New Healthcare-related Products, Services, and Companies
Corbett Accel Reorganizes
New business opportunities at Corbett Accel Healthcare Group have prompted the company to advance the identities of two of its fastest-growing business units. Corbett Accel – New York will now be known as Surge Worldwide Healthcare Communications, with Carleen Kelly continuing to serve as its president. Corbett Accel – Chicago returns to its namesake as Corbett Worldwide Healthcare Communications, and Elaine Eisen continues to provide leadership as its president. Both business units focus on healthcare professional advertising and communications. “We are two years ahead of our strategic growth plan,” says Scott D. Cotherman, CEO of Corbett Accel Healthcare Group. “This is an exciting time for us. Both business units are experiencing a burst in new business opportunities from existing clients and prospects. The name changes are occurring at the behest of several of these companies to eliminate confusion between the identities of our advertising business units. These advancements enable each agency to continue thriving as independent operations within our corporation.” According to Mr. Cotherman, Surge captures the high-intensity drive and commitment to market-moving ideas characteristic of the New York advertising business unit. “The name change more accurately conveys the level of energy our team brings to client brands,” Ms. Kelly says. “When there is an urgency to grow the brand, we move quickly to achieve client and brand objectives. We succeed because we have built a staff that includes some of the best talent in New York, operating within, and committed to, a unique culture steeped in shared values and expectations.” “While the names of the agencies are new, the commitment to talent development and cultural values is not,” Mr. Cotherman says. “Corporatewide, we continue to focus our efforts on attracting, developing, and retaining top talent to service blue-chip healthcare clients and high-potential specialty companies in support of their market-leading brands. Our belief is that top talent produces market-moving ideas that build enduring client relationships. Corporatewide, our primary objective is to help our clients build bigger and more successful brands faster.” The names of other business units within Corbett Accel Healthcare Group have not changed. They include the following: Accel Health, which provides promotional and branded medical education communications programs to pharmaceutical and healthcare clients; Guidenz, which takes competitive intelligence beyond simple data collection and reporting; Iris Global Clinical Trial Solutions, which provides clients innovative services ranging from patient recruitment/enrollment, patient retention, investigator site training, education and other services related to the premarketing stage of brands; Kinect, which offers digital/interactive communications; LinQ, which executes the processes and services that help Corbett Accel business units deliver market-moving ideas; and Cerebrio, which is an independent unit that provides both continuing education and continuing medical education (CME) programs. The name change more accurately conveys the level of energy our team brings to client brands, says Carleen Kelly, President of Surge. HealthMedia Forms Consulting Group HealthMedia Inc. has formed HealthMedia Consulting Group in response to marketplace demand for more effective behavior change strategies. Building on the company’s behavior-change expertise, HealthMedia Consulting pairs behavior-change scientists with clinical and marketing teams to help pharmaceutical companies improve customer relationships and drug compliance. The company also aids health-plan providers, disease-management firms, and employers in increasing participation in health and disease-management programs and improving outcomes. Specifically, the practice provides services in the areas of program promotion strategies, predictive modeling for persistency risk assessments, and proprietary needs assessment audits for drug-compliance initiatives and health and disease management programs. The new group operates under the leadership of Sarah Stephens Winnay, director of HealthMedia Consulting. Ms. Winnay, who previously served as HealthMedia’s director of marketing, is responsible for business development and execution. Our new consulting group provides a dedicated team whose depth of expertise and impact complements our existing behavior-change solutions, says Sarah Stephens Winnay, Director of HealthMedia Consulting Group. FDA Establishes Office of New Drug Quality Assessment The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established the Office of New Drug Quality Assessment (ONDQA) from the Office of New Drug Chemistry (ONDC) within the Office of Pharmaceutical Science. The ONDQA, which became effective November 1, 2005, is a science-based organization designed to be more efficient, effective, and flexible in managing chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) issues and workload. This office is responsible for evaluating the CMC section of an IND, NDA, and NDA supplement for a drug regulated by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and it is facilitating the implementation of a modern, risk-based pharmaceutical quality assessment system to replace the previous CMC review system in ONDC. During the transition phase, ONDQA is minimizing reassignment of