New Healthcare-related Products, Services, and Companies
Featured Briefs: GfK Launches Managed Markets Practice CDM Launches Division Focused on Healthcare Branding Brandtectonics Access Establishes U.S. Office inVentiv Health Rebrands Strategy and Analytics Business GSK, Pfizer Combine HIV Assets in New Specialty Business ERT Relocates to Larger Facilities Sidebar: Around the Globe PI Training Series Focuses on Managed Markets Excellence Palm Beach Research Center Launches New CRO Take Supply Chain Announces New Identity, Expanded Portfolio Sidebar: On The Shelves TogoRun Becomes Newest Healthcare Agency in Omnicom’s DAS Network Symyx Launches Contract Manufacturing Organization Follow up Chandler Chicco Companies is an inVentiv Health Global Healthcare Communications network representing best-in-class capabilities in healthcare communications across public relations, marketing and branding, graphic design, media and production, and research and measurement. For more information, visit chandlerchiccocompanies.com. Cline Davis & Mann (CDM) is a full-service global healthcare communications company providing advertising, managed market strategy, digital and relationship marketing, and consulting services. For more information, visit clinedavis.com. ERT provides centralized ECG and e-clinical technology, ePRO, and other services designed to support clinical trials. For more information, visit ert.com. GfK Healthcare, part of the GFK Group, is a provider of fully integrated custom healthcare marketing research in the United States. For more information, visit gfkhc.com. GlaxoSmithKline Plc. is one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. For more information, visit gsk.com. inVentiv Health Inc. delivers customized clinical, sales, marketing, and communications solutions. For more information, visit inventivhealth.com. Palm Beach CRO manages the entire clinical-trial process and provides quality data with properly developed timelines. For more information, visit palmbeachcro.com. Pfizer Inc. is a global pharmaceutical company committed to helping people improve their health by discovering and developing medicines. For more information, visit pfizer.com. Pharmaceutical Institute, a subsidiary of Campbell Alliance, creates specialized training programs for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. For more information, visit pharmainstitute.com. Symyx Technologies Inc. provides information management services to companies in the life-sciences, chemicals and energy, and consumer and industrial product industries. For more information, visit symyx.com. Take Supply Chain, a unit of Take Solutions Inc., develops applications that help gain visibility, velocity, and control for better management of today’s complex, global supply chains. For more information, visit takesupplychain.com. TogoRun, part of Omnicom Group Inc.’s Diversified Agency Services (DAS) network, is a global healthcare communications agency in healthcare, pharmaceutical, and consumer wellness public relations and public affairs. For more information, visit omnicomgroup.com. GfK Healthcare’s Managed Markets Practice Area is a new business unit focused on meeting the marketing research needs of pharmaceutical clients navigating the complex and dynamic managed markets landscape. GfK’s Managed Markets Practice Area offers full-service research and consulting to support strategies and tactics at every stage of the product life cycle. Services include conducting ad-hoc qualitative projects, mock pharmacy and therapeutic committee meetings, advisory boards, convention focus groups, and executing quantitative projects of any scale or complexity. “In the past two years in particular, we have seen increased attention on managed care and thus in clients seeking marketing research programs to support their payer strategies," observes Sue Ramspacher, senior VP of managed markets research. “Accordingly, we are excited to assemble our far-reaching experience in managed markets marketing research and offer clients a focused team and full range of resources to meet needs varying from smaller scale, qualitative studies designed to take the pulse of the market, to more comprehensive, multi-stakeholder quantitative endeavors." The initiation of Part D benefits and the rise in the four-tier benefit coupled with the emergence of the biologics markets have sparked a renewed interest in the changing markets and reimbursement paradigms, says Sue Ramspacher. Brand Anatomy, the newest division of Cline Davis & Mann (CDM), operates from the belief that healthcare brands — medicines, medical devices, and healthcare services — face unique challenges and require a unique approach to the development of brand identities. Unlike traditional consumer branding firms, Brand Anatomy combines the scientific, medical, and customer insights generated within the walls of CDM with design professionals who have decades of experience in building powerful consumer brands. CDM has named Chuck Routhier, former creative director of Landor Associates, to develop and run the new division. Mr. Routhier has