Federal Medtronic probe ends

May 18, 2012

A federal probe into whether Medtronic illegally promoted Infuse, a bone-graft product for unapproved uses, has drawn to a close.
 

Lipitor marketing reaches the end of the road

May 11, 2012

Pfizer is giving up the ghost when it comes to promoting cholesterol drug Lipitor in the US. The patent on the drug expired November 30 of last year.
 

Mad cow scare fails to shake meat industry

April 27, 2012

The first US case of mad cow disease since 2006 caused anxiety among consumers this week.
 

J&J settlement offer rejected

March 13, 2012

The US Justice Department has rejected a $1 billion settlement offer by Johnson & Johnson over allegations that it marketed Risperdal for unapproved uses.
 

GSK to increase consumer healthcare comms team

January 31, 2012

GlaxoSmithKline is looking to bolster its consumer healthcare communications staff, following a three-month department review by Leslie McGibbon, VP of global communications and consumer healthcare.
 

Survey finds hiring boom in public relations

December 08, 2011

The PR industry is hiring 10% more than it was at this time last year, according to a recent survey of online job ads.
 

AstraZeneca cuts US workforce by 24%

December 07, 2011

AstraZeneca is reducing its sales force by cutting 1,150 jobs. These changes will account for roughly 24% of the company's sales organization in the US.
 

Influencing the 'super committee'

September 06, 2011

As the congressional super committee goes to work at slashing away at the government's debt, The Washington Post has put together a nifty infographic detailing the members ties to various lobbying interests.
 

Merck subpoenaed by Justice Department

August 11, 2011

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. is currently undergoing a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice for its marketing and selling activities for three prescription drugs.
 

MyPlate eating guide replaces food pyramid

June 02, 2011

The USDA released a new guide to healthy eating, replacing the familiar food pyramid with a dinner plate.
 

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act undergoes online redesign

April 18, 2011

The Food and Drug Administration has launched a redesigned Web page for its FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to help implement the new law.
 

FDA needs to meet industry halfway on social media guidelines

Matthew Schwartz March 31, 2011

Are the Food and Drug Administration's recurring delays on releasing social media guidelines turning into the PR industry's version of Samuel Beckett's classic play, "Waiting for Godot?"
 

P&G, Teva partner for global OTC venture

March 24, 2011

Procter & Gamble and Teva Pharmaceuticals said the two companies would combine their over-the-counter businesses outside of North America.
 

Almeida named CEO at Covidien

March 16, 2011

Covidien said Jose Almeida will take over as president and CEO of the healthcare products company in July, following the retirement of Richard Meelia.
 

FDA advisory panel weighs genetic tests

March 09, 2011

A FDA advisory panel is addressing the risks and benefits of direct-to-consumer genetic tests, which are sold directly to consumers who can learn about potential health risks via the Web or by mail, this week.
 

Corporations confront gender discrimination suits

March 01, 2011

Monique da Silva's gender discrimination lawsuit against MSL Group and Publicis Groupe is one of several similar lawsuits that women have filed against large corporations in recent years.
 

J&J recalls Sudafed for packaging typo

February 25, 2011

Johnson & Johnson is dealing with another recall - this time, the recall is due to a typo on 667,000 Sudafed packages.
 

Allergan's obesity device approved for broader use

February 17, 2011

Allergan said late Wednesday night that the FDA approved Lap-Band, its adjustable gastric banding system, for broader use.
 

Pharma increasing investment in mobile

February 16, 2011

A new Ernst & Young study says pharmaceutical companies increased investments in smartphone apps, educational websites, social media, and wireless devices in 2010 by 78%.
 

Biotech PR pro Jenkins passes away

February 14, 2011

Adriana Jenkins, a longtime biotech PR professional, died last week from breast cancer. She was 41.
 

Planned Parenthood set to retrain staff

February 10, 2011

One reason why Planned Parenthood publicly announced its plans to retrain staff was to reaffirm employee and public trust in the nonprofit's mission and brand.
 

FDA approves radiology app for doctors

February 07, 2011

The FDA approved a radiology app for the iPhone and the iPad, allowing physicians to view MRI, CT, and PET patient scans on the mobile devices.
 

Obesity drug fails to win FDA approval

February 01, 2011

Federal officials did not approve Contrave, the weight loss drug developed by Orexigen Therapeutics, over concerns about the risks of heart attacks.
 

Amgen to acquire experimental biotech company

January 25, 2011

Amgen said it planned to acquire BioVex, a biotech company with an experimental cancer vaccine in development to treat head and neck cancer and melanoma, for up to $1 billion.
 

Walmart partners with White House on healthy foods initiative

January 21, 2011

Walmart Stores said it will reformulate its Great Value private-label food brand to become healthier while also lowering prices on healthier foods over the next five years.
 

