In a move to solidify its commitment to multicul tural and multiethnic communities, Torre Lazur McCann HealthCare Worldwide has created a new Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Business unit to focus on specific needs and values.The standalone group,a part of theTorre Lazur McCann corridor,pro vides a range of services that are unique to emerg ing majority markets. According to agency execu tives, the Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group is the first and only fullservice multicultural health care marketing agency in the United States. “Our addition of the Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group gives us the opportunity to assume a leadership position in helping industry and government enhance the quality and delivery of healthcare among the emerging majority,” says Michael MacLeod, CEO of Torre Lazur. “The team is experienced, wellrespected, and understands not only the healthcare industry, but most importantly, the mindset of multicultural audiences.” Heading the new division are Sheila Thorne as president and John Doscher as VP both of whom have extensive experience in healthcare marketing. “Joining Torre Lazur McCann is a significant step — we have the commitment, the resources, and the network to deliver multicultural best practices to our clients,” Ms. Thorne says. “For the physician, cultural competence enhances adherence that leads to improved clinical outcomes.For the pharmaceutical representative, cultural competence is key to sales success. Although our strategies and tactics are driv en by a returnoninvestment business imperative, we are passionate about making a difference in the lives of people who disproportionately suffer from chronic disease and premature death.” Ms.Thorne has been recognized by Forbes Mag azineas one of the nation’s leading experts in multi cultural healthcare marketing.She has more than 20 years experience in designing health education and promotional programs to reach multicultural com munities. Some of the companies she has provided marketing expertise to include:Ortho McNeil,Glaxo SmithKline, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck, BristolMyers Squibb, Abbott,and ScheringPlough. Mr. Doscher has more than 15 years of multicul tural marketing and communications experience in the U.S. and Latin America. His expertise includes comprehensive multicultural strategy and execu tion,advertising, public relations, Internet strategies, and Website development. CONSULTING services for Pharma and Biotech Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that want to tap the commercial potential of their products can turn to Engage Health Inc. “The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are teeming with product opportunities, often aimed at niche or specialty markets,” says Patti Engel, president and CEO of Engage Health.“By outsourcing various commercial functions, companies can more quickly and efficiently maximize the com mercial potential of products, adding significant value to shareholders. “At Engage Health, we bring years of pharmaceutical startup experi ence, taking specialty products from mere ideas to products that have suc cessfully navigated a variety of regulatory,distribution,and policy issues,and have ultimately garnered significant market share.” Before foundingEngageHealth,Ms.Engelwas VP of marketing and sales at Orphan Medical Inc., which focuses on developing and commercializing products for patients with rare diseases. Marketing agency provides MULTICULTURAL solutions Torre Lazur McCannhas created a business unit to focus onspecific needs of multiethnic communities. ACQUISITION strengthens PDI’s presence in the hospital market Seeking to shore up its medical devices and diagnostics division, PDI Inc. has acquired InServe Support Solutions. InServe supplies supplemental fieldstaffing pro grams for the medical devices and diagnostics industries, offering handson clinical education and aftersales support. The company employs more than 900 fieldbased staff, including nurses, medical technicians, and other clinicians who visit hospitals and alternatesite institutions. Its roster of clients includes Becton Dickinson, Roche Diagnostics, and Johnson & Johnson. The acquisition of InServe accelerates the forma tion of PDI’s Medical Devices & Diagnostics Division, which will allow PDI to expand its reach into both medical device and diagnostics companies and the hospital market. The newly formed unit offers sales and marketing solutions specifically designed for the medical device and diagnostics industry. The global industry is currently valued at $180 billion, and is expected to grow to $250 billion by the end of 2004. Lloyd Fishman, a 24year veteran of the medical device industry, has been named VP and general manager for the unit. Mr. Fishman has held senior positions in sales, marketing, and business develop ment with both small and large companies, includ ing Johnson & Johnson, where he headed world wide marketing for the vascular access business unit. “PDI always has been on the leading edge of our industry in looking for new ways to grow,” says Chuck Saldarini vice chairman and CEO.“We believe we can leverage our industry leading sales and mar keting capabilities together with InServe’s to provide another platform for growth.We now have the abili ty to access acutecare institutions, which will posi tively impact all segments of our business.” Partnering with clients, PDI provides product specific plans designed to maximize profitability throughout a product’s lifecycle from prelaunch through maturity. Lloyd Fishman heads up PDI’s latest business unit, the Medical Devices & Diagnostics division. 