New Electronic and Web-based Applications, Sites, and Technologies E-media PhRMA Website Educates Consumers on the Risks of Importing Drugs Citing a growing body of information that opening the U.S. borders to foreign drugs is risky and unsafe, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has launched the first-ever online research clearinghouse so patients and consumers can learn first hand the opinions of experts regarding the dangers associated with importing medicines. The Website is buysafedrugs.info. Over the past six months, there has been a stream of studies by America’s most respected healthcare and security voices on the subject. In April, Rudy Giuliani called for a halt to all importation schemes until the safety and security issues they raise can be resolved. The former New York mayor is not alone. He joins Health and Human Services Secretaries from both the Clinton and Bush administrations, the U.S. Surgeon General, and a long line of FDA commissioners in saying the money possibly saved by importing drugs from overseas is not worth the potential costs to the safety of our medicine supply. The Website also details safe, legal alternatives to importation, pointing visitors to various federal and state assistance programs, as well as the pharmaceutical industry’s recently formed Partnership for Prescription Assistance, which helps those in need find programs that offer free or reduced-cost medicines. The new Website, buysafedrugs.info, helps people understand the wide scope and depth of information that demonstrates importing prescription drugs outside the FDA delivery system puts patients at risk, says Billy Tauzin, President and CEO of PhRMA. Study Ranks Top Pharma Websites For the fourth consecutive year, Manhattan Research analysts have determined the leading pharmaceutical corporate and product Websites based on the number of U.S. physicians visiting these destinations, as well as their satisfaction with the content and services offered by the sites. The company has announced the leading online destinations for physicians as part of its latest research service, ePharma Physician v5.0: The Future of Professional eMarketing. An advisory service focused on physician usage and opinions of online pharmaceutical information resources, ePharma Physician v5.0 reveals the relevant market share for 35 leading corporate pharmaceutical Websites. Additionally, the service provides information regarding the relevant market share for more than 125 leading pharmaceutical product Websites. Additionally, the service provides insight into a range of trends in physician Internet usage. The study found, for instance, that physicians are increasingly using a wide range of online resources from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and frequency is being driven by ongoing improvements in the breadth, depth, and quality of online offerings. According to Meredith Abreu, VP of Research at Manhattan Research, physicians are increasingly using a wide range of online resources from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and frequency is being driven by ongoing improvements in the breadth, depth, and quality of online offerings. Top 5 Corporate Pharma Website 2005 Ranked by number of U.S. primary-care physician visitors Market Share (among those visiting Rank Company corporate sites) 1 Pfizer 50% 2 Merck 44% 3 Eli Lilly & Co. 25% 4 GlaxoSmithKline 24% 5 Novartis 22% Top 5 Pharma Product Websites 2005 Ranked by number of U.S. primary-care physician visitors Market Share (among those visiting Rank Product corporate sites) 1 Advair 18% 2 Allegra 15% 3 Singulair 12% 4 Crestor 12% 5 Pulmicort 11% Source: ePharma Physician v5.0, Manhattan Research LLC, New York. For more information, visit manahattanresearch.com. ICTI Enhances Interactive Drug Supply Management Services Interactive Clinical Technologies Inc. (ICTI) has announced an improvement to its drug-supply management capabilities. The company helps pharmaceutical and biotech companies manage limited supplies of study drugs by using interactive voice response (IVR) systems with algorithms unique to each clinical trial. The company has enhanced its services by defining a set of standards upon which all of its study drug management algorithms are now based. These standards were developed following an examination, by a cross-functional team within ICTI, of the algorithms and practices used to manage drugs for hundreds of clinical trials. This robust new model is flexible enough to accommodate all clinical trials and incorporates table-driven values to adjust to changing drug management needs throughout a trial. “Our customers will benefit from our use of this standards-based drug management model because it reduces IVR development time and maximizes efficient use of scarce study drugs,” says Richard McCann, president of ICTI. This robust new model is flexible enough to accommodate all clinical trials and incorporates table-driven values to adjust to changing drug management needs throughout a trial. The Navicor Group Launches Company Website The Navicor Group’s new Website, navicorgroup.com, introduces the agency’s expertise in marketing oncology and immunology products. Designed and developed by the company’s sister agency, Blue Diesel, the site also addresses proprietary approaches for developing effective marketing strategies and outlines the agency’s vision for helping clients build bigger brands and