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Welcome to the APRIL 2009 issue of Pharma Marketing News. This is the Executive Summary version. See Article Summaries below.

Thank you for being a reader of Pharma Marketing News. To improve this service, I urge you to take the online Reader Feedback Survey and tell me your thoughts. I have already gotten some great ideas from readers!

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John Mack, Publisher & Editor
Pharma Marketing News
editor@news.pharma-mkting.com

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CONTENTS

• Up Front: Social Media: Opportunity or Nightmare?
• Developing Guidelines for Pharma's Use of the Internet & Social Media: A Call for a Public Hearing at FDA
• The Empowered Patient: What It Means for Pharma Marketers
• Socially Challenged Pharma: How Ready is Pharma to Engage In Social Media?
• Report from the Social Pharmer "Unconference": Sowing Seeds of Social Media Change?

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PAMA PharmaSIG: Pharmaceutical Marketing within Today's Social Media Culture -- Opportunity or Nightmare? May 20, 2009 * 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM * Philadelphia, PA Agenda: 6:00 - 6:30 Registration and Networking 6:30 - 7:00 Pharma/Biosciences SIG Introductions 7:00 - 8:30 Panel Discussion with Q&A Where: The Campus of Saint Joseph's University Mandeville Hall Teletorium 5600 City Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131-1395 Phone: (215) 477-1667 Presenters / Panelists: Nancy Phelan, Executive Director, Consumer Communications and e-Marketing, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Stephen Williams, Managing Director, Client Services, All Web Cafe Barry Winn, Director, Client Services & Interactive Marketing, The Hal Lewis Group, Inc. Stephen Wray, president and CEO, Cadient Group John Mack, Editor & Publisher, Pharma Marketing News/Pharma Marketing Blog Dr. Thanigavelan Jambulingam, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Marketing, St. Joseph's University Moderator: Dr. Vipul Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Management & Information Systems, St. Joseph's University Registration & Pricing:   AMA Members: $30 Non-Members: $40 Click here to register

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Article Summaries

Up Front

Social Media: Opportunity or Nightmare? Michaelangelo's nightmarish painting Last Judgement includes the image of a poor soul being dragged down to Hell by the devil's agents. That image often comes to mind when I hear proponents of social media trying to persuade pharma marketers to just "dip their toe" in the social media waters. The other image I see is a shark lurking just below the water's surface! The April 2009 issue of Pharma Marketing News is focused on social media, patient empowerment (which is powered by social media), and the constraints of regulation. I present some background on social media usage and discuss how the articles in this issue are related.

Download this article and read the details here: http://www.news.pharma-mkting.com/PMNews_84_UpFront.pdf

Developing Guidelines for Pharma's Use of the Internet & Social Media

A Call for a Public Hearing at FDA Pharmaceutical companies and their agencies are "mulling" over amongst themselves how the drug industry should engage consumers and physicians via social media without violating FDA regulations. They are struggling because the FDA has never issued clear guidelines for how it may regulate the industry use of social media in the future. Many have called upon the FDA to issue such guidelines. Shouldn't we make sure that when it comes time for the FDA to actually create a guidance document on social media that it does it with input from ALL stakeholders? This article will present a review of this issue based upon input received from experts and respondents to the "Should FDA Convene a Public Hearing on Use of Social Media by Pharma?" survey hosted by Pharma Marketing News starting on April 2, 2009. Also included in a review of an ePharma Pioneer Club roundtable discussion on what it's going to take to enable pharmaceutical marketers to engage in social networks without fear of adverse event reporting and other regulatory, corporate, and cultural roadblocks. Topic headings include: The 14 Letters were No April Fools' Joke! An Unmet Need for Regulatory Guidance FDA, Tear Down This Wall! Call for Public Hearing Lessons Learned from the "One-Click Rule" Lack of Knowledge is No Excuse There is a Precedent A Clear Path Needed Survey Results A Moving Target The Views of Skeptics What Good Can Come from a Public FDA Hearing on Social Media? Alternatives to a Public Hearing

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The Empowered Patient

What It Means for Pharma Marketers Selecting the appropriate pharmaceutical product is one of the choices that empowered patients can make. But according to Reinhard Angelmar, the Salmon and Rameau Fellow in Healthcare Management and Professor of Marketing at INSEAD, empowered patients are involved before a drug even makes it to the market. This article will review a presentation made by Angelmar at the recent eyeforpharma SFE Europe 2009 conference held in Barcelona, Spain. Angelmar makes a case for the drug industry to adopt a patient-centric model in which pharma companies can develop unique expertise in decoding the behavior, needs, motivations of patients and then use this knowledge as the basis for helping healthcare professionals and payers to put into place programs that achieve better patient outcomes. Topic headings include: The Power of Patient Empowerment It Starts with Research Degrees of Patient Empowerment European Patients are Online Influence Over Prescribing Patients Determine Compliance Patient-Centric Pharma Relevance of Social Media European Union Barriers Relaxed Constraints on Horizon

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Socially Challenged Pharma

How Ready is Pharma to Engage In Social Media? Digital Pharma Europe was ExL Pharma's first entry into the 'Old World' hosting an event already well established in the States. It seems they have found the time right to see whether the Europeans are like-minded in the exciting area of new/social/digital media in pharma. In this article Erik van der Zijden -- entrepeneur, marketing professional, new media evangelist and self-styled "autodidactic techno-nerd" -- presents highlights of this conference and his personal point of view.. Topic headings include: More Focus on Social Media at Conferences Old School Digital? Pharma Going Social, Slowly Best Practices Online Physician Communities Will Radically Change Pharma Marketing When It Comes to Social Media, Pharma Marketers Inside Pharma are Not Keeping Up with Their Agency Colleagues (Survey Results) Enterprise 2.0 and Pharma YouTube Genius The Future of Digital Pharma Will doctors' social networks radically change pharma marketing & sales? (poll results)

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Report from the Social Pharmer "Unconference"

Sowing Seeds of Social Media Change? One only has to recall the 7-Up "Uncola" campaigns to understand the limitations of defining something by the absence of certain qualities. But the Social Pharmer Unconference was more refreshing than a fizzy soda exactly because it lacked what causes so many industry conferences to fall flat: marginally relevant speakers, boring PowerPoint presentations and silent participants. In this article, Amber Benson, Group Strategy Director for IMC2's Health & Wellness practice, summarizes key presentations made at the April 21, 2009, Social Pharmer "unconference." Topic headings include: Openness, Transparency and Authenticity Developing a Framework Final Social Pharmer Thoughts: Coming Back To Transparency FDA Regulation: Be Careful What You Wish For No Matter How Risk Adverse, You Can Do Something How to do it Without Getting Fired What Do Patients Want from Pharma Engagement? Next Steps

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Overcoming Barriers to Pharma's Engagement in Social Networks Guests: A select group ePharma Pioneer Club Members and other guests -- including PhRMA -- participate in a roundtable discussion on what it's going to take to enable pharmaceutical marketers to engage in social networks without fear of adverse event reporting and other regulatory, corporate, and cultural roadblocks. More info here... Listen to Podcast Now!

Each issue of Pharma Marketing News is packed with facts, opinions, and case studies based upon interviews with experts in the field of pharmaceutical marketing. Highlights of presentations from industry conferences, contact lists for experts consulted, and links to references help subscribers keep up to date on best practices and network with their peers.

Do you wish to contribute an article? E-mail John Mack, editor of PHARMA MARKETING NEWS , at johnmack@virsci.com.

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