Author Archives: Ben Comer

US v. Caronia: What Constitutes 'Truthful' Speech?

By Ben Comer | Published: December 5, 2012

If a drug’s label is not the final word on what is true – or untrue – about a product, then who decides what can and cannot be said during a sales detail?

Posted in Advertising, FDA, Legal, Marketing, Regulatory, Safety, Sales, Strategy, compliance | Tagged Alfred Caronia, Appeals Court, Detailing, DoJ, FDA, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Marketing, off-label, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, Orphan Medical, OTC, Professional Marketing, Promotion, Regulatory, sales rep, Sorrell v. IMS Health, US v. Caronia | 1 Comment

Hepatitis C: Engaging Patients Online

By Ben Comer | Published: November 16, 2012

Given the amount of activity in the hepatitis C drug development space – as evidenced in PharmExec’s 2013 Pipeline report – patients are scouring the internet for information on the disease, available treatments, and soon to be available treatments. A new Industry Standard Research report examines the digital cracks consumers encounter when looking for [...]

Posted in Advertising, E-Media, Marketing, Strategy, multimedia, patient education, social media | Tagged Genentech, Hepatitis C, online marketing, online strategy, Roche, Search, social media, Vertex | Leave a comment

Pharma in the Dell: Working with Academia

By Ben Comer | Published: November 14, 2012

How can the emerging field of data science help to fruitfully translate research and discovery into successful drug development? Academics and pharmaceutical executives at Mount Sinai’s School of Medicine discussed ways to build a bridge across the valley of death, and the growing importance of data across all business areas.

Posted in Biotech, Deals, IP, Meetings, People, R&D, Strategy, Technology, leadership | Tagged Celera, Data, Gilead, Intellectual property, Janssen, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Pfizer | Leave a comment

Pharmacists: The Other White Coats

By Ben Comer | Published: November 7, 2012

Patients in search of face time with a healthcare provider are stopping into their local drugstores, where consultations are free and the wait time is shorter. Pharmacists are in a unique position, too, to move the needle on drug adherence.

Posted in E-Media, Patient Communication, Technology, compliance, healthcare, patient compliance, patient education, social media | Tagged Manhattan Research, McKesson, patient adherence, Pharmacy, pharmacy benefit managers | 3 Comments

Adaptive Trial Design and Combo Drugs Needed in Alzheimer’s

By Ben Comer | Published: October 17, 2012

FDA’s head of neurology products told industry execs at the Prix Galien Forum that the agency is open to alternative clinical trial designs in Alzheimer’s disease, and would like to see more combination products in clinical testing.

Posted in Agency Insight, FDA, R&D, Regulatory | Tagged Alzheimer's disease, Clinical Trials, Eli Lilly | Leave a comment