It’s been less than three days since new broke of a massive earthquake in Haiti that all but leveled the struggling country. With thousands dead, a devastated infrastructure, and no emergency plan, countries and businesses around the world have joined in the effort to help the Haitian people with food, supplies, and money. Here’s what some pharma companies are doing to send relief to our neighbors.

“The recent earthquake has had a devastating impact on Haiti’s limited health care system, which was already facing significant challenges,” stated Catherine V. Babington, president, the Abbott Fund. “Building on our existing partnerships with humanitarian organizations in Haiti, we are providing funding and product donations to help address the immense and immediate health needs.”

• Teva Pharmaceuticals will be donating more than $7 million in medicine. Teva is working with several of its Non-Governmental Organization partners to ensure these drugs are delivered to Haiti without delay.
• King Pharmaceuticals donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross to help with its Haiti earthquake relief efforts.
• The Genentech Foundation committed $500,000 to support disaster relief. Here’s the break down: A grant of $200,000 to CARE will help provide  food, water and hygiene items to people in need. A grant of $200,000 to Mercy Corps will provide medical supplies  and support medical teams on the ground. A $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross International Fund will  go toward tarps, tents and other emergency housing items to provide shelter for  the millions left homeless.
• Sanofi-aventis has committed 1 million Euros in financial aid to long-term reconstruction initiatives and the rehabilitation of the population of Haiti.
• Pfizer pledged $1 million in product donations and $250,000 cash (to UNICEF and CARE). Additionally, Pfizer Canada is matching all employee donations up to $250.
• GSK donated $1.4 million in medicines to many different relief organizations, as well as $408,000 to the British Red Cross to treat water contamination.
• Bayer is providing medicines to the Red Cross to be distributed to earthquake victims. Additionally, the company is doubling employee donations up to EUR $100,000.
• Abbott announced on Wednesday that it would send $1 million $2.5 million in aid and medical products to Haiti. The first wave of support comes in the form of $100,000 in grants to the American Red Cross, Partners in Health, and Catholic Medical Mission Board.
• Lilly stated that it has pledged $250,000 in cash, half of which is being sent ASAP, and the other half will be staggered over the next year to help rebuild the country. The company will also match employee donations, up to $250,000.
• Amgen said that it would donate $2 million to the Haitian government to help bolster relief efforts. Additionally, the company will use its Disaster Relief Program Web site to help employees donate additional funds. All donations through the site will be matched by Amgen.

This list will be updated as we hear from other pharma companies. Please contact us at gkoroneos@advanstar.com if you know of a pharma company involved in the relief effort.

Lilly, on Wednesday, announced that it would not seek regulatory approval for its osteoporosis treatment arzoxifene, because the drug failed to meet certain end points in Phase III clinical trials.

The good news is that the drug was successful in meeting the primary end point of the trial, dubbed “GENERATIONS.” According to a press release, arzoxifene met the primary end point by “significantly reducing the risk of vertebral fracture and invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women.” However, the drug did not meet specific secondary end points, and patients receiving the drug reported more side effects than those taking a placebo.

Lilly compared the treatment to its current osteoporosis products, and chose not to submit the drug for FDA review. The results of the five-year study will be released some time in 2010.

“At Lilly, our goal is to provide innovative therapies that result in better patient outcomes,” stated M. Johnston Erwin, global brand development leader for the musculoskeletal platform at Lilly. “While arzoxifene met its primary efficacy objectives in this study, we are disappointed that the GENERATIONS data did not convincingly demonstrate that arzoxifene would represent a meaningful advancement in the treatment of osteoporosis.”

Lilly was banking on the success of the drug to boost its pipeline, but the company’s CEO commented in the release by pointing out that Lilly has more than 60 molecules in development.

“It’s not that serious a problem” for Lilly, Natixis Bleichroeder analyst Jon LeCroy told Bloomberg. “Osteoporosis is a very tough category right now, and there is tough competition with generics.”

If approved, the drug would have been fighting it out with GSK, Merck, and Teva—all of which either have competing treatments in the osteoporosis market, or are looking to launch a product in that category in the near future.

Now Lilly must reach out to the trial locations currently treating patients with arzoxifene, and discontinue all medication.

Lilly, on Tuesday, announced that it will offer 4,000 sales reps a buyout in hopes of reducing its sales force by 300 before year’s end. According to a Lilly spokesperson, this is a voluntary exit program for eligible sales force professionals in its diabetes, neuroscience, and osteoporosis business units. Reps have the opportunity to leave the company with an “enhanced” severance package based on their years of service at the company.

This program comes in advance of a restructuring program of Lilly’s office-based sales organization in the aforementioned business units. That restructuring will take place in November, with a new sales structure going into effect on January 1, 2010.

“We need to right-size our sales force to the new model,” said Lilly’s Edward Sagebiel. “To get to that model we need to lower the head count. However, [this is] not a wholesale layoff like other firms have done, but a voluntary program.”

Lilly said that it’s also trying to enhance customer interaction and improve efficiency. Currently, the company has its sales force spread through larger territories with a number of reps in each therapeutic area calling on a physician.

“What we’ve heard from our physicians is that they want to see a more direct response to that interaction,” Sagebiel said. “[Doctors] want a single point of contact with the company, and they want to interact with a sales representative that has deep therapeutic expertise, and one that can add value to their relationship.”

