Lilly Expands Disease Management Program

To Reach Growing Asian-American Population

To expand its patient education outreach, Lilly is translating portions of its award-winning Health Education Answers program, an online health and wellness tool, into Mandarin — one of the most common languages spoken by Asian-Americans. 

This will provide easy-to-access, interactive health information to Asian-Americans — one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, with an annual growth rate of 5.2 percent, says Lilly. By the year 2050, the Asian-American population is expected to increase to 37.6 million, comprising 9.3 percent of the U.S. population, Lilly continued. 

Already available in Spanish and English, Health Education Answers is a Web-based program designed to help managed care and public payer organizations further drive the standard of patient care through educational outreach. Patients accessing the program can progress through several health and disease management modules, including ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, diabetes, diabetes complications, manage your weight, medication safety, men's health, schizophrenia, smoking and addictions, and women's health. The Diabetes, women's health and Smoking and addictions modules are now available in Mandarin, and Lilly plans to translate the remaining modules in the future.  

"By providing Health Education Answers in Mandarin, the program will reach a broader Asian-American audience and offer them an interactive, easy-to-use tool to learn about health and wellness," said Alex M. Azar II, vice president, Lilly USA. "For nearly a decade, Lilly has funded disease management programs to help improve patient care and reduce overall health care costs. We're proud to continue this outreach by expanding the Health Education Answers program to address the needs of Mandarin-speaking patients."

03/04/10

Patient and Provider Education at the Heart of New

Prenatal and Early Childhood Diagnosis Program

The U.S. Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Genetic Services Branch, awarded Genetic Alliance, in partnership with the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics and other partners, a four-year $3.28 million cooperative agreement for the implementation of the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act (PPDCAA). PPDCAA is dedicated to improving the system of information and support for prenatal and early childhood diagnosis. The partners will develop models for diagnosing congenital conditions, beginning with Down syndrome, spina bifida and dwarfism. The program will create replicable, sustainable mechanisms for patient and provider education. 

“Receiving prenatal or early childhood diagnosis is a life-changing event with countless challenges,” explained Sharon Terry, president and CEO of Genetic Alliance. “Families have to navigate a fractured health care system to attain the services and care their children deserve. The Congenital Conditions Program will provide individuals, families and providers with access to accurate, evidence-based, timely, unbiased, quality information to foster informed decision making that will impact all aspects of a child’s life.” 

The goal of the Congenital Conditions Program is to collect and disseminate evidence-based information, while coordinating the availability of supportive services for parents whose child receives a diagnosis prenatally, at birth, or up to one year after birth. Program partners will work with HRSA to expand and improve: 

u  Awareness of national and local peer-support programs  

u  Creation of awareness and educational programs for health care providers who provide, interpret and inform parents of confirmatory diagnosis results  

u  Public use of the Genetics and Rare Diseases Information Center  

u  Integration of the Quality Assessment Toolbox, as developed through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cooperative agreement for the Access to Credible Genetics Resources Network 

“This initiative provides an opportunity for family-centered groups to work with health professionals, regional and state programs, federal agencies, and other stakeholders in a cohesive program that increases awareness, educates families and providers, and delivers information during a critical time in a child’s development,” said Joseph D. McInerney, executive director of the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics. 

DCAA paved the way for funding supporting the diagnosis of conditions that impact many individuals throughout their lifespan. Down syndrome, the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition in the United States, occurs in one in every 733 babies annually. Today there are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome. The National Center for Health Statistics indicates that spina bifida, a condition that affects the neural tube, is found in one newborn in 2,500. Types of dwarfism occur in one in every 95,000 newborns. Although the program will focus on these three conditions initially, it will create and solidify a model that can be applied to other conditions.  

“I look forward to building on the work of organizations committed to Down syndrome, spina bifida, dwarfism, and other congenital conditions. This project will be fueled by collaboration,” said Natasha Bonhomme, project director of the Congenital Conditions Program and the vice president of strategic development at Genetic Alliance.

03/04/10

Pharmaceutical Research Companies Donate $35

Million to Relief Efforts in Haiti; More Help Coming

As the need for health care assistance mounts after the recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies continue to provide help, according to a news release from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). So far, more than $35 million in medicines, medical supplies and cash have been committed to relief efforts ¾ and that amount is still growing. The total does not include the contributions of PhRMA member company employees and the many companies committed to matching the pledges of their workers, says the release. 

