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Several weeks ago Bayer AG’s Chief Executive Officer Marijn Dekkers said that he would consider a “merger of equals” to bolster the company’s sagging healthcare division. The division, a minor revenue source for Bayer AG, posted $25.1 billion in sales last year.

Today, the company announced that by 2013 it would outsource the entire production of its blockbuster MS treatment Betaferon to its German arch rival Boehringer Ingelheim. At present, Betaferon sold in the US is manufactured at Bayer’s production facility in Emeryville, CA. Bayer will close that facility and about 540 jobs will be lost.

Boehringer already manufactures Betaferon sold in Europe and it recently received US Food and Drug Administration approval to also sell it in the US. A Bayer spokesperson said that “It is important for us that we can offer the product from a single source.” While that makes sense from a regulatory standpoint, the decision also suggests that Bayer Healthcare may indeed be positioning itself for sale. It also suggests that Bayer may be abandoning the US market for “greener pastures” in the emerging BRIC markets (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

For more insights into Bayer Healthcare check us this article in Life Science Leader.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!

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The Internet and print media were buzzing this past week about the decision by a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel of expert medical reviewers to not recommend approval of Boehringer Ingelheim flibanserin; a new medication to treat female sexual dysfunction or perhaps more apt lack of sexual interest.

Flibanserin was originally developed as an antidepressant but while it failed to treat depression women who participated in clinical trials reported increased sexual interest. The lack of drugs to treat female sexual dysfunction propelled Boehringer to continue to develop flibanserin to treat low libido in women. Previously, drug makers attempted to develop Viagra-like drugs and testosterone patches (testosterone increases sexual desire) to increase female libido—neither worked (without substantial side effects) to warrant approval. The FDA panel decided to not recommend flibanserin for approval because its modest effects on heightening female sexual desire did not outweigh side effects like dizziness and nausea.

A 2005 article in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery suggested that the size of the female sexual dysfunction market in the US could exceed $4 billion annually with only about 15 per cent of patients receiving treatment. Not surprisingly, many pharmaceutical companies have invested billions to develop new drugs to treat this indication.

There is no question that quality of life drugs like Viagra, Latisse and Botox generate billions of dollars in sales each year. While these drugs may help small numbers of patients who truly suffer from serious medical conditions, they are mainly used for so-called recreational purposes (sexual performance and beauty enhancement) by a majority of “patients.” That said, pharmaceutical companies have the right to develop whatever drugs or treatments that they choose. However, I contend that there are more serious medical conditions out there than failure to achieve orgasm or the need to not apply mascara on a daily basis.

Hat tip to Ed at Pharmalot for some outstanding investigative reporting!

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!

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Twitter, which is currently de rigueur in social media circles, is emerging as one of the most powerful branding and marketing social media tool that has been developed to date.   While other industries are already exploiting Twitter’s powerful marketing reach (to hawk their wares), drug makers have been reluctant to adopt Twitter and most other forms of social media. Industry analysts and company insiders contend that pharma’s reluctance to adopt social media can be attributed to the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) lack of guidance on its use for promotional purposes. At present, it is anybody’s guess when this guidance may be issued, if ever.

Nevertheless, as always, there are a few daring companies willing to “boldly go where no pharma company has gone before”—in this case—Twitter! These companies include Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), Astra Zeneca, Novartis and Pfizer. According to a post on the Advance Market WoRx blog, BI is leading the way among pharma company Twitterers, with 679 following, 745 followers and 47 tweets. AstraZenecaUS has 136 following, 440 followers and 22 tweets. Pfizer has 351 following, 462 followers and 48 tweets.  Novartis has 0 following, 681 followers and 40 tweets (I guess Novartis has a thing” against following people).

Unlike its fellow pharma Twitters, BI—which began using Twitter in November 2008—actually uses it as an interactive and conversational microblogging platform (as it was intended). The other pharma company Twitters use it almost exclusively “as a one-way PR feed” says Ellen Hoenig Carlson at Advance Market WoRx. According to a post on the Pharmafocus website, "Boehringer has incorporated Twitter into its wider communications strategy and is using the site regularly to engage its stakeholders. In addition to posting press releases, BI uses Twitter to recommend web-based information about therapeutic areas and articles that its followers might find interesting or useful. To keep its finger on the pulse of the Twitterverse, BI uses media scanning programs to help monitor online conversations and responds quickly to join in or start up Twitter conversations.”

Kudos to Boehringer for recognizing Twitter’s potential to communicate with patients, physicians and other interested parties. I hope that more pharmaceutical companies begin to use Twitter and other forms of social media to engage and improve communications with their stakeholders.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Twittering (or should it be Tweeting?) 

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