New Healthcare-related Products, Services, and Companies
The breakthrough use of automated data mining and predictive analytics will ultimately make the costly, inefficient one-size-fits-all ‘shotgun’ mass-media marketing approach to consumers obsolete, says Michael D. Weintraub, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Mindset Marketing Solutions. Mindset Marketing Solutions To Address Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Automated data mining and predictive analytics to improve direct-to-patient targeting. Pharmaceutical and healthcare industry veterans Michael D. Weintraub and Shel Silverberg have launched Mindset Marketing Solutions, which offers products and services to support media planning and advertising, direct-to-patient marketing programs, brand management, and trade sales. According to Mr. Weintraub, Mindset’s founder, chairman, and CEO, pharmaceutical companies spend almost $5 billion a year on direct-to-consumer advertising, which relies on unsophisticated consumer targeting and segmentation systems. “Our ability to provide accurate and timely neighborhood scoring of disease incidence and treatment predictions, as well as the prevalence of medication compliance and persistency for 37 million ZIP + 4 U.S. postal codes, will revolutionize direct-to-patient targeting and segmentation,” Mr. Weintraub says. Using proprietary next-generation mathematical technologies and software under an exclusive licensing agreement, Mindset has launched its first offering, MindScores, a scoring system similar to a FICO credit score that creates accurate and HIPAA-compliant neighborhood ratings. Three scores will be offered: NDIx Score (Neighborhood Disease Index); NTIx Score (Neighborhood Treatment Index); and NCPIx Score (Neighborhood Compliance/Persistency Index). IMS Health Expands Global Oncology Capabilities To support the growing need for comprehensive, clinically rich insights into the global oncology market, IMS Health’s team of oncology experts is helping clients make critical, evidence-based decisions — from the preclinical stage through the entire product lifecycle. IMS’s strategic support to pharmaceutical and biotech clients in oncology includes market assessment, forecasting and competitive intelligence, pricing, reimbursement, and health economics and outcomes research. Oncology, the second-largest and fastest-growing therapeutic class in the world, is expected to become the leading class by 2010 with annual sales doubling to $66 billion. With nine new oncology products slated to launch in 2007 and more than 90 products in Phase III clinical trials or pre-approval stage, growth in this market shows no sign of slowing. IMS’s alliance with IntrinsiQ Research, a producer of U.S. oncology information, provides a license to incorporate IntrinsiQ’s U.S.-based anonymized patient-level oncology information into IMS’s multicountry oncology offering, Oncology Analyzer. With the integration of U.S. information, IMS provides a complete view of cancer care into seven major countries, covering 85% of the world’s oncology market. Lilly Expands Biotech Capabilities Eli Lilly has completed the first phase of a $560 million expansion to its biotech complex in Indianapolis. The investment is part of a $1 billion effort to strengthen and build the company’s biotechnology drug research and development capabilities. The crown jewel of the first phase of construction is a state-of-the-art bioproducts pilot manufacturing plant that will help the company bring advanced biotech medicines to patients through more efficient, productive, and dependable manufacturing processes. The company also announced the opening of a research support facility, into which 700 scientists, engineers, and support staff will relocate. “These investments reinforce Lilly’s position as a biotech leader,” says John Lechleiter, Ph.D., Lilly’s president and chief operating officer. “In tandem with our rich history of biotechnology, they give us a competitive advantage to discover, develop, and launch important new biotech therapies.” Lilly is the fifth largest biotech company in the world as measured by total sales. Biotech medicines in several therapeutic categories account for about 30% (eight drugs) of its total drug portfolio and representing almost $3.6 billion of the company’s 2005 sales. Biotech medicines also represented one-third of the company’s drug pipeline at the end of 2005. The construction of the three buildings, along with Lilly’s acquisition in 2004 of Applied Molecular Evolution — a San Diego-based operation that conducts protein optimization research — accounts for a total biotech capital investment of about $1 billion. Velocity Express Launches Operations Support Service Center Velocity Express has launched a Pharmaceutical Operations Support Service Center (POSSC) that will provide a single operating point of contact for its pharmaceutical industry customers. The POSSC, which is located in Syracuse, N.Y., enables Velocity Express to efficiently and proactively work with customers in the healthcare industry as their needs evolve. The POSSC provides real-time shipment tracking, automated information reporting, and service alerts to ensure that every time-specific delivery meets the customers’ expectations. The POSSC also ensures that the complete supply chain, including line haul, C II shuttle work, and local delivery service, meets the highest standard of excellence. Customers have one central point of contact and an effective