Pharma continues push into mobile

January 19, 2011

Communicators and marketers weighed in on mobile health this morning, looking at programs as wide-ranging as corporate brand apps to public health initiatives at a Business Development Institute event in New York.
 

Lilly, BI to partner on diabetes drugs

January 12, 2011

Eli Lilly announced a new diabetes drug partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim at the JP Morgan Healthcare conference this week.
 

Sharfstein says he will leave FDA

January 05, 2011

Joshua Sharfstein, second-in-command at the Food and Drug Administration, said he is leaving the federal agency to return to Maryland and lead the state's health agency.
 

Post Foods makes healthy changes

December 27, 2010

Post Foods will be making nutritional improvements to its Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles cereals starting in January.
 

Report: Genzyme willing to discuss a deal

December 22, 2010

The Wall Street Journal reported that Genzyme is "displaying a new willingness" to discuss a possible deal with Sanofi-Aventis.
 

Rolaids recall another setback for J&J

December 10, 2010

Johnson & Johnson faced another setback this week with the recall of more than 13 million packages of Rolaids antacids.
 

Medical sales go mobile with the iPad

December 09, 2010

Medical device and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly equipping their sales forces with iPads.
 

Orexigen leads obesity market with FDA backing

December 09, 2010

Drugmakers with an eye on the obesity market got some good news this week when an FDA panel issued a positive recommendation for Orexigen Therapeutics' obesity drug Contrave.
 

Pfizer CEO steps down

December 06, 2010

Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler announced he was stepping down late Sunday night, with news reports suggesting that Kindler's departure stemmed from internal conflicts over his management style.
 

New regulations released for health insurers

November 22, 2010

Health insurers have to spend 85% of the money collected in premiums on medical care, not profit and administrative costs such as marketing, according to regulations released by the Department of Health and Human Services.
 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launch 'innovation' effort

November 17, 2010

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched an innovation center this week that aims to improve care while cutting cost through the use of public-private partnerships.
 

FDA proposes graphic cigarette labels

November 11, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration unveiled proposals for 36 new warning labels for cigarette packages yesterday.
 

Biogen announces restructuring plan

November 04, 2010

Biogen Idec said this week that it's going to restructure the company to focus on developing neurology treatments as well as its portfolio of multiple sclerosis drugs.
 

Comms is big topic at healthcare conference

November 01, 2010

I attended the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association's Leadership Conference last week in Philadelphia.
 

GSK to pay $750 million on defective drug charges

October 26, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $750 million to settle criminal and civil charges that the pharmaceutical company manufactured defective drugs.
 

ProPublica investigation questions physician payments

October 20, 2010

ProPublica published its first investigative story looking at physicians who are paid to promote pharmaceutical drugs and some of the issues that have arisen, including professional misconduct and patient safety.
 

Abbott Labs pulls Meridia from market

October 11, 2010

Abbott Laboratories said Friday that it was pulling Meridia from the market, due to the diet drug's increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
 

Humana, Wal-Mart partner for low-cost drug plan

October 06, 2010

Big news broke last week in healthcare when Humana and Wal-Mart announced plans to partner and provide a low-cost Medicare Part D prescription drug plan across the US.
 

J&J CEO testifies on the Hill

September 30, 2010

Johnson & Johnson's CEO Bill Weldon testified before a congressional committee today, acknowledging that McNeil Consumer Healthcare should have handled the recall of medicines like Motrin "differently."
 

Healthcare law provisions to go into effect Thursday

September 22, 2010

Several provisions of the new healthcare law are expected to go into effect on Thursday.
 

FDA panel discusses genetically modified salmon

September 21, 2010

An advisory committee told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it believes genetically engineered salmon is safe to eat.
 

Lawsuit adds fuel to healthcare fight

September 16, 2010

The Obama administration has been fighting for healthcare reform in the court of public opinion. Now it's likely it will have to do the same in the court of law.
 

Government launches healthcare reform campaign

September 09, 2010

Over the past few months, the media (and policymakers, alike) have focused on issues like energy legislation and the oil spill, the economy, and the upcoming midterm elections. This week the spotlight is back on healthcare.
 

Justice Department to pursue off-label pharma marketing

September 02, 2010

Allergan plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and agreed to pay $600 million to settle civil and criminal allegations that the company illegally marketed Botox for off-label uses such as treating headaches and pain.
 

MTV partners with Foursquare

September 01, 2010

MTV is partnering with Foursquare to offer check-ins as part of its "GYT: Get Yourself Tested" campaign. Users can get badges by checking in to health clinics to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
 

FDA releases nutritional-labeling guidelines

August 25, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration released guidelines this week to help restaurants comply with a new requirement that says companies must provide nutritional labeling on menus.
 