experience in building brands across a wide range of categories and has worked on high-level programs for BlackBerry, Song Airlines, Morgan Stanley, and Burger King, as well as for major healthcare brands such as Lipitor and Caduet. “Healthcare brands are profoundly different from packaged goods or other consumer brands," says Mark Friedman, managing partner and creative director of art for CDM. “They have limited life spans, exist within a strict regulatory environment, and need to form connections with audiences that may have dramatically different needs. Brand Anatomy has the expertise to create brands that thrive in this unique environment." Brand Anatomy joins the resources and healthcare expertise of CDM with a traditional consumer and corporate branding approach. Chuck Routhier will develop and run CDM’s new division. Market access is one of the greatest challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry today and, at a global level, we have seen tremendous growth in this area in the last few years, says Bob Chandler. Chandler Chicco Companies (CCC) has announced the U.S. launch of Brandtectonics Access, a specialist market access consultancy that designs, facilitates, and delivers tailored solutions to optimize patient access to pharmaceutical brands. In the United States, Brandtectonics Access focuses on evidence-based and innovative clinical trial-specific approaches to help overcome enrollment challenges. The New York-based office supports and delivers global clinical-trial enhancement programs in partnership with the established European Brandtectonics Access team in London, as well as delivering U.S.-specific programs. “Our Brandtectonics Access Europe team has created new approaches that help our pharmaceutical clients overcome many of the market access hurdles their brands face, from supporting clinical trial enrollment to end-of-life-cycle strategies," says Bob Chandler, principal, CCC. “We’re eager to build on that momentum here in the United States, where we see the opportunity to expand our offering even further, starting with clinical trial enhancement." inVentiv Health’s strategy and analytics division, a part of inVentiv Commercial, has consolidated four separate business units into a single operation rebranded under the name inVentiv Advance Insights. Before the reorganization, the group operated as four distinct businesses: CHS, Health Products Research (HPR), Strategyx, and Ventiv Access Group. Under the new structure, services are realigned around three complementary practice areas: market research/commercial analytics, global commercialization, and managed markets. The new division capitalizes on the integration of its five core capabilities: market research, commercial analytics, management and strategy consulting, commercialization planning, and plan execution. “Healthcare companies launching new products or trying to revitalize existing products are under intense pressure today, so the ability to understand and navigate the complexities of the marketplace is critical," says Norman Stalsberg, president of inVentiv Advance Insights. Our new name underscores our ability to advance our clients with insights and guidance that will further their goals and support their success, says Norman Stalsberg. The new company can reach more patients and accomplish much more for the treatment of HIV globally than either company on its own, says Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer have entered into an agreement to create a new company focused solely on research, development, and commercialization of HIV medicines. Under the agreement, GSK holds an 85% equity interest in the new company, with Pfizer holding the remaining 15%. The new business is expected to have an estimated 19% share of the growing HIV market and to be more sustainable and broader in scope than either company’s individual HIV operations. Dominique Limet, senior VP and head of GSK’s personalized medicine strategy, has been appointed CEO designate of the new company, and GSK Chief Financial Officer Julian Heslop has been named chairman of the HIV business. The CEOs of GSK and Pfizer say the new HIV business reaffirms both companies’ commitment to the efficient delivery of effective treatments to people living with HIV/AIDS. “At the core of this specialist business is a broad portfolio of products and pipeline assets, which can be more effectively leveraged through the new company’s strong revenue base and dedicated research capability," says Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline. “HIV remains a global threat with increasing incidence and viral resistance, and this new company will be better placed to meet these challenges and improve access to treatments." “With the strength of the companies’ current HIV products, as well as the complementary fit of Pfizer’s HIV pipeline and GSK’s global distribution capabilities, the new company is well-positioned to bring new and improved medicines to patients with more speed and efficiency," adds Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler. The new company’s portfolio