communications platform with senior individuals who have knowledge of their business and the industry. M&A Activity Amgen, Thousand Oaks, Calif., a biotechnology company, has agreed to acquire Avidia, Mountain View, Calif., a privately held biopharmaceutical company that discovers and is developing a new class of human therapeutics known as Avimer proteins. The transaction provides Amgen with Avidia’s lead product candidate, an IL-6 for the treatment of inflammation and autoimmune diseases, which is in Phase I clinical trials. Amgen has agreed to pay $290 million and up to $90 million upon the achievement of certain milestones. Avidia will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen. For more information, visit amgen.com. Aptuit Inc., Greenwich, Conn., has acquired the assets and operations of EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services (EPPS) — the first step forward in Aptuit’s plan to build capabilities in API development and drug substance manufacturing. As part of the deal, Aptuit, which is focused on streamlining and supporting the drug development process for biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovators, is acquiring EaglePicher’s facilities in Lenexa, Kan., and Harrisonville, Mo. For more information, visit aptuit.com. Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio, a provider of products and services supporting the healthcare industry, plans to divest its Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services (PTS) segment, a business that manufactures or packages 100 billion doses of medication every year for pharmaceutical and biotech firms, employs about 10,000 at more than 30 facilities worldwide, and generates $1.8 billion in revenue. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com. Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Wilmington, Mass., which advances the drug discovery and development process, has acquired privately held Tacoma, Wash.-based Northwest Kinetics Inc. for $29.5 million. The acquisition establishes a Phase I clinical services capacity for the company in North America. Northwest Kinetics is a 150-bed facility with expertise in branded-drug studies. For more information, visit criver.com. Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, Calif., a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical need, has agreed to a two-step acquisition of Myogen Inc., Denver. Upon completion of the merger, Myogen, which has two product candidates in late-stage clinical development — ambrisentan for the treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and darusentan for the treatment of patients with resistant hypertension — will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilead. The value of the transaction is about $2.5 billion. For more information, visit gilead.com. GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, has agreed to purchase CNS Inc., Minneapolis, which designs and markets consumer healthcare products, including Breathe Right nasal strips and FiberChoice dietary fiber supplements. For more information, visit gsk.com. inVentiv Health Inc., Somerset, N.J., a provider of commercialization and complementary services to the global pharmaceutical, life-sciences, and biotechnology industries, has acquired American Speakers Education Research Training LLC (ASERT), Coopersburg, Pa., a medical education and training company, and DialogCoach LLC, Coopersburg, Pa., a specialty training organization that employs proprietary software tools and e-learning solutions to improve salesforce effectiveness. Under the terms of the agreement, inVentiv agreed to pay $5.0 million in cash and stock. In a separate agreement, inVentiv has acquired The Maxwell Group Inc., Norristown, Pa., and its MedConference brand of services. Under the terms of the agreement, inVentiv paid $7.0 million in cash and stock. For more information, visit inventiv.com. Eli Lilly and CO., Indianapolis, has agreed to acquire ICOS Corp., a biotechnology company based in Bothell, Wash., in a cash transaction valued at about $2.1 billion. Since 1998, Lilly and ICOS have been partners in Lilly ICOS LLC, the joint venture that manufactures, markets, and sells Cialis. For more information, visit lilly.com. MDS Inc., Toronto, a global life-sciences company, has signed an agreement to sell its Canadian laboratory services business, MDS Diagnostic Services, to Borealis Infrastructure Management Inc., Toronto, in a CAD $1.325 billion transaction. Borealis identifies, invests in, and manages OMERS infrastructure assets. This strategic sale is designed to shift MDS’s business focus to the life-sciences market. For more information, visit mds.com. Parexel International Corp., Waltham, Mass., a global bio/pharmaceutical services organization, has agreed to acquire the operations of California Clinical Trials Medical Group Inc. (CTMG) and Behavioral and Medical Research LLC (BMR). Established in 1981 with headquarters in San Diego, CCT and BMR provide a broad range of specialty Phase I – IV clinical research services through four clinical sites in California. The purchase price is $65 million. For more information, visit parexel.com. Pfizer Inc., New York, has entered into an agreement to acquire PowderMed Ltd., a privately held company based in Oxford, United Kingdom, specializing in the emerging science of DNA-based vaccines. For more information, visit pfizer.com. Stiefel Laboratories Inc., Coral Gables, Fla., an independent pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Connetics Corp., Palo Alto, Calif., for $17.50 per share. This transaction is valued at about $640 million. Upon the closing of the deal, Connetics, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics for the dermatology market, becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Stiefel. For more information, visit stiefel.com. United BioSource Corp. (UBC), Bethesda, Md., has acquired BioCor LLC, a Yardley, Pa.