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., a life-sciences company focused on infectious diseases, cancer, and inflammatory diseases, has expanded its pipeline of potential drug candidates by agreeing to acquire privately held Cellective Therapeutics Inc., an early-stage biopharmaceutical company also based in Gaithersburg, Md. The transaction provides MedImmune with three preclinical stage monoclonal antibody programs that are believed to play important roles in regulating the immune system. MedImmune has acquired all outstanding equity interests of Cellective in a cash transaction. For more information, visit medimmune.com. Pfizer Inc., New York, a healthcare company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets leading prescription medicines, has completed its acquisition of Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc., King of Prussia, Pa., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel anti-infectives for both hospital-based and community-acquired infections. Through the transaction, Pfizer has acquired two new product candidates currently under review by the FDA: anidulafungin for fungal infections and dalbavancin for Gram-positive infections. Adding these product candidates broadens Pfizer’s presence in anti-infectives. In connection with the closing, shares of Vicuron common stock have been delisted from the Nasdaq and the Italian Nuovo Mercato stock exchanges. For more information, visit pfizer.com. Premier Research Group plc., Crowthorne, United Kingdom, a contract research organization with experience in oncology, CNS, and anti-infectives, has acquired PharmData Inc., Marietta, Ga., a biometrics contract research organization with an emphasis on clinical-data management, statistical analysis, and medical writing. The combination of PharmData’s strong data management, statistical expertise, and IT and project delivery processes with Premier Research’s existing U.S. and international operations offers a number of complementary synergies to the enlarged group. The addition advances Premier Research’s strategy of building an international business both organically and through acquisitions. It comes on the heels of the company’s acquisition of the German company EPA Euro Pharma earlier this year. For more information, visit premier-research.com. Wolters Kluwer Health, a Philadelphia-based provider of information for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy, and the pharmaceutical industry, has acquired Boucher Communications Inc. (BCI), a vision-care information company based in Fort Washington, Pa. BCI assets will become a part of Wolters Kluwer Health’s Medical Research unit, giving the unit a leadership position in the optometry, opticianry, and ophthalmology markets. BCI’s five core vision-care trade journals offer clinical and practice-management information and business strategies. Additionally, BCI publishes a variety of specialty publications and owns and operates educational conferences and seminars for the vision-care industry. For more information, visit wkhealth.com. Vanguardcomm Relaunched Ethnic marketing pioneer Esther Novak has relaunched VanguardComm with an expanded vision and a new leadership team. Founded in 1995 as Vanguard Communications, the agency quickly gained a reputation as a one-stop shop for companies targeting multicultural audiences in the United States. The firm later operated as Ketchum Vanguard for two years before resuming its independent status. The company is a minority- and woman-owned business with offices in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida. With extensive experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, VanguardComm provides strategic counsel, as well as corporate and marketing communications services that help generate sales and enhance a company’s reputation and brand. The firm’s leadership team includes: Ms. Novak, CEO; Jackie Morey, chief strategy officer, a veteran of multicultural marketing and brand management; Bill Fox, chief operating officer, who brings deep strategic, public policy, operational, and project management expertise; and Joe Ramirez, VP, account supervisor, a marketing and public relations professional with extensive experience in Latin America and Spain. VanguardComm offers one-stop shopping for multicultural marketing, says Esther Novak, CEO, VanguardComm. Health monitor Launches Education Program Health monitor Network has unveiled its Educate program. Developed in direct response to the DTC guidelines issued by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Educate includes a range of educational materials, compliance tools, and information deliverable to patients and physicians in print, electronic, and Web formats. “As a facilitator of dialogue between patients and their physicians, Health monitor Network is well positioned to take an active role in helping pharmaceutical companies support the new PhRMA guidelines,” says Ken Freirich, senior VP at Health monitor. “The new Educate program focuses on education, awareness, compliance, appropriate care, and the encouragement of patients and physicians to speak to each other about all of these important issues.” Health monitor’s 10 publications are distributed in 65,000 physician offices and reach more than 40 million patients, 200,000 physicians, and tens of thousands of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and diabetes educators. “The Health monitor publishing model, which aims to provide targeted health and product information for patients and physicians, coupled with our in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, enabled us to effectively and quickly address the new DTC guidelines,” says Eric Jensen, publisher