achieve better patient care. “Our focus is on helping guide clients through the challenges and obstacles they may face when bringing a specialty pharmaceutical product to market,” says Bill Fillipp, senior VP/creative director for The Navicor Group. “Every element of the site, from the photography to the color palette to the navigation, is designed to reflect that focus.” Now that we’ve established a solid foundation for the agency, we’re thrilled to launch our Website, which will give both current and potential clients insight into the value we can bring to their brands, says Garnett Dezember, President of The Navicor Group. ICTS to Provide Study Information Websites Integrated Clinical Trial Services (ICTS) has introduced a new service to provide Study Information Websites as part of its comprehensive patient-services program. These Websites are third-party, verifiable information resources for individual clinical trials, permitting patients to look up specific information about the trial they are participating in and serving as a backup for other information sources. The Study Information Websites appear in the top 10 results of any search engine, thereby enabling additional patient recruitment as individuals search the Internet for information on their condition. “It is important that patients have correct and valid information about their condition and can learn about opportunities to participate in clinical trials,” says Tom Sturgis, president of ICTS. “We are excited to provide them with an additional source of knowledge.” The Study Information Websites appear in the top 10 results of any search engine, thereby enabling additional patient recruitment as individuals search the Internet for information on their condition. MSNBC.com and MedPage Today Form Partnership MSNBC.com and MedPage Today LLC have formed a partnership that contextually integrates MedPage Today content with MSNBC.com health news. A dedicated area on all MSNBC.com health pages and MSNBC.com-furnished pages provides links to MedPage Today Teaching Brief articles. By providing contextually relevant links to MedPage Today’s medical content, MSNBC.com makes MedPage Today medical news available to its audience of about 500,000 healthcare professionals. These healthcare professionals also can earn continuing medical education (CME) credit hours as part of MedPage Today’s news service, and they can monitor their progress online with MedPage Today’s CME Tracker. “Our partnership with MedPage Today brings unique medical news reporting to MSNBC.com’s health channel,” says Charlie Tillinghast, general manager and publisher of MSNBC.com. “We chose to partner with MedPage Today, because they offer a high-quality, physician-reviewed service that provides innovative editorial value to our readers.” By partnering with MSNBC.com on the MSN Network, we greatly expand our reach, says Paul Greenberg, M.D., President of MedPage Today. DataForm Updates Life-cycle Management Software DataForm Software has unveiled the marketing configuration of Planet LifeCycle, a Web-based application designed to help pharmaceutical manufacturers increase operational efficiency through process standardization and information management. Created to support the clinical process for major pharmaceutical companies, Planet LifeCycle has been configured to support the entire life-cycle continuum, from discovery through development and into commercial maturity. Each phase is available in separate modules as dictated by client needs. The application integrates multiple streams of information from internal and external sources, allows relevant access from team members, and enables communication across a global team environment. “The core functionalities of Planet LifeCycle can be applied all along the product life cycle,” says Rodney Elliott, president and founder of DataForm. “This means that a pharma company can use one management tool through all phases of the life cycle, from preclinical to market maturity.” Follow up DataForm Software, Fairfield, N.J., provides information management and process standardization software and consulting services. For more information, visit dataformsoftware.com. Integrated Clinical Trial Services (ICTS), Cary, N.C., is a full-service patient enrollment firm. For more information, visit integratedtrials.com. Interactive Clinical Technologies Inc. (ICTI), Yardley, Pa., specializes in interactive solutions to accelerate the clinical-trial process. For more information, visit icti-global.com. Manhattan Research, New York, provides research, data, and insight to healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, and life-sciences companies. For more information, visit manhattanresearch.com. MedPage Today LLC, Little Falls, N.J., provides real-time, in-depth medical news for physicians and other medical professionals. For more information, visit medpagetoday.com. MSNBC.com, Redmond, Wash., is a leader in breaking news and original journalism on the Internet. For more information, visit msnbc.com. The Navicor Group, Westerville, Ohio, a subsidiary of inChord Communications Inc., is a full-service healthcare advertising agency that focuses exclusively on oncology and immunology. For more information, visit navicorgroup.com. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Washington, D.C., represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotech companies. For more information, visit phrma.org.