pending applications, and ongoing CMC reviews are being completed by their previously assigned reviewers and signed off by the ONDC team leaders. Internal procedures have been developed for ONDQA in the form of draft MaPPs for the IND, NDA, and CMC supplement review processes to identify steps, information flow, sign-off authorities, etc. Moheb Nasr, Ph.D., previously director of ONDC, heads up the Office of New Drug Quality Assessment. Actavis Group, a generic pharmaceuticals company based in Reykjavik, Iceland, has agreed to acquire the human generics business of Alpharma Inc. for $810 million in cash. Alpharma, Fort Lee, N.J., is a global pharmaceutical company and a manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical products in the United States. This deal is expected to strengthen Activis’ U.S. position, as well as its footprint in the largest European pharmaceutical markets, making it one of the top five players in the global generics market. Upon completion of the deal, the group will boast a portfolio of more than 600 products on the market and more than 200 products in development. The company is expected to file more than 30 abbreviated new drug applications in 2006. For more information, visit actavis.com. Altana Inc., Melville, N.Y., has acquired the prescription dermatology business from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, a division of GlaxoSmithKline, a research-based pharmaceutical company with global headquarters in London. Altana is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical company Altana Pharma AG. The merger expands the portfolio of the company’s PharmaDerm division, a specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer of topical dermatological prescription products, and advances Altana’s goal of becoming the leading pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology. PharmaDerm, Atlanta, is responsible for producing and marketing the former GSK products, which include: Aclovate, a synthetic corticosteroid; Cutivate, an anti-inflammatory; Emgel, an antibiotic; Oxistat, an antifungal; and Temovate, another anti-inflammatory. For more information, visit altanainc.com. Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, has acquired CareStat Inc., a clinical-trial research and consulting company based in Newton, Mass. Battelle is a nonprofit organization that develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories for customers. CareStat has become its wholly owned subsidiary, renamed Battelle CRO Inc. The acquisition of CareStat enables Battelle to provide a full range of services throughout the product development life cycle of discovery, early preclinical development, premarket regulatory submissions, clinical trials, FDA approval, and postmarketing surveillance. For more information, visit battelle.org. Caliper Life Sciences Inc., Hopkinton, Mass., has completed the acquisition of NovaScreen Biosciences Corp., a privately held, life-sciences services company based in Hanover, Md. Caliper creates leading-edge tools that accelerate drug discovery, enable diagnosis of disease, and facilitate scientific research. This acquisition integrates the company’s LabChip and advanced liquid-handling products with NovaScreen’s screening, profiling, and assay development services to provide a one-stop shop for drug-discovery solutions. Caliper purchased NovaScreen for $22 million. For more information, visit caliperls.com. Cordis Corp. has acquired LuMend Inc., Redwood City, Calif., a privately held company focused on the development of chronic total occlusion (CTO) devices to treat peripheral vascular disease. Based in Miami Lakes, Fla., Cordis is a Johnson & Johnson company that develops and manufactures interventional vascular technology. LuMend’s products, Frontrunner XP CTO and Outback LTD re-entry catheter, complement the products in Cordis’ endovascular division. The combination of these businesses will bring innovative new therapies to peripheral vascular disease. For more information, visit cordis.com. DataLabs, Irvine, Calif., a developer of Web-based software applications for clinical development, has acquired Broadpeak LLC, an e-clinical collaboration software company based in North Wales, Pa. Broadpeak provides applications to the biopharmaceutical and CRO industries to improve the workflow and communication processes in managing clinical trials. The Broadpeak solution will be integrated into the DataLabsXC eClinical Platform family of products; it will be sold as part of a suite or as a stand-alone solution. For more information, visit datalabs.com. Duramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cincinnati, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. that develops, manufactures, and markets generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals, completed the acquisition of FEI Women’s Health LLC. The $281.5 million deal expands Duramed’s presence into the nonhormone contraceptive products marketplace. FEI is a woman’s health company that manufactures, sells, and markets the ParaGard T 380A (intrauterine copper contraceptive), which is approved for continuous use for the prevention of pregnancy for up to 10 years. For more information, visit barrlabs.com. Nektar Therapeutics, San Carlos, Calif., has acquired Aerogen Inc., Mountain View, Calif., which creates and commercializes novel, drug-device combination products for respiratory disorders. Nektar enables high-value, differentiated therapeutics with drug-delivery technologies, expertise, and manufacturing capabilities. The addition of Aerogen, including a patent portfolio of more than 35 patents, strengthens Nektar’s pulmonary leadership position. For more information, visit nektar.com. Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland, a leader in pharmaceuticals and consumer health, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Chiron Corp., a biotechnology company based in Emeryville, Calif. Under the agreement, Novartis will acquire all of the shares of Chiron that it does not currently own — about 113 million shares, or 58% — for $45 per share, or a total of about $5.1 billion, in cash. The deal will provide Novartis with entry into the vaccines market, enhance the company’s specialty pharma portfolio and oncology pipeline, and offer a potential platform for future developments in molecular diagnostics. The merger is expected to be completed in the first half of 2006. For more information, visit novartis.com. Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Raleigh, N.C., and InKine Pharmaceutical Co. Inc., Blue Bell, Pa., have merged, creating one of the largest U.S. specialty pharmaceutical companies focused exclusively on gastroenterology. As part of the deal, InKine shareholders were issued 0.1737 shares of Salix common stock for each share of InKine common stock held. InKine operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Salix. For more information, visit salix.com. Thomson Scientific, Stamford, Conn., has acquired Astrolabe Analytica Inc., Fairless Hill, Pa., a provider of regulatory consulting, marketing analytics, and scientific communications services for the pharmaceutical industry. Philadelphia-based Thomson Scientific provides integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Astrolabe’s proprietary, Web-based database and analytical software offering complements the regulatory information and competitive intelligence provided by Thomson to global pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit scientific.thomson.com. M&A Activity Bayer Diagnostics and BearingPoint Offer Consulting Service Bayer HealthCare LLC, Diagnostics Division, and BearingPoint Inc. have created a partnership to offer BayerFactor consulting service, a strategic framework of consulting tools and services specifically designed to help healthcare laboratories maximize business and operational performance, productivity, and revenue. BayerFactor comes at a critical time for the clinical-laboratory industry, which has been under pressure to contain costs and increase efficiency. The service delivers a comprehensive business and operational improvement strategy that integrates Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints with process optimization routines. The net result of BayerFactor for a laboratory is its transformation from cost center to a strategic revenue-generating center, a proposition that makes healthcare laboratories full partners in the long-term success of their healthcare institution. Bayer Diagnostics and BearingPoint conduct five-day assessments where teams may conduct a comprehensive analysis of a client’s business operations to understand its current strategy, goals, objectives, and processes to provide strategic options that best allow the organization to achieve those goals. At the end of the five-day period, the client is presented with a game plan to improve operations, one that ties improvement activities to business results. This includes an analysis of how the change will pay for itself. “Bayer Diagnostics is offering the type of services that the healthcare industry needs, tailored specifically for the clinical lab — creating process optimization tools that deliver impactful results,” says Charles Beaverson, a managing director at BearingPoint. “BayerFactor can achieve key performance objectives, maximize efficiency, and reset the focus from cost-cutting to process that can positively affect revenue and profitability, both critical to the ongoing operation of any business, including labs and hospital enterprises.” BayerFactor is unique because it applies a proper mix of consulting services to the most appropriate lab processes. This allows our customers to reduce costs and improve efficiency faster than they could with any other one or two process improvement initiatives alone and enables them to achieve maximum returns that are sustainable over the long term, says John Nosenzo, Senior VP and General Manager North America, Bayer HealthCare LLC, Diagnostics Division. ImpactRx Establishes ONCLink and Forms Oncology Unit ImpactRx Inc. has formed an oncology business unit focused on the unique information needs of the oncology marketplace. The unit is headed by Gregory A. Gallo, VP and general manager, an industry veteran with 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and strategic planning for pharmaceutical and healthcare diagnostic companies. ImpactRx also has launched ONCLink, a product line specifically designed to provide actionable insights on pharmaceutical promotion and physician treatment behavior for oncology products. ONCLink leverages ImpactRx’s data-acquisition technology and linked, longitudinal promotion and treatment data to provide rigorous and actionable insights to the oncology sector. “The escalating demand from both biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for data to measu e the effectiveness of oncology promotional