and president of Health monitor. We believe Health monitor is the perfect conduit to help pharmaceutical companies educate patients about diseases, conditions, and treatment options, and physicians about risks and safety, says Eric Jensen, Publisher and President of Health monitor Network. Cardinal Health Creates Supply Chain Services Unit Cardinal Health Inc. has made organizational changes that combine its market-leading pharmaceutical distribution, medical-products distribution, and nuclear pharmacy services businesses into a single operating unit focused on addressing customer needs for greater information, efficiency, and innovation in their supply chains. The new business, which has more than $70 billion in annual sales, offers a comprehensive portfolio of supply-chain services to the healthcare industry. It is comprised of three primary businesses: Supply Chain Services, Pharmaceuticals; Supply Chain Services, Medical Supply; and Nuclear Pharmacy Services. Ron K. Labrum, a 25-year veteran of the healthcare industry, serves as chairman and CEO of the new unit. “By integrating our supply-chain businesses, we see an opportunity to leverage our significant resources to deliver solutions that can improve the operating performance of our customers and help make healthcare even more efficient,” Mr. Labrum says. “At the same time, we will make Cardinal Health more efficient by standardizing the infrastructure and establishing best practices across our distribution network.” The integrated solutions developed by the supply-chain services organization address customers’ needs: to track usage patterns and complianc , forecast demand, and monitor supplier quality; to help control supply-chain costs; and to redesign outdated processes, automate key functions, improve service levels, and share risk. “The formation of the new unit is consistent with One Cardinal Health, our program to better align company resources behind our efforts to create integrated healthcare solutions for customers,” says Robert D. Walter, chairman and CEO of Cardinal Health. Novo Nordisk Opens Government Affairs Office Michael Mawby, who joined Novo Nordisk in February 2004, heads up the new office in Washington. Novo Nordisk has opened a Government Affairs office in Washington, D.C. The primary goal is to establish a permanent presence in Washington that will increase patient focus and resources for changing diabetes care in the United States while working in partnership with Congress and the federal government. Company officials say this is a further step Novo Nordisk is taking to improve diabetes prevention and treatment, while striving to be the preferred partner for patients, healthcare providers, and healthcare payers who share the company’s vision to change diabetes. Michael Mawby, who joined Novo Nordisk in February 2004, serves as chief government affairs officer, in charge of the Capitol Hill office. Before joining the company, he served as national VP of government relations and advocacy for the American Diabetes Association. “Novo Nordisk remains committed to changing diabetes care on a state and federal level,” says Martin Soeters, president of Novo Nordisk. “The Government Affairs office is instrumental in increasing the company’s voice among congressional leaders and the executive branch to elevate diabetes on the national agenda, while working with patient advocacy groups to improve the lives of people living with the disease.” Redi-Mail Direct Marketing Inc., an operating unit of Redi-Direct Marketing Inc., has formed a strategic alliance with Verispan Inc. to provide high-volume prescriber data for physicians and mid-level practitioners. Through this alliance, Redi-Mail, licensed by the American Medical Association (AMA), combines its strong list solutions and database expertise with Verispan’s Vector One: Prescriber Extract (VOPEX), which provides both physician and mid-level practitioner data, including quintile/decile ratings based on prescribing frequency and habits. These data can help identify physicians, mid-level practitioners, and health professionals who prescribe in a particular market, therapeutic class, or drug. Verispan’s product differentiates between new, continuing, and added patient transactions and/or therapies; calculates data against territory estimates; and quickly produces measures, allowing the pharmaceutical market to define prescribers and view what new vendors and products are being used. “This alliance demonstrates Redi-Mail Direct Marketing’s keen understanding and commitment to providing the latest, most relevant data services available,” says Thomas R. Buckley, CEO of StayinFront Inc. and cofounder of Redi-Mail Direct Marketing. “Our data management and list sourcing technologies, combined with Verispan’s VOPEX, will supply physicians and mid-level practitioner data with enhanced levels of data accuracy that will ultimately yield effective, precise decision making on behalf of our clients.” Redi-Mail Direct Marketing’s services include: list management and sourcing, including AMA, ADA, AOA, ASHP, and IMS; direct mail; fulfillment that combines the latest software technology with traditional fulfillment methods to view and analyze data and manage inventory levels; data management that offers an array of services that can enhance the value of a database; Web applications that use software technology to easily capture, view, and analyze information; and reporting analytics technologies. Redi-Mail Forms Alliance With Verispan to Enhance List Solution Offerings This alliance demonstrates Redi-Mail Direct Marketing’s keen understanding and commitment to providing the latest, most relevant data services available, says Thomas