PhRMA companies making donations include Abbott, Amgen Inc., Astellas Pharma US Inc., AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Daiichi Sankyo Inc., Eisai Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, Lundbeck Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Otsuka America Inc., Pfizer Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., sanofi-aventis U.S., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. and Talecris. 

PhRMA president and CEO Billy Tauzin said: "The day the news broke about the tragedy in Haiti, America's biopharmaceutical companies got to work ¾ coordinating efforts with relief organizations and health care groups already on the ground ¾ making sure everything from simple antibiotic creams to critical medicines were made accessible to victims. And the more the need for medicinal aid is defined, the more our companies are providing it." 

Some of the medical and disaster relief organizations that PhRMA companies are coordinating with in Haiti include the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Red Cross (via various national associations), as well as Americares, Catholic Medical Mission Board, Direct Relief International, MAP International, Partners in Health, Project HOPE, Save the Children and World Vision. 

PhRMA is also involved in the Haitian effort through the Rx Response program. This program, which was developed following Hurricane Katrina, has shed light on the most effective methods to donate medical products and the most efficient ways medical professionals can volunteer for the Haiti response effort. 

"The vital role of PhRMA companies and their employees in the global community is clearly defined by such catastrophic situations. It's our civic responsibility to provide health care professionals the tools they need to help save lives, and we're proud to take part in this effort, which will lead to the eventual recovery of Haiti," Tauzin said. 

PhRMA represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.

02/24/10

Rite Aid Whacked With $2.5 Million

Verdict Over Mis-filled Prescription

Rite Aid, a national pharmacy chain, was setback last month with a $2.5 million verdict in Montgomery County, Alabama for mis-filling a prescription of pain medication with a strong steroid, according to the Law Office of Greg Davis. 

In late 2006, a pharmacist for Rite Aid, and its wholly owned subsidiary Harco Drugs, mistakenly filled Reva Tosh's prescription of pain medication for rheumatoid arthritis with the powerful steroid Decadron. 

Mrs. Tosh took large doses of the steroid for 28 days and developed Cushing's Syndrome, a disorder of the adrenal glands which caused her to suffer mental disorders and other physical ailments. 

"The central issue at the trial was whether Mrs. Tosh's injuries and present condition were due to the effects of the steroid she was mistakenly given or due to the effects of her existing illness of rheumatoid arthritis," noted attorney Greg Davis who along with Dan W. Taliaferro represented Mrs. Tosh and her husband, Gerald. 

Davis added, "Rite Aid gave her over seven times the customary dose of steroids for almost a month, causing Mrs. Tosh, who once had an active lifestyle, to suffer from severe physical ailments and psychiatric disturbances, and confining her to a wheelchair." 

The jury, which deliberated for about three hours before returning its verdict, awarded Reva Tosh $2 million in compensatory damages for her injuries, and awarded her husband $500,000 for the loss of his wife's companionship and services. 

Rite Aid Corporation operates its drugstores in 31 states across the country and in the District of Columbia. As of February 28, 2009, it operated 4,901 stores. In its stores, Rite Aid sells prescription drugs and an assortment of other merchandise, which it calls front-end products. 

During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2009 (fiscal 2009), prescription drug sales accounted for 67.2 percent of its total sales.

02/24/10

ASCP Foundation Awarded Grant for Medication

Optimization Study Using Monitor-Rx

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) Foundation has been awarded a grant in the amount of $93,465 from the Center for Technology and Aging for a research project utilizing Monitor-Rx to optimize the medication regimens of older adults. The ASCP Foundation was selected as one of five grant recipients out of 47 applicants to the Center's Medication Optimization Diffusion Grants Program.  

The purpose of the grants program is to encourage further use of technologies that help improve medication use by older adults with chronic health conditions, lead to improvements in the cost and quality of care, and improve medication reconciliation, medication adherence, and/or medication monitoring.   

Monitor-Rx (www.monitor-rx.com) is a web-based clinical tool that associates medication effects with physical, functional, and cognitive decline and provides medication monitoring recommendations to foster early recognition of adverse drug effects that can be avoided, managed, or reversed. The ASCP Foundation's project will utilize Monitor-Rx to optimize the medication regimens of older adults in three practice sites that provide comprehensive pharmacist services. The project's goals are to: 

u  Increase clinicians' knowledge of medications as a cause or aggravating factor contributing to physical, functional, or cognitive decline, which should lead to more referrals to pharmacists for medication review. 

u  Identify medications an individual is taking that may cause, aggravate, or contribute to common geriatric conditions, which will assist clinicians in the problem identification process when evaluating complex medication regimens and inform pharmacists' recommendations for changes in drug therapy.  

u  Reduce anticholinergic medication burden to reduce the risk for physical and cognitive decline or improve physical/cognitive function.  

u  Reduce the number of inappropriate and unnecessary drugs an individual is taking to reduce costs and avoid potential medication problems.  

