SUMMARY:
- Biogen defends the indefensible.
- Unvaccinated people are putting us all at risk for COVID.
- The trend of politics over science is disturbing.
- Pharma seems to have a policy of “don’t say anything to rock the boat.”
Author: Richard Meyer
SUMMARY:
- Older, more experienced employees are being shoved aside in favor of more inexperienced ones.
- The culture within pharma is driving people away, including new hires.
- More and more meetings are based on ROI, not the voice of the patient.
- Don’t hire people who want big salaries; hire people who want to be part of an industry that helps patients.
- CEOs need to realign their company culture.
SUMMARY:
- DTC marketing is not the reason why prescription drugs cost so much.
- DTC ads raise awareness around health conditions.
- DTC ads do NOT lead to unnecessary Rxs.
- The FDA needs to study what people do when they see a DTC ad.
SUMMARY:
- 99 percent of covid-19 deaths in June were among the unvaccinated.
- 29 percent of Americans said they were unlikely to get vaccinated — up from 24 percent three months earlier.
- Most workers do not want their own employer to require vaccination, including the vast majority of unvaccinated workers (92%).
- The authority of state governments to mandate vaccinations is clear — it goes all the way back to a 1905 Supreme Court case.
- Herd immunity may be impossible because of anti-vaxxers.
SUMMARY:
- Even though the Delta variant of COVID is highly contagious, people are still choosing not to get vaccinated.
- Concerns about safety, fear of unknown side effects, and misinformation about COVID-19 are some reasons why people may not accept the vaccine.
- Social media has a lot of health misinformation bet they alone can’t be blamed.
- The media stories about the FDA. CDC and new drugs have fostered an era of mistrust with some people.
- DTC marketers need to be more forthcoming when it comes to drug trials and side effects.
SUMMARY:
- The Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Energy and Commerce is investigating the approval process for Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug.
- Janet Woodcock acknowledged on Wednesday her agency may have misstepped in the handling of its polarizing approval of a new Alzheimer’s drug.
- Biogen undertook a secret campaign, termed Project Onyx, to persuade FDA to approve Aduhelm.
- Biogen’s reputation may be damaged beyond repair.
SUMMARY:
- There is a talent drain at the agency and DTC levels.
- More experienced DTC people are being forced to retire.
- TV still gets the biggest share of DTC budgets, but they don’t drive brand objectives.
- Talented marketers don’t want a career in pharma because of the culture.
SUMMARY:
- The FDA has many puzzled as to why they approve some drugs with questionable data and ask for more data on other drugs.
- The FDA approves drugs on the potential to save a life, the cost of the drugs is never considered in the process.
- The FDA has been under criticism, but an internal investigation will focus on approval processes, not “why” a drug was approved.
- Our healthcare system cannot continue to support marginally effective drugs. We need to learn to say NO.
- Drug companies know how to play the system.