J&J CEO addresses quality

August 19, 2010

The CEO of Johnson & Johnson said the company is reorganizing its manufacturing unit and creating a new position to ensure quality production, following the recall of children's medicines and the temporary closure of a plant.
 

Roche, Mayo Clinic launch social media centers

August 18, 2010

Pharmaceutical company Roche released information about the company's social media usage and guidelines this week.
 

IBM and Aetna partner on medical service

August 05, 2010

On Thursday, IBM and Aetna jointly launched a service designed to help hospitals improve patient care by making use of electronic medical records and other digital data.
 

FDA closer to approving Botox for migraines

August 02, 2010

Allergan said in its second-quarter earnings statement the FDA had requested information about how the company could safely market Botox to treat migraines.
 

Novartis takes on Tylenol with Triaminic giveaway

July 30, 2010

Novartis said this week it planned to give away 250,000 bottles of its Triaminic children's pain reliever "to help parents restock their medicine cabinets with a reliable option."
 

Sanofi-Aventis eyes Genzyme

July 28, 2010

Sanofi-Aventis is expected to make a formal takeover offer to Genzyme's board, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
 

Harvard addresses conflicts of interest

July 22, 2010

Harvard Medical School adopted a new conflict-of-interest policy, noting that professors can no longer accept gifts, travel, and meals, as well as industry money to speak on behalf of drug and device companies.
 

Janssen-Cilag ADHD You Tube video attracts worldwide attention

July 22, 2010

A Janssen-Cilag-commissioned YouTube video titled 'ADHD: A day in the life' is attracting multiple hits and commentary since it launched at the beginning of June.
 

Panel finds against cancer drug

July 21, 2010

On Tuesday, an advisory committee recommended that the FDA revoke approval of the drug Avastin as a treatment for breast cancer, stating the drug is not effective in helping patients.
 

FDA panel in favor of Avandia

July 14, 2010

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted that Avandia, a GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug, should remain on the market, following two days of discussion about the possibility of increased risk of heart attacks.
 

FDA to review new weight-loss pill

July 13, 2010

On Tuesday, the FDA announced that Vivus Inc's experimental obesity pill, Qnexa, appears to be effective, but safety concerns remain.
 

Pepsi and Seed Media anger science bloggers

July 08, 2010

ScienceBlogs, a blogging website operated privately by Seed Media, features writing from its network of science bloggers.
 

HHS launches health insurance site

July 01, 2010

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the first government website aimed at explaining how to shop for health insurance to the public.
 

HRA Pharma works with BallouPR on emergency contraceptive

June 24, 2010

HRA Pharma is working with BallouPR on Ella, the emergency contraceptive currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
 

Debate over medical industry involvement in doctor education continues

June 24, 2010

In an effort to separate doctors and the commercial medical industry, the University of Michigan Medical School has become the first to decide that it will no longer accept funding from drug and medical device producers.
 

FDA to assess 'female Viagra'

June 17, 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim's drug aimed at increasing women's sexual desire is being questioned by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff, who said it "failed to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement."
 

Obama promotes healthcare reform to seniors

June 09, 2010

President Obama and his administration have taken on a major PR campaign to quell rumors and defend the massive healthcare overhaul against opposition.
 

AMA to launch Medicare campaign

June 03, 2010

The American Medical Association (AMA) is gearing up to launch a public affairs campaign to prevent Medicare cuts that could force physicians to stop taking Medicare patients, according to The Hill.
 

WellPoint faces continued scrutiny

May 26, 2010

In what looks like an ongoing crisis for the company, WellPoint is in news again, this time for CEO Angela Braly's May 8 letter to President Barack Obama and this week's tumultuous shareholder meeting.
 

FDA creates 'Bad Ad' program

May 12, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the "Bad Ad" program, a new effort that aims to encourage physicians to identify and report misleading drug advertising and marketing.
 

InVentiv acquisition reflects potential growth

May 07, 2010

InVentiv Health said May 6 that it will be acquired by private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners for about $1.1 billion.
 

J&J faces reputation battle following recalls

May 05, 2010

As news about the Johnson & Johnson recall of children's drugs unfolds, media outlets are addressing everything from the company's reputation to what role a brand-name plays for consumers when they choose a product.
 

USDA looks at organic program

April 28, 2010

The US Department of Agriculture said it might remove two synthetic additives found in organic baby formula and organic milk as the federal agency addresses concerns about the National Organic Program.
 

White House brings in Cutter for health bill

April 26, 2010

The White House said last week that Stephanie Cutter, a longtime Democratic operative, had been named assistant to the President for special projects, including the White House's messaging on healthcare.
 

