Marketing

Anticipating Aduhelm's costs, Medicare plans big jump in premiums

While CMS is still weighing whether to authorize wide coverage of Biogen's pricey Alzheimer's drug, administrators are planning to build reserves in case costs skyrocket.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 15, 2021

IQVIA Omnichannel Navigator: A platform for informing smarter marketing decisions

This year, the pharmaceutical industry will spend more on its promotional activities than any year before. It’s estimated that the total U.S. promotional spend for 2021 will be around $30 billion.

By Kathryn Grimshaw • Nov. 8, 2021

Patients, payers, policy and pressure: Trends to watch in 2021

It has become increasingly difficult to forecast and achieve net sales goals. Pressures were building long before 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated and amplified the challenges.

Nov. 1, 2021

CDC panel backs COVID-19 boosters for Moderna, J&J vaccine recipients

Advisers' recommendations followed the FDA's clearance of additional doses for certain people vaccinated with Moderna's and J&J's shots, while also endorsing a mix-and-match approach.

By Jonathan Gardner , Shoshana Dubnow • Updated Oct. 22, 2021

Biogen's Alzheimer's drug is struggling, and a turnaround might not be coming soon

Sales of Aduhelm during the third quarter totaled only $300,000, falling well below expectations amid controversy over its approval and physician reluctance to prescribe it.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 20, 2021

Sage, Biogen detail plans to get their newer depression drug approved

Following discussions with the FDA, the companies plan to submit zuranolone for approval in major depressive disorder and postpartum depression over the next roughly year and a half.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 19, 2021

Boehringer wins 'interchangeable' status for Humira copy, strengthening competitive threat

The interchangeable approval could help to boost adoption of Boehringer's biosimilar when it launches in mid-2023, a date set via settlement with AbbVie.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 18, 2021

Lilly drug cleared by FDA for wider use in breast cancer

Verzenio now has an expanded approval for treatment of a common form of early cancer, although the label granted by FDA places some limits on use.

By Kristin Jensen • Oct. 13, 2021

Biohaven migraine drug sales again top Wall Street forecasts

The neuroscience-focused biotech continues to win market share in a battle with some of the industry's largest companies.

By Kristin Jensen • Oct. 6, 2021

Lilly, Novartis, other pharmas could face fines for violating 340B law

The U.S. health department asked its inspector general to review the refusals of six drugmakers to offer discounts to safety net hospitals through community pharmacy partnerships.

By Rebecca Pifer • Sept. 24, 2021

CDC recommends Pfizer booster shots for many, overruling advisers on broad use

While agency advisers voted against recommending a third Pfizer vaccine dose for frontline workers, they were overruled by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who officially endorsed use in that group.

By Shoshana Dubnow , Ned Pagliarulo • Updated Sept. 24, 2021

Takeda wins FDA approval for targeted lung cancer drug

Exkivity follows Johnson & Johnson's Rybrevant on the market for treating lung tumors harboring specific mutations in the EGFR gene. Unlike J&J's drug, however, Takeda's is given orally. 

By Kristin Jensen • Sept. 16, 2021

New data from Israel, Pfizer show potent effect from third coronavirus shot

The much-anticipated data arrive ahead of an important FDA advisory meeting to discuss authorization of a booster dose for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine.

By Jonathan Gardner • Sept. 15, 2021

Overcoming inertia: Adopting omnichannel marketing for pharma

Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly attracted to the idea of replacing the current multichannel marketing focus with an omnichannel marketing approach. But the industry is struggling to break out of its own silos.

By Andrew Burkus, Principal, Omnichannel Marketing, IQVIA • Sept. 13, 2021

Biogen offered a window into what's holding up Aduhelm. Investors didn't like what they saw.

At Morgan Stanley’s healthcare conference last week, executives detailed how the launch of their Alzheimer’s drug has been slower than expected, due in large part to lingering questions about trial data and insurance coverage.

By Jacob Bell • Sept. 9, 2021

Settling lawsuit, AstraZeneca and European Commission agree on coronavirus vaccine delivery

The U.K.-based drugmaker fell behind on its promise to supply 300 million doses by the end of June to countries in the trading bloc. Now, it's set to reach that target by March 2022.

By Jonathan Gardner • Sept. 3, 2021

With safety worries mounting, FDA limits who can take certain immune-regulating drugs

The agency has new rules for who can take Pfizer's Xeljanz, Eli Lilly's Olumiant or AbbVie's Rinvoq after a large study raised concerns about the safety of so-called JAK inhibitors.

By Jacob Bell • Sept. 1, 2021

BioMarin wins European approval to sell drug for dwarfism

The drugmaker is setting the price for Voxzogo high, at an annual price of around $300,000 per patient, although the company expects to make "material discounts" in the coming years. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 27, 2021

UPS delivers coronavirus vaccines via temperature-controlled drone

Drones have emerged as a speedy logistics option for time- and temperature-sensitive vaccine doses, potentially helping boost the availability of shots in rural areas.  

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 25, 2021

Lilly, preparing Alzheimer's drug plans, forms new neuroscience unit in company restructure

Lilly Bio-Medicines will be split into separate neuroscience and immunology groups, while the Loxo cancer research division will merge with Lilly Oncology. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Aug. 17, 2021

Bluebird to wind down business in Europe amid gene therapy struggles

Shares in the biotech sunk in value as the company also announced new safety concerns for one of its leading programs.

By Jacob Bell • Aug. 9, 2021

5 lessons about the importance of print in biopharma in a post-pandemic world

Biopharma businesses have started to reevaluate relationships with print suppliers to determine what's working and what's not.

Aug. 9, 2021

After controversial approval, doctors are still debating how to use Biogen's Alzheimer's drug

Nearly two months since Aduhelm became available, many physicians have yet to use the first treatment approved in the U.S. to slow Alzheimer's disease.

By Jacob Bell • Updated Aug. 3, 2021

Social health: The future of healthcare marketing

Approximately 79% of patients look to connect through social media to find answers to their health questions.

July 26, 2021

Major health centers, insurers push back against Aduhelm

The Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai won't yet administer the controversial Alzheimer's drug, while UnitedHealth's CEO said the insurer would need more time to iron out coverage. 

By Jacob Bell • July 15, 2021