PDMSN - June 19, 2007 Issue
June 19, 2007 | Vol. 1 No. 1
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Device DTC — Can It Work?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this year issued a preliminary decision that it would not provide reimbursement for Cyberonics’ anti-depression VNS implant, citing “sufficient evidence to conclude that vagus nerve stimulation is not reasonable and necessary for treatment of resistant depression.”
Medicare Part D: Working in the Present, Future Uncertain
It has been over a year since the Medicare Drug Benefit (Part D) came into full force, and it is now possible to judge the program’s initial performance and how it is likely to affect the pharmaceutical industry in coming years.
Report: Pharmaceutical Industry Must Focus Less on Marketing, More on Developing New Drugs
While the pharmaceutical industry is growing rapidly, companies must shift their focus from sales and marketing to developing new products to avoid collapsing, according to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Authorized Generics Becoming a Common Strategy for Protecting Market Share
Authorized generics are becoming increasingly important, as companies more often find themselves competing with generic drug sales, according to a credit rating agency.
House Subcommittee Postpones PDUFA Markup
The House Subcommittee on Health last week postponed its markup of draft bills to renew the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) until today.
Vermont Passes Bill to Restrict Marketing Use of Prescribing Information
Pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to use physician prescribing information for marketing purposes suffered a setback when Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas signed a bill that would prevent the practice.
GSK's Alli on Public Citizen’s ‘Worst Pills' List
GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) diet pill alli landed in drugstores last Friday, but one consumer interest group maintains the drug — an OTC version of Roche’s Xenical — is linked to colon cancer.