and educational activities led to ImpactRx’s investment in the oncology business unit, including development of a custom network of oncologists and a full-line of oncology products,” says Nancy S. Lurker, CEO and president of ImpactRx. The complete ONCLink product line is based on a representative national network of 300 practicing oncologists and includes: ONCLink Complete; ONCLink Promotion and SalesFx-Quality, for tracking effectiveness of product promotion and sales representative activity; ONCLink Treatment, for tracking diagnosis-level treatment decisions; and ONCLink Industry Insight. We built ONCLink in partnership with our clients and their marketing, sales, and market research personnel, so we are confident ONCLink meets the industry needs for insight into oncology promotional investment and deployment decisions, says Gregory A. Gallo, VP and General Manager of ImpactRx Oncology. HBA Goes Global The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) has launched the HBA Europe Affiliate, the first group to provide skill-building and networking programs to women who live, work, or travel within Europe. The HBA Europe Affiliate’s founding board of directors includes: chairperson, Amy Rojas, head of new marketing initiatives for Novartis Pharmaceuticals; treasurer, Florence Manger, global marketing planning manager for Novartis Pharma AG; secretary/director, senior advisory, Ulrika Hagle, partner for Highland Partners; director of membership, Barbara Gerber, senior VP, business unit director in Europe for Grey Healthcare Group; director of programs, Peggy Grueninger, global clinical operations associate, Roche; and director of publicity/marketing, Annelie Stapela, partner for R-Squared. In other HBA news, the organization also has launched a new affiliate in southern California. The HBA SoCal Affiliate offers skill building and networking programs to members who live, work, or are visiting southern California. The HBA has had a chapter in the San Francisco Bay area since 2003. The founding board of directors for the SoCal Affiliate includes: president, Heather Linehan, a search consultant specializing in healthcare technology and services for McCormack & Farrow; treasurer, Rakhi Jain, project engineer for Advanced Medical Optics Inc.; secretary, Chris Sarner, senior project manager, percutaneous valve interventions, for Edwards LifeSciences Inc.; codirectors of programs, Robin Vedova, founder and president for Organizational Development Firm and Jennifer Ringdahl, consultant, recruiting; director of membership, Crystal Cunanan, VP of product development and operations for IntraLens Vision; director of publicity/marketing, Shelley Snow, senior director of marketing, neuroscience, for Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Bonnie Schachter, publisher of Pocket Reference Journals, and Jackie Ruka, HIV clinical specialist for GlaxoSmithKline. These new affiliates represent the ninth and tenth regional groups created by the HBA. Affiliate status is a required step to becoming a HBA chapter and is granted to regional groups that meet specific fiscal and membership criteria. “Since 2003, the HBA has launched 10 chapters and affiliates,” says Barbara Pritchard, president, The Pritchard Group and Intermedica Inc., and president of HBA. “We are working with groups in other parts of the United States and around the world so we can continue to meet our strategic imperative to provide programs that address the specific needs of women on a regional basis.” Our goal is to expand the HBA’s legacy to provide substantive opportunities for networking, training, and career guidance that provide true value with a cross-cultural and functional idea exchange, says Amy Rojas, Chairperson of the HBA Europe Affiliate and Head of New Marketing Initiatives for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. MMS Releases List of Pharmacists Medical Marketing Service Inc. (MMS) has released a list of more than 155,000 pharmacists’ addresses and telephone numbers. The list, which includes both home and professional phone numbers, comes from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the national professional association of pharmacists. Selections include type of pharmacy (for example, either independent or chain), as well as practice interest areas regarding disease classifications, such as diabetes and hypertension. Pharmaceutical marketers and pharmacist recruiters can reach pharmacists by phone using the APhA list, says Terry Nugent, VP of Marketing at Medical Marketing Service Inc. LabConnect and CLS Integrate Lab Services LabConnect is collaborating with Consolidated Laboratory Services (CLS) to jointly provide esoteric laboratory testing services for the biopharmaceutical industry. The deal offers clinical-trial sponsors access to a full array of esoteric and safety laboratory testing services and long-term storage of biomaterial samples. The exclusive agreement adds significant capabilities for LabConnect, which already provides a wide array of central laboratory testing capabilities through its Johnson City, Tenn., location. As part of the transaction, CLS is making an equity investment in LabConnect, integrating its laboratory information system and conducting its preclinical and clinical trial work exclusively under the LabConnect-CLS joint agreement. “This agreement allows each of us to stick to our knitting,” says Anthony Scarsella, M.D., medical director of CLS. “The LabConnect