What’s New
New healthcare-related products, services, and companies
By Carolyn Gretton
CAHG Joins Forces With TBWAWorldHealth Trend: Alliances among global communications companies aim to help healthcare clients in major and pharmerging markets to create a healthier world. CAHG, a healthcare communications agency, has formed a strategic alliance with TBWA/Worldhealth as the network’s lead healthcare professional agency in the United States. Both agencies are part of the Omnicom Group. The move strengthens CAHG’s ability to deliver global brand management and integrated services for healthcare companies. For TBWAWorldHealth, the healthcare communications network of TBWA, CAHG gives the network a significantly stronger presence in the United States. This alignment delivers a global communications powerhouse for healthcare clients in every major and pharmerging market. “We are enhancing our resources significantly, particularly outside the United States, to respond to clients’ expanding needs," says Scott Cotherman, president and CEO, CAHG, and chairman, TBWAWorldHealth. “As part of a global marketing and communications network dedicated to helping create a healthier world, CAHG will benefit from two valuable proprietary TBWA practices: disruption, which leads to finding new brand ideas for creating growth, and media arts, which is important for the delivery of behavior-changing messages in an increasingly multichannel communications world." In turn, TBWAWorldHealth now has access to CAHG’s expertise in training and growing branding and communications experts. “CAHG and TBWA are two strong agencies that share the same vision, mission, and culture," says Tom Carroll, president and CEO, TBWA Worldwide. { For more information, visit tbwaworldhealth.com. inVentiv Creates Multichannel Service Group inVentiv Health’s recently launched MySTRO multichannel marketing and sales solutions company provides healthcare companies with salesforce support, telephone and remote personal selling, print and direct mail, sample accountability, and compliance services. MySTRO brings together two legacy inVentiv businesses, Promotech and PRS Franklin, to deliver customized marketing and sales support services to clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life-sciences industries. “MySTRO’s multichannel marketing solutions provide clients with an effective and highly efficient way to reach healthcare practitioners, support and augment field forces, fulfill orders, and provide best-in-class customer service to patients," says Chuck Shea, executive VP of inVentiv Health Commercial. As part of its launch, MySTRO has introduced Reptivate, a virtual detailing product to accelerate and enhance direct-to-healthcare provider interactions and increase prescription growth in a cost- effective manner. { For more information, visit mystromultichannel.com. In other news… Independent global communications consulting firm WCG has been named a strategic partner with CEO Connection, a CEO-level, members-only organization designed to facilitate peer relationships and focused on knowledge sharing, development, and research on global business issues. “In this new age, C-level executives must focus organizational energy on rapidly diagnosing and addressing fundamental problems and challenges facing their businesses while exploiting new ideas," says Jim Weiss, founder, chairman, and CEO of WCG. { For more information, visit ceoconnection.com. Publicis Touchpoint Solutions has expanded its Touchpoint Clinical Solutions division with four new clinical health education teams. “The life-sciences industry is rapidly evolving, and our role is to help our clients shape the future through innovation and clinical education," says Doug Young, Ph.D., VP, Touchpoint Clinical Solutions. “This new stakeholder influence is one of the most powerful motivators behind today’s new business model," says Rick Keefer, president and CEO, Publicis Touchpoint Solutions. “Life-sciences companies must focus on helping patients manage and adhere to their treatment plan, strengthen relationships with specialists and KOLs, and mitigate risk." { For more information, visit touchpointsolutions.com/clinicaled. use your QR?CODE?READER or go to bit.ly/PV0512-WhatsNew School of BioPharmacy to Open in 2014 Trend: New school will focus on preparing graduate pharmacists for professions in biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry. The presidents of Chapman University and Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) have announced plans to establish a joint School of BioPharmacy, initially launching at the KGI campus in Claremont, Calif. The Chapman-KGI School of BioPharmacy will focus on preparing graduate pharmacists for professions in biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as for modern pharmacy practice. The school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2014 pending national accreditation, will reorient the doctor of pharmacy degree toward crucial developments in pharmacogenomics and reflect rapidly developing changes in the field. The curriculum is planned to equip graduates to become licensed pharmacists with sophisticated knowledge of the applied life sciences for modern healthcare practice, and experience with therapeutics, therapy management, and regulatory affairs to shape discovery in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. “The collaboration builds on KGI’s innovative professional master’s and postdoctoral programs and close biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry ties, and takes advantage of Chapman’s strengths in computational sciences and entrepreneurship," says James Doti, president of Chapman University. “Current advances in genomics and the growing convergence of therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices are creating new opportunities for pharmacists in the life-sciences industry and modern clinical practice," says Sheldon Schuster, president and professor of biochemistry at Keck Graduate Institute. “This new school will help prepare individuals to take advantage of those opportunities." { For more information, visit kgi.edu or chapman.edu. In other news… Decision Resources’ Market Access Tracker service analyzes the challenges and opportunities to gaining and maintaining favorable market access terms in three international regions comprising 17 countries. In each of the disparate markets covered, Market Access Tracker analyzes opportunities and market access drivers while also identifying the various challenges pharmaceutical companies face. The service is designed to help market research professionals and product teams grasp the essential elements of market access in a given country, assess the implications of recent and future changes, and understand how healthcare is organized and funded. Drug developers also need to know what pricing, reimbursement, and health technology assessment hurdles they will have to clear and what cost-containment pressures they will face once their drug is on the market. Additionally, although brand management teams have long understood the challenges that market access presents in fulfilling the commercial potential of their products in each market, forward-thinking life sciences companies are increasingly realizing that market access considerations have much broader strategic significance. “International market access trends can influence a company’s