Monitor-Rx is a joint venture of the ASCP Foundation and the Interactive Aging Network (IANet), a non-profit consultancy that supports national aging services organizations, foundations, and government agencies in the use of information technology to enhance programs and expand services. Rey Muradaz, chief technology officer of IANet and consultant in the development of the Monitor-Rx technology, will provide technical support to implement Monitor-Rx at the project sites.

02/24/10

Infinity’s Adelene Perkins Wins Stevie Award

Adelene Perkins, CEO, Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc., was named the 2009 "Best Executive: Non-Services Business" in the 6th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The award was presented at the Annual Awards Dinner and Ceremony held late last year in New York City. 

Perkins was selected from more than 1,100 nominees across several categories at the international awards competition. A board of 50 judges and advisors from around the world selected the Stevie Award winners from among the finalists. Perkins was recognized as "best executive" for non-service organizations with up to 2,500 employees. In 2008, she was a finalist for the "Lifetime Achievement Award." 

Perkins has more than 25 years of general management experience in the health care, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. She joined Infinity early in its history, and has been an integral figure in establishing Infinity's strategic plan and leading the company through significant growth. She has played a central role in structuring and executing all of Infinity's strategic alliances, including its global strategic alliance with Purdue Pharmaceutical Products L.P. and Mundipharma International Corporation Limited. Perkins also maintains executive responsibility for all of Infinity's business functions, including corporate and product development, commercial affairs, corporate communications, finance, human resources, and legal affairs.

Perkins joined Infinity in 2002 after helping to build TransForm Pharmaceuticals, where she served as vice president of corporate and business development. She previously held senior leadership positions at Genetics Institute and Bain and Company.

03/04/10

 NCQA President Receives Picker Institute Award

Margaret O'Kane, president of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has been awarded the 2009 Picker Institute Individual Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Patient-Centered Care, "in recognition of her leadership of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and her lifetime achievement in improving patient-centered healthcare through measurement, reporting and accountability."  

O'Kane received the award during recent ceremonies at The International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) in Dublin, Ireland.  

The Picker Awards for Excellence were established in 2003 as an educational component of improving patient-centered care and are named for the late Harvey Picker, one of the nation's leading proponents of improving care. According to the Institute, the awards are intended to honor people and organizations that have made significant contributions to achieving this goal, and to highlight them as role models for others in the health care field. 

03/04/10

XOMA Appoints Neal Business Development VP

James R. Neal has joined XOMA Ltd., a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, as vice president, Business Development. Neal will oversee XOMA's business development strategy and lead the team to execute key licensing initiatives to build and support XOMA's proprietary therapeutic pipeline and biodefense programs, to market the company's antibody technologies and to assess commercial opportunities and develop product candidates commercially. 

Neal brings more than 25 years' experience forming and maximizing valuable business and technology collaborations globally and in bringing novel products and technologies to market. Most recently, Neal was acting CEO of Entelos Inc., a leading $22 million biosimulation company, where he was responsible for multi-million dollar partnerships with companies including Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline. Previously, in 2007, Entelos acquired Iconix Biosciences, a privately held company where Neal served as CEO. 

03/04/10

Pelican Names Two New Executives

Paul Britton has joined Pelican Products in the newly created position of technical sales manager and Scott Nicholson has been promoted to senior director of Worldwide Quality.  

With more than 20 years of reusable packaging experience, Britton will report directly to the vice president of sales and will focus his efforts on supporting and developing relationships with key Pelican defense customers including government engineering centers and major defense contractors. Prior to joining Pelican, he was national sales manager for Zarges Case Company.  

In his new position, Nicholson will work with the extended Pelican Products quality team to identify key core processes (internal and customer facing) that need to be implemented company-wide. His new responsibilities will extend to all areas and regions of Pelican’s combined businesses, including the Advanced Area Lighting Group and Case Centers. Prior to his promotion, he was Pelican’s director of quality and has worked at the company in various manufacturing engineering and quality management capacities.