includes 11 marketed products, including Combivir, Kivexa, and Selzentry/Celsentri. Based on pro forma results, this combined portfolio generated estimated sales of $2.64 billion in 2008. On the R&D side, the business is focusing on innovative HIV treatments and formulations that improve adherence and overcome resistance to the virus. ERT has moved to a larger facility to accommodate the company’s rapid growth. The new facility, also in Philadelphia, houses the company’s primary headquarters and logistics operations. The new facility operation was driven and coordinated by Amy Furlong, executive VP, cardiac safety operations. This new 58,000 square foot facility is more than double the size of the previous building, and the logistics operations facility offers access to a secure area and private access to the loading bay, essential for sending equipment to sponsors sites. “The new offices and logistics operations area allow us to offer our staff an improved working environment and further strengthen our position as a provider of best-in-class technology and services for the successful execution of clinical trials," Ms. Furlong says. With this new facility, we mark the beginning of a new era of innovation and growth, says Amy Furlong. IBM has announced plans to open a Global Healthcare Centre of Excellence in La Gaude, France. The Centre of Excellence expands IBM’s global healthcare capability and helps clients design and create healthcare and life-sciences solutions that improve care delivery, predict and prevent disease, and enable smarter individual health and wellness. For more information, visit ibm.com. Global full-service CRO KENDLE is opening new offices in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Manila. These new Southeast Asia operations provide Kendle’s global biopharmaceutical customers with access to additional patient populations while strengthening the company’s position as a global clinical development partner. Kendle has been active in the Asia/Pacific region since 1998 and currently operates offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, China; New Delhi and Ahmedabad, India; Singapore; and Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit kendle.com. PRA INTERNATIONAL announces the opening of a drug safety center in its office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, strengthening the CRO’s footprint in Latin America and providing additional global reporting capabilities. PRA’s drug safety centers are key components of its safety and risk-management unit, with responsibility for serious adverse event and adverse drug reaction management, as well as supporting clients in all other aspects of pharmacovigilance to ensure regulatory compliance. The Brazil location joins PRA’s two existing drug safety centers in Charlottesville, Va., and Mannheim, Germany. For more information, visit prainternational.com. Drug development services provider QUOTIENT BIORESEARCH has acquired Charles River Laboratories’ Edinburgh clinical research facility, Inveresk Clinical Research. The Edinburgh facility is being combined with Pharmaceutical Profiles to form a new strategic business unit, Quotient Clinical. For more information, visit quotientbioresearch.com. UNITED BIOSOURCE CORPORATION (UBC) has acquired HPM (Geneva) SA, a Geneva-based provider of drug safety and pharmacovigilance services. The acquisition of HPM further extends UBC’s European reach and represents a strategic expansion of UBC’s safety and risk-management services, which include comprehensive safety reporting, case processing, and integrated pharmacovigilance services. For more information, visit unitedbiosource.com. Pharmaceutical Institute (PI) has released a series, Managed Markets Excellence, designed to fill a critical need for basic and advanced managed markets knowledge for commercial professionals. The series was developed in partnership with PI parent Campbell Alliance following a recent benchmarking initiative that found managed markets knowledge is one of the top needs cited by pharma training leaders. The series includes an introductory course on managed markets reimbursement, as well as in-depth courses on reimbursement, commercial managed care, Medicaid, Medicare, and specialty pharmacy. “With payers now managing upwards of 80% of prescription drug costs, the managed markets landscape is one in which all organizations must operate in order to be successful," says PI Executive Director Dan Blue. “This landscape continues to evolve and change, affecting multiple departments within a given organization." Companies will be at a huge disadvantage without an optimal understanding of the managed markets landscape and further potential changes on the horizon, says Dan Blue. Palm Beach CRO is an outgrowth of contract clinical research facility Palm Beach Research Center created to offer pharmaceutical companies a new option for outsourcing the overall management and supervision of clinical trials, including multicenter trials. Services provided by Palm Beach CRO range from site evaluation, protocol preparation, and site documentation