team focuses on project management, kit logistics, reporting, and data management. This allows the CLS team to focus on esoteric test-method development and validation, including high complexity molecular and analytical chemistry and specimen cryostorage: the science side of the central laboratory business.” Having CLS formally join the LabConnect network was the logical progression of an excellent relationship. We share a common vision of providing our clients with an innovative alternative to traditional central laboratories, says Eric Hayashi, CEO of LabConnect LLC. What’s New on the Shelves The Medicare Billing Troubleshooter for Clinical Trials, published by HCPro Inc., is a one-stop resource for submitting correct bills and getting accurate reimbursement for services related to clinical trials. Written for billing and finance professionals, compliance officers, investigators, and research coordinators, this book offers case studies to help readers better understand and apply coverage regulations. The book includes: analysis of the National Coverage Decision; information on what costs are covered for both drug and device trials; instruction on the special rule that applies to some investigational devices; steps to obtaining private insurance coverage; guidance on the mechanics of billing and how to structure systems to reduce billing problems; and tips on how to negotiate contracts with sponsors. For more information, visit hcpro.com. Understanding Pharma, published by The Pharmaceutical Institute, is a primer on the pharmaceutical industry that systematically explains how a typical company operates, function by function. Written by John Campbell, CEO of Campbell Alliance, a management consulting firm specializing in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, the book is designed to serve as an educational tool for industry newcomers, journalists, and service providers, as well as a useful reference for industry veterans. The book dissects eight key functional areas of a typical company, including: discovery, drug development, manufacturing, distribution, business development, marketing and brand management, managed markets, and sales. It then explains how those areas work together to discover, develop, and commercialize drugs. The book also contains a useful appendix that provides an inside look at the make-up of the pharma industry’s corporate infrastructure, including finance, human resources, information technology, and legal departments. For more information, visit pharmainstitute.com/pi/up. Compliance and Pharmaceutical Selling, published by Total Learning Concepts, is a guidebook designed to train pharma sales representatives on the legal and regulatory framework for marketing compliance, while also providing the practical, real-world knowledge reps need for appropriate interactions in the field. It is part of an entire curriculum designed to address regulatory issues and help companies instill a culture of compliance. The user-friendly guide explains the regulations, guidelines, and appropriate activities necessary to operate in today’s marketplace. It includes information on: laws, regulations, and guidelines affecting marketing compliance; initiating and participating in promotional activities; arranging for sponsorship of educational programs and grants; reporting prices and facilitating product reimbursement; and interacting with patients. For more information, visit tlconline.com. The Pharmaceutical Institute Launches Resources Library Campbell Alliance has created The Pharmaceutical Institute (PI) to provide specialized knowledge for pharmaceutical and biotech professionals. The Institute comprises two key components: the Education Center and the Research Center. The Education Center provides live and Internet-based applied education, including courses, customized educational programs, and learning infrastructure development services. The Research Center offers Web-based and live support for clients seeking information relevant to their strategic and operational needs, including books, syndicated market research, and custom research services. Additionally, The Pharmaceutical Institute is building the world’s largest single library of industry-related information and educational resources. While many resources — such as industry reports, books, and training materials — can be found through various sources, The Pharmaceutical Institute offers this breadth and depth of information in a centralized point of access. By leveraging PI’s expertise, pharma and biotech companies, as well as those serving the industry, leaders will be able to maximize effectiveness, spending less time searching for the right information and more time applying it, says Dan Blue, Executive Director of PI. New Specialty Journal Focuses on on Medicare Patients HealthCom Media and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) are launching Medicare Patient Management, a medical journal dedicated to the informational needs of healthcare providers specifically related to Medicare patients. The new journal is in response to the unmet needs of practitioners and healthcare systems to gain expertise to meet the needs of this specialized population and to provide the appropriate services the new Medicare Modernization Act legislation mandates. “No journal as yet exists solely to inform primary-care providers and health systems about a totally new and evolving phenomenon such as MMA, electronic