therapeutic area focus, the scope of their research and development programs, the viability of individual pipeline drugs, clinical trial design, investment plans for individual markets, and product launch strategies," observes Neil Grubert, product director of Market Access Tracker. { For more information, visit decisionresources.com. Endo Health Solutions, the diversified healthcare solutions company formerly known as Endo Pharmaceutical Holdings, is integrating its operating companies as part of an enterprisewide branding initiative. The new Endo is structured to provide integrated, end-to-end solutions in pain management and urology, with a vision to approach therapeutic areas and disease states as pathways, and to identify, develop, and incorporate medical interventions beyond the traditional chemical and biological treatments. The company plans to deliver various products and services through its four operating companies: AMS, a developer of innovative medical devices; Endo Pharmaceuticals, a provider of branded pharmaceuticals; HealthTronics, a provider of medical services, practice management software, laboratory solutions, and EHR technology; and Qualitest, a manufacturer of high-quality generic pharmaceuticals. “With the right organizations in place, we have modernized our four distinct operating companies into one enterprise that reflects a powerful combination of compatible organizations aimed at delivering fully integrated healthcare solutions for the benefit of physicians, payers, and patients," says Dave Holveck, president and CEO of Endo. { For more information, visit endo.com. To maintain a firm lead on market evolutions prompted by IT?advances, Frost & Sullivan has restructured into three healthcare programs: Life Sciences, Advanced MedTech, and Connected Health. Progression remains a consistent theme within healthcare and the transformation of the patient-doctor relationship, technological innovation, and disease treatment. An example of this continual market growth can be seen in healthcare IT, which is expected to become the single biggest business model disruptor to the healthcare industry. With these core growth market modernizations, Frost & Sullivan empowers clients to assess these shifts and the impact on industry stakeholders. “The goals of healthcare today are to reduce cost, increase outcomes, and improve quality and patient care," says Frost & Sullivan Senior VP Reenita Das. “Through our programs, we identify and demonstrate some of these core technologies and business model innovations that will help fulfill our clients’ goals." { For more information, visit frost.com. AROUND THE GLOBE The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has awarded three new grants to improve prevention, diagnosis, and care of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) in China and India as part of its Delivering Hope: Awareness, Prevention and Care umbrella program, which is committed to reducing hepatitis-related health disparities in Asia. China and India together have an estimated 123 million people chronically infected with HBV and 59 million people chronically infected with HCV, accounting for almost 50% of all HBV and HCV infections worldwide. { For more information, visit bms.com/foundation. Burrill & Company , a diversified global financial services firm focused on the life-sciences industry, is opening an office in Taiwan, broadening the company’s access to emerging markets in China and East Asia. The office is led by Marietta Wu, M.D., Ph.D., who has been promoted to managing director, Taiwan. { For more information, visit catalent.com. The drug delivery technology company Catalent Pharma Solutions has acquired from Gelita the remaining 49% interest in R.P. Scherer GmbH & Co. KG, business in Germany. Under full Catalent ownership, R.P. Scherer Eberbach customers have access to a wider range of drug development and delivery technologies/services, as well as a global supply chain network. In addition, Catalent has announced the completion of extended warehousing facilities in Schorndorf, Germany, for its clinical supply services business. This increased capacity for the storage and distribution of investigational medicinal products incorporates dedicated storage for controlled, highly potent, or cytotoxic drugs. { For more information, visit catalent.com. GfK Bridgehead, formed by GfK’s acquisition and integration of Bridgehead International, is a market access consultancy serving global companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries. The acquisition enables GfK to respond to clients’ needs for comprehensive guidance in navigating the highly complex and continually evolving payer and market access landscape. { For more information, visit gfkhealthcare.com. GlaxoSmithKline and Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. have formed a joint venture that is expected to create the No. 1 vaccines company in Japan.The joint venture will hold the development and commercial rights for already existing preventive vaccines from both parent companies and will be expanded in the future as new vaccines in the development pipeline are approved. { For more information, visit gsk.com. inVentiv Health Communications/Europe (iHCE),an inVentiv Health company, has opened new headquarters in London to serve as a hub for all European offices and support the rapid growth of the company’s consolidated communications business. { For more information, visit inventivhealth.com. Medistem has initiated joint efforts with Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Jia Fu Medical Apparatus in developing the endometrial regenerative cell (ERC) universal donor stem cell product for the Chinese market. The initial focus of the collaboration will be treatment of critical limb ischemia, an advanced form of peripheral artery disease. { For more information,visit medisteminc.com. Global clinical research organization PRA has continued its Asia Pacific expansion with the opening of its Singapore office. The office serves as PRA’s central clinical operations location for the region, strengthening the quality and timeliness of deliverables to sponsor clients. { For more information, visit praintl.com. As part of its commitment to expanding operations in greater China, Publics Groupe has acquired U-Link Business Solutions Co. Ltd (UBS), a Chinese agency specializing in healthcare communications. UBS employs an estimated 170 people at its Shanghai headquarters and Beijing office. { For more information, visit publicisgroupe.com. Global biopharmaceutical services company Quintiles and Russian Venture Company Biofund a Russian-based investment firm, have entered an agreement to support expansion of clinical development services within the Russian Federation. Quintiles and RVC Biofund are working to address Russia’s healthcare initiatives in accordance with the country’s Healthcare 2020 Development Program, which includes implementing best practices to support medical science and the development of healthcare in line with international standards. In other moves, Quintiles is extending to provide commercial services in the Middle East and North Africa region through an agreement with Dayarn Pharma, a United Arab Emirates-based company that specializes in biopharmaceutical sales, marketing, and regulatory efforts needed to maximize brands in the Arab Gulf region. { For more information, visit quintiles.com.