R. Buckley, cofounder of Redi-Mail and CEO of its sister company, StayinFront Inc. Redi-Mail Direct Marketing Inc., an operating unit of Redi-Direct Marketing Inc., has formed a strategic alliance with Verispan Inc. to provide high-volume prescriber data for physicians and mid-level practitioners. Through this alliance, Redi-Mail, licensed by the American Medical Association (AMA), combines its strong list solutions and database expertise with Verispan’s Vector One: Prescriber Extract (VOPEX), which provides both physician and mid-level practitioner data, including quintile/decile ratings based on prescribing frequency and habits. These data can help identify physicians, mid-level practitioners, and health professionals who prescribe in a particular market, therapeutic class, or drug. Verispan’s product differentiates between new, continuing, and added patient transactions and/or therapies; calculates data against territory estimates; and quickly produces measures, allowing the pharmaceutical market to define prescribers and view what new vendors and products are being used. “This alliance demonstrates Redi-Mail Direct Marketing’s keen understanding and commitment to providing the latest, most relevant data services available,” says Thomas R. Buckley, CEO of StayinFront Inc. and cofounder of Redi-Mail Direct Marketing. “Our data management and list sourcing technologies, combined with Verispan’s VOPEX, will supply physicians and mid-level practitioner data with enhanced levels of data accuracy that will ultimately yield effective, precise decision making on behalf of our clients.” Redi-Mail Direct Marketing’s services include: list management and sourcing, including AMA, ADA, AOA, ASHP, and IMS; direct mail; fulfillment that combines the latest software technology with traditional fulfillment methods to view and analyze data and manage inventory levels; data management that offers an array of services that can enhance the value of a database; Web applications that use software technology to easily capture, view, and analyze information; and reporting analytics technologies. Hybridon Changes Name to Idera Pharmaceuticals Hybridon Inc. is now Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company that develops targeted immune therapies based on Toll-like receptors. Idera common shares are traded under a new American Stock Exchange symbol, IDP. “This name change signifies a new era for our company,” says Sudhir Agrawal, D.Phil., president and CEO of Idera. “We believe that our immune modulatory oligo (IMO) therapies are broadly applicable for developing products for the treatment of many diseases.” Idera’s lead candidate is IMO-2055, a TLR9 agonist currently in Phase II clinical testing for treating renal cell carcinoma. The company also is collaborating with Novartis for the discovery, development, and commercialization of IMO drug candidates targeting asthma and allergies.Additionally, the company has presented initial clinical data on the use of IMO as an adjuvant in combination with the Immune Response Corporation’s HIV vaccine. This name change signifies a new era for our company and reflects the significant progress we have made in the development of targeted immune therapies, says Sudhir Agrawal, D.Phil., President and CEO of Idera Pharmaceuticals. Follow up Cardinal Health Inc., Dublin, Ohio, manufactures and distributes pharmaceuticals and medical supplies; offers a range of clinical services; and develops automation products that improve the management and delivery of supplies and medication for hospitals, physician offices, and pharmacies. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com. DWA, Turin, Italy, is an advertising agency. For more information, visit dwa.it. Health monitor Network, New York, is a multimedia consumer health/patient education publishing company. For more information, visit healthmonitor.com. Healthspring Communications Inc., New York, is a bilingual publisher of authored healthcare information. For more information, visit everywomanonline.com. Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, Mass., is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted immune therapies based on modulation of Toll-like receptors. For more information, visit iderapharma.com. inChord Communications Inc., Westerville, Ohio, is a global group of communications companies providing customized marketing solutions to clients in the health and wellness industries. For more information, visit inchord.com. Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N.J., manufactures healthcare products and provides related services for the consumer, pharmaceutical, and medical devices and diagnostics markets. For more information, visit jnj.com. Novo Nordisk Inc., Princeton, N.J., a subsidiary of Novo Nordisk A/S based in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a healthcare company with a broad diabetes product portfolio. For more information, visit novonordisk-us.com. Redi-Mail Direct Marketing, Fairfield, N.J., a member of the Redi-Direct Marketing Inc. family of companies, provides sales and marketing support services, including list management and sourcing, database, lettershop, and fulfillment capabilities. For more information, visit redimail.com. VanguardComm, Milltown, N.J., is a strategic consulting, integrated marketing, and communications firm specializing in multicultural markets. For more information, visit vanguardcomm.com. Verispan Inc., Yardley, Pa., is a healthcare informatics joint venture of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and McKesson Corp. that provides longitudinal, patient-centric information products and services to the healthcare industry. For more information, visit verispan.com.
