Today’s Top Three in Pharma 021809

Ahhh, the politics of drug approval processes. Some sniping going on about who was and wasn’t included in the FDA review panel for prasugrel. No matter what choices you make, somebody’s going to paint a bulls-eye on your back. Just sayin’…

Promising new treatment for MDS (Celgene‘s Vidaza) – A new drug sharply improves the survival rate of patients with a bone-marrow disorder that often develops into acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), according to a study released Wednesday. Up until now, there has been no known treatment for the disorder — called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) — besides bone-marrow transplant, which is suitable for only a small percentage of patients.

Merck and Novartis vie worldwide for top sales force honors – New TNS Healthcare research shows that physicians in four out of the five major European countries — the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy — give Novartis top marks for effectively delivering key sales and service activities. Merck takes the top spot in the US and ties with Novartis in the UK and Germany. In 2008, Merck and Novartis tied for the top spot in the US, with the highest ratings across all service activities. This year, Merck pulls ahead in the US, with stronger ratings for both its Web-based physician services and its patient information programs.

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