03/04/10

In Memorium: John W. Walsh III

Jack “Coach” Walsh died of congestive heart failure last fall. He was 94. Jack Walsh was the father of John W. Walsh, president and CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation.  

Walsh became well-known to Alpha-1 sufferers across the country after his twin sons, John and Fred, were diagnosed with Alpha-1 in 1989. He made a personal commitment to support his Alpha-1-affected children in creating awareness and increasing detection of Alpha-1.

The Alpha-1 Foundation was co-founded by son John Walsh in 1995. It is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing leadership and resources for increased research, improved health, worldwide detection, and a cure for Alpha-1. The majority of the board of directors are either diagnosed with Alpha-1 or have a family member diagnosed with Alpha-1.  

Three of the four surviving Jack Walsh children are Alphas; the fourth is an Alpha-1 carrier.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a condition passed down through families in which the liver does not make enough of a protein that protects the lungs and liver from damage. The condition can lead to emphysema and liver disease. 

For more information about the Alpha-1 Foundation, visit www.alphaone.org.

03/04/10

NACDS’ Rosato Honored by Temple University

Temple University recently honored National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ (NACD) senior vice president of Pharmacy Affairs and NACDS Foundation president Edith A. Rosato with the distinguished 2009 Gallery of Success Award. Rosato is a 1982 graduate of the Temple University School of Pharmacy and was recognized for her achievements and leadership in the pharmacy profession. She has over 30 years of experience in community pharmacy, the pharmaceutical industry and association management.  

Each of Temple University’s 17 schools and colleges honor two alumni annually who serve as inspirations to the next generation of Temple graduates. Rosato was selected by the School of Pharmacy for her distinguished career achievements and her dedication to improving patient care in the health care industry. Gallery of Success award recipients, including Rosato, will have their photos and biographies displayed on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia, Penn., throughout the academic year.  

03/04/10

ISPE Announces Board of Directors Election Results

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), a global not-for-profit association of 24,000 pharmaceutical science and manufacturing professionals, announced the results of its 2009-2010 International Board of Directors election, revealing a slate of representatives that hail from nearly every corner of the globe. 

The following pharmaceutical industry professionals have been elected to positions on the 2009-2010 ISPE International Board of Directors: 

Chairman — Alan Mac Neice, most recently the project director for Biologics at Elan’s Biopharmaceutical Science’s campus in Ireland. 

Vice Chairman — Andre Walker, director of Manufacturing Engineering for Biogen Idec’s Commercial and Clinical Operations in Cambridge, Mass. 

Treasurer — Arthur (Randy) Perez, executive expert of IT Quality Assurance for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. 

Secretary — Charlotte Enghave Fruergaard, senior consultant in the Finished Product Department at NNE Pharmaplan in Denmark. 

Directors — Damian Greene, director/team leader of Pfizer’s API Operations Team; Winnie Cappucci, a quality and compliance computer validation specialist working in a highly regulated environment; Doyle R. Johnson, a consultant at CDI Life Sciences, working on Genzyme's Cell Culture Expansion Project in Framingham, Mass.;  Andrzej Szarmanski, quality director at Polpharma SA, a European pharmaceutical manufacturer with headquarters in Poland; Morten Stenkilde, quality director at Novo Nordisk’s insulin filling plant in Tianjin, China; and Antonio Buendia, project engineering manager for Eli Lilly and Company’s Alcobendas, Spain facility.

03/04/10

GPhA Names Senior V.P. of Government Affairs

Bill Head has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of government affairs in the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA). In this position, he will be responsible for developing and executing the association’s federal legislative strategies as well as coordinating GPhA government affairs activities with member companies and coalitions. He will report directly to GPhA president and CEO Kathleen Jaeger.  

Head joins GPhA from Medco Health Solutions, where he most recently served as vice president, federal government affairs. In this position, which Head held from 2006, he was responsible for leading Medco's strategic objectives on numerous issues including privacy regulations, antitrust legislation, e-prescribing, and generic drugs. Prior to that, Head was vice president of policy and government affairs for the National Alliance for Health Information Technology where he opened the federal affairs office and led in the development and implementation of legislative policy for the 100+ member organization.

03/04/10

Schutte Named to NCPA Foundation Board

John Schutte, Louisville, Ky., president of GeriMed, has been named to the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Foundation board of directors. 

He fills the seat left open by his father, H. Joseph Schutte, who died in January 2009.

02/24/10