70 N o v e mb e r / D e c e m b e r 2 00 1 PharmaVOICE Patti Engel — The pharma and biotech industries are teeming with product opportunities. Patti Engel — The pharma and biotech industries are teeming with product opportunities. WHAT’S NEW NEW HEALTHCARERELATED PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND COMPANIES WHAT’S new 72 N o v e mb e r / D e c e m b e r 20 01 PharmaVOICE New MONTHLYPDRDIGEST brings drug information to physicians Medical Economics Inc.,the publishers of Physicians’Desk Reference have introduced the new PDR Month ly Prescribing Guide,a pocketsized digest with abbreviated,FDAapproved drug monographs from the Physi cians’Desk Reference. PDR Monthly Prescribing Guide gives physicians access to comprehensive drug data at the pointofpre scribing plus crossreferences to full prescribing information in the Physicians’ Desk Reference.The inaugural issue will be published in January 2002. “From the beginning,we’ve demanded one thing of the products and services we create:that they beabso lutely essential to healthcare professionals,” says Paul Walsh, executive VP, directory services.“PDR Monthly Pre scribing Guide was developed in response to repeated requests by physicians for a portable companion guide to their annual PDR.” PDR Monthly Prescribing Guide is tailored to the prescribing needs of officebased family physicians, gen eral practitioners, internists, doctors of osteopathy, cardiologists, and residents.The digest will cover more than 2,000 drug formulations from the top 1,500 therapeutic categories prescribed by primarycare physicians as determined from ScottLevin & Associates Inc.’s pharmaceutical data. Drug listings, grouped by therapeutic classification and updated monthly, feature prominently displayed warnings plus brand and generic name,manufacturer, DEA class, pharmacologic category, indications, dosage, and administration,side effects,contraindications, interactions, precautions,and how supplied. Indices of brand and generic names, indications,and therapeutic classes provide physicians with quick,easy access to drug data. A manufacturers index contains ethical and overthecounter manufacturers with contact information. A pharmaceutical newsmagazine precedes the drug listings and reports on newly available pharmaceuti cal products and important labeling changes to existing drugs.This section also features “DTC Monitor,”month ly updates for physicians on the directtoconsumer ads their patients are viewing, a spotlight on herbal and nutritional supplements with interaction information,a drug pipeline report, and other news items. “Physicians also will get quick reference charts and relevant clinical data from our repository of respected medical information,” says Chantal Corcos,director of sales,PDR Month ly Prescribing Guide. “For instance, PDR Monthly Prescribing Guide will report newson clinical tri als from CenterWatch, a Thomson Healthcare company, and important data on supple ments from PDR for nutritional supplements and herbal remedies from PDR for Herbal Medicines.” PDR Monthly Prescribing Guide will be distributed to primarycare physicians on a complimentary basis. Subscriptions can be ordered by calling 18004324570. ENGAGEHEALTH INC. Minneapolis, offers consulting services.For more infor mation contact Patti Engel at [email protected]. HEALTH!QUEST PR,Metuchen,N.J.,offers strategic healthcare communication ser vices. For more information, contact Steven Immergut at 7326359790. PDI,Upper Saddle River, N.J.,provides sales and marketing solutions for pharmaceutical companies.For more information, visit pdiinc.com. PDR,Montvale,N.J., is a business unit of Medical Economics Co.For more infor mation visit, medec.com or thomson.com. TORRE LAZUR MCCANN HEALTHCARE WORLDWIDE,Parsippany,N.J., is an inter national healthcare marketing communi cations organization.For more information, visit torrelazur.com. Follow up Health!Quest launchesPR UNIT to service D&D markets Health!Quest Global Communication Partners, the health marketing services network, has launched Health!Quest Public Relations. Behind the leadership of seniorlevel specialists Gil Bashe, Steven Immergut, MPH,and Michael Connolly, the firm is providing pub licrelations support in corporate/marketing commu nications,crisis management,and financial relations to pha rm a ceu t ca l innovation and med ical device and diag nostic clients. In addition, the firm will counsel earlystage compa nies in preparing and commun c a t i ng their business plans to lending and advo cacy organizations. The startup agency marks the return of Gil Bashe, CEO, Health!Quest Global Communica tion Partners, to a longtime profes sional passion. As chief strategic officer for Health!Quest PR, he is partnering with Mr. Immergut, who has been named managing partner and director of client ser vices.Mr.Connolly, whopreviously in his career led the IPO Advisory Program at KPMG Peat Marwick,serves as senior counselor, financial relations. The agency’s headquarters are in Metuchen,N.J., with offices within Bostonbased Health!Quest part ner company Lehman Millet Inc.This association pro vides roots within the nation’s pharmaceutical and diagnostic client centers. “It’s all about talent focusing on client needs, and Health!Quest PR is able to step to the plate with top level strategic counsel,creativity and service,”Mr.Bashe says.“To help clients master the competitive world we too must be ready to embrace their challenges. Steven’s knowledge of brandbuilding, public health communications, and patient advocacy is a vital asset to clients. Mike’s experience in working with equity groups and the public markets provides realworld insight. Together, we will provide clients the expertise necessary to amplify corporate, brand, franchise posi tioning and reputation.” “The signs are clear for doing this now — it seems even the `big’general agencies are acknowledging the shift from consumer health marketing campaigns to more targeted diagnostics and therapeutics that impact smaller patient populations,”Mr.Immergut says. Gil Bashe returns to a longtime professional passion with the launch of Health!Quest PR. Chantal Corcos The new PDR Monthly Prescribing Guide, a handheld digest, provides critical drug reference information, including adverse interactions.

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