health records, and other innovations specific to this population,” says Greg Osborne, group publisher of HealthCom Media. “That’s where Medicare Patient Management fills the void.” Medicare Patient Management provides caregivers and health systems a perspective on Medicare issues, including legislative, clinical, services, billing, and legal updates. The journal’s advisory board consists of a team of Medicare thought leaders. Beginning with the January/February 2006 issue, the journal will be distributed bimonthly to about 50,000 physicians who are responsible for more than 50% of all Medicare claims. Additionally, the journal will be delivered to medical and pharmacy directors in managed-care organizations that are targeting this new member population. There is an informational need for the healthcare providers who are caring for the rapidly growing population of Medicare beneficiaries, as well as those payers who are newly setting systems in place to help them, says Richard Stefanacci, D.O., Editor-in-Chief of Medicare Patient Management. AchieveGlobal Introduces Sales Training System AchieveGlobal has introduced Achieving Superior Sales Performance, a comprehensive collection of workshops and initiatives that help organizations identify and achieve a clear path to sales effectiveness. Achieving Superior Sales Performance is the system that includes Professional Selling Skills (PSS), AchieveGlobal’s flagship sales-training program. The system features new workshops and courses for all levels of sales professionals, upgrades and enhancements to the content and delivery media, and updated research-based programs. To develop the Superior Sales system, AchieveGlobal conducted extensive research among some of the largest and most successful sales organizations worldwide, uncovering key business issues facing sales decision makers and identifying the specific skill sets needed to overcome related challenges. In support of the new system, AchieveGlobal has released two comprehensive research reports, The Path to Sales Effectiveness and Best Practices for New Business Acquisition. The company also has produced a new book, Strategies That Win Sales: Best Practices of the World’s Leading Organizations, which is coauthored by Seleste Lunsford, senior manager of AchieveGlobal’s sales portfolio. The new workshops provide the skills and strategies that today’s sales leaders and professionals need to build those relationships and win more sales, says Sharon Daniels, CEO of AchieveGlobal. Wilson Learning Launches New Sales-Effectiveness Program Wilson Learning Corp. has launched Turning Information Into Sales: An Approach to Advanced Discovery. The new program further emphasizes the company’s ongoing commitment to developing sales-effectiveness solutions specifically designed to offer a lasting, competitive advantage in an increasingly complex business-to-business selling environment. Turning Information into Sales builds on concepts and tools from another Wilson Learning program, Consulting with Clients. The program is a one-day session in which participants work on developing advanced discovery skills and then transforming that information and knowledge into compelling solutions for clients and profitable sales for their own organization. “It’s really about turning information into intelligence around a client’s business situation by uncovering the meaning and importance behind all the facts,” says David Yesford, VP of product management at Wilson Learning Worldwide. “Effective discovery allows for more sales, better sales, increased revenue, and greater client partnerships.” Simply stated, really understanding customers and their issues is critical to gaining a competitive edge, says Tom Roth, President of Wilson Learning Corp. Reed Business Launches Pharma Asia Magazine Reed Business Information has launched Pharma Asia, a bimonthly magazine providing coverage of trends, technology, and research relevant to the pharmaceutical industry. The magazine officially launches this month, reaching 10,000 qualified readers across Asia. Pharma Asia includes features and analysis on pharmaceutical processes, such as early drug discovery, drug development, formulations, drug delivery, manufacturing, and clinical research. Additionally, the magazine offers content on the latest life-sciences research and technology from Reed’s Science Group publications, Drug Discovery & Development, G&P (Genomics & Proteomics), BioScience Technology, Pharmaceutical Processing, R&D, Laboratory Equipment, and Scientific Computing. “Our mission is to deliver cutting-edge research, technology, and applications information, which our readers can apply to help grow their businesses,” says Sabrina Crow, managing director of the Reed Science Group. “By providing this information to leading decision makers, we can offer advertisers an excellent forum in which to contact high-level professionals.” The need for information on pharmaceutical discovery and development is great across Asia, where the market is experiencing robust growth, says Tanuja Koppal, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of Pharma Asia magazine. S&H Restructures HealthAnswers Division Sudler & Hennessey has restructured its HealthAnswers Education LLC division into two separate, distinct companies: HealthAnswers Education and Acumentis. This reorganization comes in response to guidance from regulatory bodies that govern pharmaceutical industry-funded