to site closeout and data management and analysis. As executive VP of Palm Beach CRO, Arthur Simon, Ph.D., brings more than three decades of pharmaceutical research and development experience to the position, including 24 years as president and CEO of Research Testing Laboratories. “We’re pleased to have an industry veteran of the caliber of Art Simon to lead this new clinical research organization," says David Scott, CEO of Palm Beach Research Center. “His wide-ranging expertise and high level of accomplishment in the industry offer excellent value to pharmaceutical executives as they outsource their clinical trials." Dr. Arthur Simon leads the new clinical research organization. Combining the strength of Take Solutions’ global brand identity with our enhanced product portfolio positions us for continued rapid growth ac oss the supply-chain applications market, says John Reece. ClearOrbit has changed its named to Take Supply Chain, reflecting the company’s continued expansion and transition into a single, global division under parent company Take Solutions. Take Solutions acquired ClearOrbit in 2007. The new name represents a unified identity for the supply-chain resources, products, and services offered by Take Solutions worldwide. Take Supply Chain’s current organization remains unchanged. “We chose this time to implement a global rebranding so we could represent a single, collective voice to customers and partners around the world," says Take Supply Chain President John Reece. In conjunction with the name change, Take Supply Chain has expanded its product portfolio to include four new applications that enable companies to establish demand-driven supply networks for rapid response capability to supply-chain risks and opportunities. TogoRun occupies a distinct position for clients seeking both the staff experience of a full-service agency and the customized service offering of a healthcare boutique, says Tom Harrison. Diversified Agency Services (DAS) has announced the launch of TogoRun, a global communications agency specializing in healthcare, pharmaceutical, and consumer wellness public relations and public affairs. TogoRun has offices in New York and London and is a member of the DAS network of Omnicom Group. TogoRun expands DAS’s global healthcare communications offerings by absorbing and building upon the foundation of CPR Worldwide, a DAS healthcare boutique agency that has grown considerably in recent years. “The launch reflects a new and exciting direction for this agency, as well as the importance we place on having diverse service offerings in a highly competitive market," says Tom Harrison, CEO of DAS. Kathy Hyett, former head of CPR Worldwide, leads TogoRun as president. Ms. Hyett has more than 30 years of experience that includes award-winning agency work and leadership positions at Fleishman-Hillard, Burson-Marsteller, and Mark Krueger & Associates. Lauren Letellier, CPR senior VP and senior partner, has been named TogoRun’s managing director, New York. Jennifer Wilson, formerly of Athena Medical Public Relations and Roche, has been named managing director, London. “At TogoRun, our fundamental operating philosophy is to provide faster, nimbler services with an emphasis on creativity and impeccable delivery," Ms. Hyett says. “Balancing creativity and compliance across dozens of regulatory geographies is a distinctive strength of the firm." Symyx Technologies, a provider of microscale and parallel experimentation, has established Symyx Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) to help biopharmaceutical companies move promising drug candidates to clinical trials faster and more reliably with integrated formulation development and cGMP manufacturing. “The Symyx CDMO provides clients a faster, more reliable route to clinical trials," says Richard Boehner, president of Symyx High Productivity Research (HPR). “We do this by combining unsurpassed formulation expertise, high-productivity research technology and cGMP clinical manufacturing in a single facility." With expertise in preformulation development, formulation optimization and stability, and analytical method development, Symyx CDMO enables faster development of highly optimized and robust drug formulations, so that clinical trials test the efficacy of drug candidates, not the limitations of the formulation. In addition, Symyx CDMO offers full service fill/finish execution for delivering drug products manufactured under cGMP conditions while maintaining the integrity of drug substances and meeting preclinical and Phase I and II clinical-trial schedules. “With more than 120 years of collective formulation development experience, the Symyx CDMO team has the experience biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies need to achieve critical drug development milestones," says Byeong Chang, chief scientific officer of Symyx CDMO. After discovery, the next critical milestone in drug development is getting to clinical trials quickly with a reliable formulation, says Richard Boehner. WHAT’S new New healthcare-related products, services, and companies