-based provider of clinical data services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. BioCor joins UBC’s new Biotechnology Solutions Group. UBC provides science-based solutions to support the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. For more information, visit unitedbiosource.com. New Company Formed to Focus on Abuse Therapeutics Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. is providing the initial seed funding to help establish Abbey Pharmaceuticals, a start-up biotechnology company focused on medications for substance abuse. The new company is led by Mark R. Brann, Ph.D., who has resigned from his position as president and chief scientific officer and as a member of the board of Acadia to assume the position of CEO of Abbey. Abbey is seeking external equity financing, after which it intends to collaborate with Acadia to gain access to selected drug-discovery assets that may have utility in the field of substance abuse. “We are excited to work with Mark in the formation of this new company that has the potential to play an important role in the field of substance abuse therapeutics,” says Uli Hacksell, Ph.D., CEO of Acadia. “While Acadia’s discovery platform may generate novel drug candidates with applications in substance abuse, this indication is outside of our strategic focus, and we believe it can best be pursued by an independent and focused effort.” George Koob, Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority in the field of substance abuse, is collaborating with Dr. Brann in forming Abbey. Dr. Koob is a professor at Scripps Research Institute and director of The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research. Pharmaceutical Safety Institute to Provide a Forum for Safety The launch of the Pharmaceutical Safety Institute is to restore and maintain consumer confidence in medicines worldwide. The institute is an independent organization established to develop guiding principles, education programs, and services to advance an overall culture of safety throughout the life-sciences sector and good safety practices for patients, providers, and industry. “Because of recent recalls and public alerts due to drug safety concerns, the public’s perception of and faith in the industry has deteriorated,” says Dr. Axel Olsen, president of the institute. The institute addresses the loss of consumer confidence through the implementation of a “Culture of Safety” to ensure that companies focus on safety issues throughout their organizations. The concept includes a systemwide commitment to safety values and practices beginning with executive leadership as well as a shift from a commercial focus to a patient focus with safety values based on evidence and ethical business practices. The institute will provide resources, including consultation to the life-sciences sector, professional development programs, education and training, and forums to build collaborations across sectors and stakeholders. Dr. Axel Olsen, President, heads the Pharmaceutical Safety Institute. Follow up Abbey Pharmaceuticals Inc., San Diego, is a privately held biotechnology company focused on medications for substance abuse. For more information, call 858-229-3980. Acadia Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, is a biopharmaceutical company using innovative technology to fuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders. For more information, visit acadia.com. IMS Health, Fairfield, Conn., provides market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. For more information, visit imshealth.com. Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, is an innovation-driven corporation developing a growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. For more information, visit lilly.com. Mindset Marketing Solutions, Scottsdale, Ariz., provides direct-to-patient targeting and segmentation solutions related to disease incidence and treatment for pharmaceutical manufacturers, advertising agencies, pharmacy retailers, drug wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers, and data resellers. For more information, visit mindsetmarketing.com. Pharmaceutical Safety Institute, Philadelphia, is an independent, service-providing organization that develops guiding principles, education programs, and services to advance an overall culture of safety throughout the life-sciences sector and good safety practices for patients, providers, and the industry. For more information, visit psisafety.org. TNS Healthcare, New York, which is part of TN , provides globally consistent solutions and custom advisory services to support product introductions, brand treatment, and sales-performance optimization, as well as professional and DTC promotional tracking. For more information, visit tns-global.com. Velocity Express Corp., Westport, Conn., is a time definite logistics company that provides transportation and logistics systems, including a proprietary package tracking system. For more information, visit velocityexpress.com. January 2007 PharmaVOICE
