OPENING: In an era of media sensationalism, I have come to appreciate good journalism. When it comes to healthcare, my number one choice is STAT News, but I have also found the Financial Times and The Economist to be excellent sources. Below is a summary of an in-depth article from the Finacial Times on Pfizer and their COVID vaccine. It’s beyond damning; it’s a reflection of an industry that values profits above all else.
SUMMARY: When it comes to reaching health care professionals, there is only one choice as far as I am concerned, and that’s Medscape. Working with them has always been a pleasure, and we can always “list match” targeted physicians.
SUMMARY: The U.S. needs to take substantial steps to address the high costs of cancer drugs. From 2009 to 2019, the median monthly treatment costs for new drugs at launch reached $11,755 in the U.S… Does the question become how much is a month(s) of other life worth?
OPENING: As the NY Times recently reported, obesity is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Obesity costs the nation $1.72 trillion every year. Although not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, obesity and an inactive lifestyle are two of the most common causes of type 2 diabetes. These things are responsible for about 90% to 95% of diabetes cases in the United States
SUMMARY: CVS announced its plans to begin closing its doors–about 900 locations across the country. They know the future isn’t about selling 20 kinds of shampoos and vitamins. In the words of the company’s mission, its goal is to “make high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access.”
SUMMARY: The U.S. government has provided Moderna with nearly $10 billion in taxpayer money for research and development and the purchase of 500 million doses of this mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. This includes almost the entire cost of clinical development. Additionally, Moderna used patents and non-exclusive rights that the U.S. government made available to them to make this COVID-19 vaccine. But Moderna wants all the profits for themselves.
SUMMARY: AbbVie continues to profit from Americans by repeatedly raising U.S. prices on its widely-used Humira rheumatoid arthritis drug while cutting the price abroad. AbbVie exploits the U.S. patent system to fend off competitors and increased the price of Humira to $77,000 for a year’s supply, while the price of its cancer drug Imbruvica was raised to $181,529 per year.
SUMMARY: Omnichannel marketing employs the simultaneous implementation of channels across personal, non-personal, and media and addresses the integrated needs of multiple stakeholders – consumers/patients, healthcare professionals, and payers. Sounds good but is that the answer?