Lilly has developed pilot programs based on a similar model in Ohio and Wisconsin that are showing positive results, according to Sagebiel.

Continuing Pharm Exec editor Patrick Clinton’s conversation with Bill Trombetta on the top four pharma companies and what makes them special.

Eli Lilly: With double-digit growth in sales, and a solid improvement in revenue per employee, Lilly placed fourth in the Company of the Year rundown. Bill Trombetta explains Lilly’s position as a big/small pharma and maps out the challenges that lie ahead for Lilly.

Lilly broke the news Monday morning that ImClone had accepted its offer to acquire the biotech firm for $6.5 billion or $70 per share—Lilly’s largest acquisition ever.

With this purchase Lilly gains control of ImClone’s blockbuster, targeted cancer agent Erbitux, which is marketed for second- and third-line colon cancer and refractory head and neck cancer.

ImClone also has five monoclonal antibodies in clinical development—including one in Phase III and two currently moving out of Phase II trials. The acquisition will help Lilly meet the challenge of patent expiration that it will see in the next decade and bolster its 13 oncology drugs currently in development.

One sticking point will be how the deal affects ImClone’s co-marketing pact with Bristol-Myers Squibb in the United States. BMS currently pays a 39 percent distribution fee to ImClone for Erbitux and owns 17 percent of ImClone stock. In an investor call this morning, Lilly said it could not comment on the situation.

Last month, BMS offered $4.5 billion for ImClone. ImClone chairman Carl Icahn shot down the offer stating that it undervalued the company and that a second mystery suitor had made an offer for $70 per share. After more than a week of whispers and second-guessing, Lilly announced that the boards of both companies have approved a definitive merger agreement.

Lilly expects the income stream of Erbitux and the success of one additional drug to cover the cost of ImClone. The company will cover the cost with a combination of cash and debt.

Moody’s Investors Service announced this morning that it was considering the possibility of lowering Lilly’s Aa3 long-term debt rating (the company’s Prime-1 short-term rating would remain unchanged).

“The long-term success of the acquisition will be dependent on receiving expanded approvals for Erbitux as well as favorable execution of other products in ImClone’s pipeline, both of which remain uncertain at this time,” stated Michael Levesque, Moody’s senior vice president.

Promotions and hires for September 26, 2008:

• Merck named Barry J. Goldstein, M.D., vice president of clinical development for diabetes and obesity

• Sanofi-Aventis announced that Chris Viehbacher will succeed current CEO Gerard Le Fur in December

• GlaxoSmithKline named Ellen Strahlman chief medical officer

• Questcor Pharmaceuticals appointed Gary Sawka CFO

• Encorium appointed David Ginsberg president and CEO

• Wyeth named Daniel J. McIntyre vice president, corporate communications

• Genesis Pharmaceuticals appointed John Yang Wang to its board of directors

• Zosano Pharma appointed Gail Schulze chair and CEO

• Lilly named John Lechleiter its board of directors chairman

• Merz Pharmaceuticals named Jack Britts president and CEO

• Ferring Pharmaceuticals appointed Paul Korner, M.D., vice president, medical affairs

• Zafgen appointed Thomas Hughes the company’s first CEO

When 5,742 physicians opt in voting for their favorite medical journal ads over utilizing spare time that never comes, you know it’s a big deal. And yesterday at The Doctor’s Choice awards luncheon sponsored by the Association of Medical Media (AMM), their input was not only showcased on a most refined level but also indicative of what they want pharma marketing to deliver.

It became quite clear to me early in the ceremony that physicians weren’t selecting ads based on how fun and fancy they were, but rather on how they delivered a message straight and to the point. William Castagnoli, director of The Doctor’s Choice awards, echoed my thoughts.

“Doctors are looking for information and they very often are not impressed by what we would think is a bright clever headline or photo,” he said. “There were a lot of ads this year that were atypical.”

Despite a lack of fluorescent colors with flashy themes, most ads did present more text and fewer frills. Dusa’s Clindareach launch ad combined, what I thought, the right mix of amusement and information for doctors. In fact, Topin & Associates, the agency that created the ad, walked away with the most awards – highest scoring specialty ad, the four-page and over, and dermatologicals categories.

“Clearly this is a concept that’s been proven to deliver impact,” said Alan Topin, president and founder of Topin & Associates. “I’m proud of our experienced team that developed this award-winning work,” he added.

Companies close behind taking two awards were Merck, Lilly, Alcon, Pfizer, and Salix.

For the first time in history, Lilly’s four-page Cymbalta ad created by GSW Worldwide won in two product categories: diabetes therapy and neurologicals. Again, we saw tons of text going on in this ad but the clincher here was the patient who tells a story.

Kris McGlosson, vice president creative director for GSW Worldwide said that Cymbalta targets endocrinologists and neurologists because it effectively communicates both diabetes and pain. She also pointed out that the key was casting somebody who could play the role of a diabetic.

“I think doctors in their educational progress are data driven so when you ask their response to communication they say show me the data,” said Dean Tepper, senior vice president group creative director, GSW Worldwide. “They digest communication in an emotional way and if they can become a hero they will respond.”

Click here and here for a full list of winners