In Memoriam… Robert L. (Bob) Gerbig, co-founder and former CEO of Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer & Associates (GSW, now part of inVentiv), has died at 66. Mr. Gerbig began his career in pharmaceuticals in 1969 with Marion Merrell-Dow, where he held various positions in sales, marketing, and merchandising. In 1977, he left Abbott and teamed with Rick Weisheimer and Chris Snell to establish GSW in Columbus, Ohio. Among his many volunteer roles, he served on the board of directors for The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute and the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts. In 2000, Mr. Gerbig co-founded the Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer Healthcare Initiative (known as GRACE), a nonprofit program to help provide prescription medications and healthcare services to senior citizens who cannot otherwise afford them. INDUSTRY at Large Bristol-Myers’ Fight HIV Your Way contest honored the personal journeys of people impacted by HIV in the form of dance. Bristol-Myers Squibb Tells Patient Stories Through Dance Bristol-Myers Squibb and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have developed an original dance, Home. The production was created by Ailey and inspired by the real stories and images from the 10 first-place winners of the 2011 Reyataz “Fight HIV Your Way" contest. Since its inception in 2006, the contest has served as a platform to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Home premiered on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2011, and will be performed across the country on the company’s 2012 U.S. Tour. More than 1,300 people across the country submitted photos and essays. These entries were narrowed down by a panel of judges based on the impact of the photographs’ and essays’ expression of the fight against HIV, creativity, originality, and overall artistic quality. One Eleven Delivers Medicines to those in Need One Eleven Software’s nonprofit PharmaCares is helping the 36 million people in need to get the medicines they can’t afford and at the same time helping decrease the destruction of 200 million pounds of medications. The program makes short-dated or surplus pharmaceutical products available to validated healthcare providers leading nonprofit organizations and clinics. Charities can access the secure online “sample closet" to order products, samples, vaccines, and medical supplies. One specific program, PharmaCause for Veterans, helps returning soldiers with no prescription coverage get the medicines they need for free or at low cost; 12 % of returning veterans are unemployed and without health insurance. Quote of the Month… “Nontraditional partners present new, unchartered challenges in business modeling, value propositions, and asset ownership. " Dr. Diego Miralles Janssen Healthcare Innovation Podcasts Automating Pharma FCPA Due Diligence Thought Leader: Robert Shecterle, Aravo Tele-detailing: Responding to Changing Pharma Sales Models Thought Leader: Lou Shapiro, AMAC Services Group and PhoneScreen Understanding How Social Networks Drive Healthcare Decisions: Mapping the New “Influence" Landscape Thought Leader: Chris DeAngelis, SSI Whitepapers FCPA Compliance and Critical Lifecycle Management Automation Sponsored by: Aravo Envisioning a New Commercial Model: Is it Right for Your Brand? Sponsored by: Cadient Shifting Pharma Sales Models to Focus on Providing Value Sponsored by: PhoneScreen Taming the Social Network Giant Sponsored by: SSI Awards… » The CementBloc Wins CLIO The CementBloc received the Bronze Award for its Fresh Rhymes meningitis disease awareness brochure at the 3rd Annual CLIO Healthcare Awards. The Bronze Award was given in recognition of the agency’s work for Novartis Vaccines on the Menveo (meningococcal vaccine) Fresh Rhymes disease education campaign. » Ogilvy CommonHealth Scores Ogilvy CommonHealth’s Madrid office won a silver statuette in the direct mail category at the 2011 CLIO Healthcare Awards. The CLIO Healthcare Awards, now in its third year, is an extension of the CLIO Awards. Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide also won a total of 22 awards at the 25th Annual Rx Club Awards. Ogilvy CommonHealth won silver in the campaign category, for creative developed for a natural soluble fiber, and received 16 Awards of Excellence. » ProTrials Named a Top Women-Owned Business ProTrials Research has been recognized as one of the top 25 women-owned businesses by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Its 14th ranking is particularly significant in a time marked by recession issues, since businesses on the list either generated solid revenue or held steady in revenue growth. The company was founded by Jodi Andrews and Inger Arum. » Publicis Healthcare Wins Rx Club Awards Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG) won a total of 67 awards at the 25th Annual Rx Club Awards. Publicis Life Brands Watermelon, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness and Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Innovations were honored with four Silver Awards. Network agencies, including global work from India and the U.K., received an additional 63 Awards of Excellence for their creative advertising efforts in the print, video, integrated, and interactive categories. » Quintiles Receives Award Quintiles’ digital efforts to bridge the gaps between clinical research, patients, and clinical trial participants have been recognized in the form of two International Davey Awards and a Web Health Award. Patient community content from Quintiles’ ClinicalResearch.com website captured gold and silver Davey awards focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis respectively. Quintiles also received recognition from the Web Health Awards for its corporate Facebook presence. » Sudler & Hennessey Wins MarCom Awards Sudler & Hennessey has received multiple awards including platinum, gold, and honorable mention at the 2011 international MarCom Awards. 