Physician group addresses ethics

April 22, 2010

A physician group said that it had developed a new ethics code, to reduce the influence that pharmaceutical and medical device companies have over physicians and patients.
 

Report recommends FDA standard for salt

April 20, 2010

The latest piece of news regarding the battle over sodium comes from the Institute of Medicine, which said April 20 that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should set federal standards for salt usage in food products.
 

Food industry pledges healthier products

April 15, 2010

The food industry promised this week to make its products healthier without government involvement, according to Reuters.
 

White House health reform comms director resigns

April 08, 2010

Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform, announced she is leaving her position on April 16. The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz broke the news on Twitter.
 

Novartis faces lawsuit

April 08, 2010

Jury selection for a class-action lawsuit filed against Novartis Pharmaceuticals began this week after a group of current and former sales representatives in New York alleged sex discrimination against the company's female employees.
 

Health law includes public health initiatives

April 05, 2010

A number of public health initiatives were passed by Congress in the health bill, illustrating a "sea change in federal health programs and policy," according to The New York Times.
 

Questions arise over Ketchum's health IT contract

April 01, 2010

ProPublica is questioning an up to $25 million government contract that went to Ketchum for a health IT campaign. The Recovery Act contract was awarded at the end of March.
 

AP: Drug industry wins with health bill

March 29, 2010

An Associated Press story looks at how the pharmaceutical industry managed not just its reputation, but its bottom line in the battle leading up to the passage of the health bill.
 

Patty Duke promotes Medicare

March 24, 2010

The cast of The Patty Duke Show reunited to film a PSA that promotes online Medicare applications.
 

Obama prepares campaign for post-healthcare reform

March 22, 2010

The White House is preparing a PR campaign to change the public's opinion of the healthcare reform bill, following this weekend's vote of approval in the House of Representatives, according to The Washington Post.
 

Nextgov: FDA to issue regulations for Web

March 18, 2010

Officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the FDA will issue regulations for online drug advertising and communications in 2010, but will not provide differentiation between social media tools, according to Nextgov.
 

Bausch & Lomb taps Schering-Plough execs as chairman, CEO

March 16, 2010

Bausch & Lomb announced this week that former Schering-Plough executives Fred Hassan and Brent Saunders were named chairman and CEO, respectively.
 

Healthcare reform heats up

March 11, 2010

The business community and the Obama administration launched campaigns this week to address and define the implications of healthcare reform for both sides.
 

FDA warns food manufacturers about health claims

March 04, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued another round of letters to industry, warning food manufacturers such as Nestle and Dreyer's about misleading labels on packaging.
 

Consumer group files lawsuit against health insurer

March 02, 2010

Consumer Watchdog filed a lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross, accusing the health insurer of illegally increasing rates and pushing policyholders to take plans with less benefits and higher deductibles.
 

GSK responds to committee report on diabetes drug

February 24, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline posted a 30-page white paper online on February 23 in reaction to a report from the US Senate Finance Committee.
 

NAACP taps Brock as chair

February 22, 2010

The NAACP named Roslyn Brock, VP of advocacy and government relations for Bon Secours Health System, the chair of the board of directors. She is the youngest person to serve in this position.
 

BI Pharmaceuticals reports social media results for COPD campaign

February 19, 2010

PRWeek reported that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals launched a social media-heavy campaign earlier in February to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
 

FDA holds hearing on medical devices

February 18, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating the approval process for medical devices and is holding a day-long meeting February 18 to allow manufacturers, physicians, and consumer groups to weigh in.
 

Tauzin to resign from top drug lobby

February 12, 2010

Billy Tauzin, president of PhRMA, said he is resigning following internal issues within the trade group and its deal with the White House, which brokered the pharmaceutical industry's support of healthcare reform.
 

Study: Women's understanding of heart disease still lacking

February 11, 2010

A study released by the American Heart Association says that nearly half of American women don't know that heart disease is the number one cause of death for women.
 

White House to address childhood obesity

February 10, 2010

Michelle Obama announced her campaign to fight childhood obesity this week, triggering support from industry and government agencies.
 

Social Media Week: Navigating social media and healthcare

February 04, 2010

Last night I attended a Social Media Week NY event at the NYU Stern School of Business called "Navigating Social Media Technology in Healthcare."
 

Medical journal retracts 12-year-old autism study

February 03, 2010

The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal in the UK, said this week it was retracting the article that first linked autism to the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. The article was published 12 years ago.
 

FDA warns dermatologist about promotion of antiwrinkle drug

February 02, 2010

The number of warnings regarding drug promotion has doubled since President Barack Obama came into office, according to a Reuters report.
 
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