Category — Lifescience

New German Health Minister Takes Aim At Traditional Pharma Companies.

Newly appointed German Healthcare Minister Philipp Roesler – liberal – Free Democratic Party in likely move to break big pharma stronghold and submit new products to insurance pricing scrutiny and impose an “efficiency and clinical effectiveness /outcomes” pricing performance ratio.

Not totally dissimilar to the British NICE economic and clinical effectiveness system.

Sign of the times perhaps to introduce new effectiveness and economic liberalization in the DME (durable medical equipment) sector of the ever increasing homecare industry.

Maybe not – Roesler is clearly risking his parties popularity as a junior member in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat Party.

Here is a thread from The BMJ where NHS physicians enter into the argument of the value (moral, ethical and commercial) of medical (pharmaceutical) sales reps.

The original letter from Dr Shane O’Hanlon starts like this:

It was switching to decaffeinated coffee that started it all. In a flash of lucidity I realised the dubious ethical basis for drug company representatives’ courtship of doctors.

Doctor – Sorry to say but so long as anybody works for money, including doctors, they could be asked the same thing. Doctors are very quick to court sales people when they “need” something. Medical Journals are quick to solicit and accept drug company advertising, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is also very ethical.

It becomes unethical when the conversation between a doctor and a sales rep concerning a product or service cannot be published in the local newspaper – that’s the acid test. In 99% of cases it can be.

The argument is the same one that has been made for years and usually ranges from “I don’t like them, they waste valuable time, they are (yes) commercial” etc.

The counter argument is that in fact the medical sales rep does provide a service – even if it is to only alert the doctor to a new product so that he or she can go and do their own research (which is what hopefully they do anyway).

Obviously there are good and bad sales people (and doctors) in every industry. I am making an assumption that most are good, so here goes.

Doctors, you get what you deserve – many of you treat appointments with sales reps with little respect for the content of their message (after having kept them waiting way past scheduled (and cancelled) appointment times). Even when the sales person is finally in front of many of you – you look at your watch and say “you have two minutes” as you continue to click on the keyboard.

If you have pre-determined that the sales rep will have nothing useful to say – then why agree to the appointment in the first place?

Without a doubt there are medical / surgical sales reps that are way better trained on a particular subject than the doctor is. This is of course the reason why so many sales people are invited into the OR (Operating Theatre) to explain the use of complex, and often life saving medical devices.

It is true that with modern media there are now improving ways of getting the message across to the doctor, which is good for all. In the mean time next time you the doctor complains or is rude to a sales rep – think first about the value of pharmaceutical and medical companies, especially when you demand samples of products, a demonstration, or support for an important clinical trial that you are going to publish.

Pharmaceutical companies – make sure you have the right message and you are sending it in the most effective way.

(To all the pharmaceutical representatives out there looking for a job – rest assured that you have great value. If you can succeed and survive selling into the hospital jungle – you can excel anywhere).

Are hospitals who limit ties with drug companies at a competitive disadvantage? | KevinMD.com.

KevinMD asks an interesting question, and goes on to summarize:

In a lot of ways, this is similar to the college recruiting of athletes. Schools that have rigorous academic requirements put themselves at a competitive disadvantage athletically. The same could be said for hospitals, who risk driving away doctors by limiting their ties with drug companies.

My own take is simply “absolutely not”.

On the related posts several other drug company / physician ethics / commercial questions are raised.

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press release:

VMH HEALTH Awarded “Most Promising Life Science Technology Company” at Rice Alliance Life Science Venture Forum
HOUSTON – June 15, 2009 – VMH HEALTH was named one of the most promising Life Science companies at the 8th Annual Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship Life Science Venture Forum in Houston last week.

Life Science companies showcased their new ventures for an audience of more than 400 attendees, including investors, venture capitalists, industry representatives, business leaders, advisors/mentors, service providers, and entrepreneurs.

Cynthia A. Doerr, M.D., partner, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures said of the presenters, “This is one of the most mature groups of healthcare-related company presentations that I have reviewed in Houston, and I intend to follow their progress closely.”
VMH Health is a spin-out company from Texas A&M Health Science Center and Scott and White Healthcare. The company has licensed patented technologies from these organizations to develop a diagnostic device and therapy for essential hypertension. The patents are based on over 25 years of research by scientist-physician Dr. Jules Puschett. The company is working with INCELL Corporation in San Antonio to manufacture the prototypes for diagnostic testing and therapeutics, and continues a collaborative effort with Texas A&M Health Science Center and Scott and White Healthcare to develop and commercialize the company’s products.
CEO, Gary Litwin, said of the recognition “we’re very pleased to have been recognized for our company’s efforts to date; we believe this news helps to validate our business mission”.

The one day event culminated in an announcement of the Most Promising Life Science Companies chosen from nearly 35 competitors and judged by the Rice Alliance Information Technology Advisory Board, based on the companies’ elevator pitch presentations. The exercise simulates meeting an investor on an elevator and having only 90 seconds to convince them to invest in your company.
In addition, five other new life science technology companies were pre-selected to present their 10 minute business plan presentation at the forum, and as one of the chosen five, were also named a Most Promising Life Science Technology Company.
Rice Alliance Director Brad Burke, announced the winners of the Most Promising Life Science Company awards at the event. “Every year the quality of companies improves. Many of the companies at this year’s event have developed prototypes, obtained proven results and are on their second round of funding. This makes them more appealing to investors, who have also expressed appreciation for the quality of the companies.”

The Forum was supported by Baker Botts, LLP, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, Winstead Attorneys and Oracle with media sponsors Houston Business Journal and the BusinessMakers Radio Show. Elevator pitches from the competition can be heard at businessmakersradioshow.com starting June 20, 2009.

More information is available at:
vmhhealth.com and VMHHEALTH CEO Gary Litwin
glitwin@vmhhealth.com

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Press Release:

Biotech from Saxony-Anhalt in America

Halle (Saale) – 05.18.2009. The state of Saxony-Anhalt will participate in the world’s largest biotechnology fair, BIO International, in Atlanta, GA, USA this year.

From the 18th to the 21st of May, 2009 the state will promote new technologies from the medicinal and green biotechnology fields, with it’s own presentation within the common German booth. The trade-show appearance is a result of a collaborative effort with the Saxony-Anhalt investment and marketing corporation mbH (Investitions- und Marketinggesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH). “We are pleased that the fair’s organizers have again invited a company, namely the novosom corporation from Halle, to present and discuss its technology” commented Dr. Jens Katzek, Managing Director of BIO Middle Germany (BIO Mitteldeutschland), on the participation of the Halle-based Biotech Company novosom.
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