35 Innovative Drugs Approved in Fiscal Year 2011 The FDA approved 35 new medicines in fiscal year 2011. This is among the highest number of approvals in the past decade, surpassed only by 2009 with 37. Many of the drugs are important advances for patients, including: two new treatments for hepatitis C; a drug for late-stage prostate cancer; the first new drug for Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 30 years; and the first new drug for lupus in 50 years. A recent FDA report also shows faster approval times in the United States when compared with the FDA’s counterparts around the globe. Twenty-four of the 35 approvals occurred in the United States before any other country in the world and also before the European Union, continuing a trend of the United States leading the world in first approval of new medicines. Group DCA Co-founders Retire Jack Davis and Robert Likoff (pictured below), co-founders and current co-CEOs of Group DCA, PDI Inc.’s digital communications agency, have retired effective Dec. 31, 2011. Assuming the role of general manager for Group DCA will be Jo Ann Saitta, who is currently senior VP, information technology, for PDI and chief operating officer for Group DCA. Ron Scalici will take on additional responsibilities at Group DCA, while continuing in his role as chief innovations officer. The Agency Worldwide Reaches 25th Anniversary Milestone The Agency Worldwide, an executive search consultancy firm for the global life- sciences industry, is celebrating 25 successful years in business. The company has made more than 1,000 placements in high-level life science roles and has long-term relationships with leading biopharmaceutical companies. AdvantageMS Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary AdvantageMS, a provider of sales and marketing operations for the life- sciences industry, celebrated its 10-year anniversary. John Ryan, VP of sales and marketing, attributes the company’s success to its focus on clients’ needs and its partnership platform. Milestones… Janssen Launches Neuroscience Collaboration Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson has launched Healthy Minds, an initiative to accelerate progress in the fight against brain disorders that affect millions of people around the world. Healthy Minds includes a commitment by Janssen Pharmaceuticals of $3 million in direct and challenge contributions to the International Mental Health Research Organization to support One Mind for Research. Janssen plans to work with One Mind for Research to develop research programs and expand data sharing among scientists and physicians focused on the brain or central nervous system. European Pharma Market Update Growth in markets in Europe is assured over the coming years by the health needs of aging populations and will be driven by investment in innovative medicines, according to Espicom Healthcare Intelligence. The Western European market is projected to average a CAGR of 2.1%, with a combined pharmaceutical market value of more than $240 billion by 2016. Espicom also reports that the Northern European countries are projected to represent a combined pharmaceutical market value of more than $26 billion at retail prices by 2016. The economic downturn has impacted these pharmaceutical markets but opportunities still exist. Sweden, for instance, became the interest of many pharmacy chains following the deregulation of the pharmacy monopoly. Awards… » The CementBloc Wins CLIO The CementBloc received the Bronze Award for its Fresh Rhymes meningitis disease awareness brochure at the 3rd Annual CLIO Healthcare Awards. The Bronze Award was given in recognition of the agency’s work for Novartis Vaccines on the Menveo (meningococcal vaccine) Fresh Rhymes disease education campaign. » Ogilvy CommonHealth Scores Ogilvy CommonHealth’s Madrid office won a silver statuette in the direct mail category at the 2011 CLIO Healthcare Awards. The CLIO Healthcare Awards, now in its third year, is an extension of the CLIO Awards. Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide also won a total of 22 awards at the 25th Annual Rx Club Awards. Ogilvy CommonHealth won silver in the campaign category, for creative developed for a natural soluble fiber, and received 16 Awards of Excellence. » ProTrials Named a Top Women-Owned Business ProTrials Research has been recognized as one of the top 25 women-owned businesses by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Its 14th ranking is particularly significant in a time marked by recession issues, since businesses on the list either generated solid revenue or held steady in revenue growth. The company was founded by Jodi Andrews and Inger Arum. » Publicis Healthcare Wins Rx Club Awards Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG) won a total of 67 awards at the 25th Annual Rx Club Awards. Publicis Life Brands Watermelon, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness and Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Innovations were honored with four Silver Awards. Network agencies, including global work from India and the U.K., received an additional 63 Awards of Excellence for their creative advertising efforts in the print, video, integrated, and interactive categories. » Quintiles Receives Award Quintiles’ digital efforts to bridge the gaps between clinical research, patients, and clinical trial participants have been recognized in the form of two International Davey Awards and a Web Health Award. Patient community content from Quintiles’ ClinicalResearch.com website captured gold and silver Davey awards focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis respectively. Quintiles also received recognition from the Web Health Awards for its corporate Facebook presence. » Sudler & Hennessey Wins MarCom Awards Sudler & Hennessey has received multiple awards including platinum, gold, and honorable mention at the 2011 international MarCom Awards.
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