education. S&H has instituted complete firewalls, including physical location, tax ID numbers, personnel, accounting processes, and servers. Additionally, each division separately reports to the parent company. “In no way does the restructure affect the innovative marketing savvy that HealthAnswers has established during its 17-year history,” says Mark Samuel, managing partner for education, S&H. “It will simply be carried out in the two newly formed companies.” HealthAnswers Education continues to provide customized-training programs for sales reps, managers, and trainers for pharma and biotech companies. Also, the division is responsible for all promotional educational activities directed to healthcare professionals. Jon Curtis has been promoted to managing director for this division. Acumentis is devoted to the continuing professional development of healthcare professionals via accredited medical education and outcomes research activities. Peggy Evans has been promoted to managing director of this division. Follow up AchieveGlobal, Tampa, Fla., provides learning-based solutions that focus on skills training and consulting in sales performance, customer service, leadership, and teamwork. For more information, visit achieveglobal.com. Bayer HealthCare LLC, diagnostics, Tarrytown, N.Y., is a member of the worldwide Bayer HealthCare group and one of the largest diagnostic businesses in the world. For more information, visit bayerdiag.com. BearingPoint Inc., McLean, Va., provides strategic consulting, application services, technology solutions, and managed services to global 2000 companies and government organizations. For more information, visit bearingpoint.com. Campbell Alliance, Raleigh, N.C., is a management consulting firm specializing in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. For more information, visit campbellalliance.com. Consolidated Laboratory Services (CLS), Van Nuys, Calif., is a specialty provider of analytic and diagnostic research services in support of preclinical and clinical studies. For more information, call 818-994-9714. The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), Fairfield, N.J., is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of women in the healthcare industry. For more information, visit hbanet.org. HealthCom Media, Doylestown, Pa., is a specialty publishing company and a division of Health Affinities LLC, which is a sales and marketing organization representing publications and promotional properties to the healthcare industry. For more information, visit healthaffinities.com. HealthMedia Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich., is a technology and health management company that builds and delivers individualized, one-to-one solutions for the pharmaceutical/medical-device market, the healthcare market, and organizations focused on disease management. For more information, visit healthmedia.com. ImpactRx Inc., Mount Laurel, N.J., is a promotion research organization serving the pharmaceutical industry, offering physician-level data that directly links the impact of physician promotion to prescribing decisions. For more information, visit impactrx.com. LabConnect LLC, Seattle, provides global centralized bioanalytical, safety, genotyping, and biostorage laboratory services for the biopharmaceutical industry. For more information, visit labconnectllc.com. Medical Marketing Service Inc., Wood Dale, Ill., provides lists and services for direct marketing to U.S. health professionals via broadcast e-mail, direct mail, broadcast fax, and telemarketing. For more information, visit mmslists.com. office of new drug quality assessment (Ondqa) Worldwide Healthcare Communications, Washington, D.C., formed from the Office of New Drug Chemistry (ONDC), FDA, is a science-based organization designed to be more efficient, effective, and flexible in managing chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) issues and workload. For more information, visit fda.gov. The Pharmaceutical Institute, Raleigh, N.C., a provider of specialized knowledge for pharmaceutical and biotech professionals, has a library of industry-related information and educational resources and provides customized research and educational programs. For more information, visit pharmainstitute.com. Reed Business Information, New York, a member of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, is a global business-to-business publisher that offers professionals more than 100 business-to-business publications, 75 Webzines and Web portals, custom publishing, directories, research, and direct-marketing lists. For more information, visit reedbusiness.com. Sudler & Hennessey, New York, a WPP company within the Young & Rubicam Brands group, is a global healthcare marketing, communications, and advertising agency. For more information, visit sudler.com. Surge Worldwide Healthcare Communications, New York, formerly Corbett Accel – New York, is a business unit of Corbett Accel Healthcare Group, and a global healthcare marketing communications company. For more information, visit corbettaccel.com. The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, is the nation’s first school of pharmacy and offers pharmaceutical sciences and physician assistant curricula. For more information, visit usip.edu. Wilson Learning Corp., Edina, Minn., offers human performance improvement solutions for Fortune 500 and emerging organizations. For more information, visit wilsonlearning.com.
