Seen on Vine: Loopy 6-Second Pharma Videos

Have you heard of or used "Vine" yet?

Vine is a new app from Twitter that allows users to record six-second videos that playback in a continuous loop. Of course, I joined Vine and so have a few pharma companies that have actually uploaded videos. Of course, practically no one has a Vine account, so the main benefit of using Vine is the ability to share your videos on other social networking sites such as Blogger. On that note, I'd like to "Vines" created by Boehringer and Abbott:

Lack Sexual Desire? Try, Try Again!

Boehringer gave up on flibanserin -- so-called "Female Viagra" -- after the FDA refused to approve it for female sexual arousal disorder, also known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), which is a relatively new diagnosis.

Recall that I blasted the trial data Boehringer submitted to the FDA before the FDA decision (see here). The data from that trial showed that women taking flibanserin experienced 0.8 more "satisfying sex acts" per month than did women taking a placebo. By the way, a "satisfying sex act" can include ... wait for it ... masturbation!

Rev Run, Rapper, Minister, Former Kool-Aid Brand Ambassador: Now Diabetes Screening Spokesperson for Novo Nordisk. Hallelujah!

Novo Nordisk has gone through the PR wringer over its choice of Krispy Creme donut loving celebrity chef Paula Deen as its Victoza diabetes drug spokesperson. The latest Deen brouhaha is about her alleged racism and use of the "N" word (see "Should Novo Nordisk Dump Deen?").

Given that, you might think Novo would be more conservative in its choice of future diabetes spokespeople. I just learned, however, that Novo recently signed hip-hop demigod Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons, the cofounder of Run-DMC, as a spokesperson for its "Ask. Screen. Know." (ASK for short) type 2 diabetes screening initiative. If you do a bit of research, you will learn that back in 2008 -- and maybe even up till he signed with Novo -- Rev Run also teamed up with Kool-Aid, a sugary drink that is to type 2 diabetes what gasoline is to fire.

Should Novo Nordisk Dump Deen?

UPDATE (27 June 2013): Novo Nordisk "Dumps" ... err, "Suspends" Deen:

"Novo Nordisk and Paula Deen have mutually agreed to suspend our patient education activities for now, while she takes time to focus her attention where it is needed. Novo Nordisk would like to acknowledge Paula’s involvement in our Diabetes in a New Light™ campaign, where she has helped make many people aware of type 2 diabetes and the lifestyle changes needed to control this serious disease."

By now everyone should know that Paula Deen -- celebrity chef and Novo Nordisk's Victoza diabetes drug spokesperson -- admitted in a videotaped deposition as part of a discrimination suit that “Yes, of course,” she has used the "N" word.

As a result, the Food Network has opted not to continue her contract. Should Novo also "dump Deen?"

Some time ago, before this latest Deen PR fiasco erupted, I asked if the Novo Nordisk deal with Paula Deen was "Brilliant or Dumb?" (see here). To date, the responses are evenly split between "brilliant" and "dumb." If you haven't already taken this poll, here it is again:

Overcoming Pharma’s Social Media Challenges: My Roche Digital Academy Presentation

I spent the last two weeks or so touring Germany and Italy -- specifically Berlin, Munich, and Milan -- stopping along the way to give presentations at Bayer Health in Berlin (see here) and at the Roche Digital Academy in Milan (see here). I met many digital pharma people working inside and outside these companies who are very passionate about what they are doing. I hope to highlight some of them in future posts and interviews. Right now, however, I will document my Roche Digital Academy visit with photos and the presentation itself.

The Roche Digital Academy is a project that has enrolled over 80 Roche employees who are participating in a 6-month Master Course of study created in collaboration with the School of Communication IULM in Milan, Italy. Graduates will be recognized with an academic certificate from the IULM. It's a cool idea because many pharma executives and product managers may be "Social Media Dummies" who can benefit from some training (listen to this podcast).

Pharmaguy EU Tour 2013 - The Infographic

The following infographic was created as I was making my presentation -- "Overcoming Pharma's Social Media & Mobile Challenges" -- at Bayer Healthcare in Berlin last week. See here for more details about the venue and download the presentation here (pdf).

It's less an infographic than a word/tag cloud. Can you find my name hidden in this image?

Here I am with my hosts at Bayer. That's me in my Hawaiian shirt. Dr. Jesus del Valle (@yeysus) is on my right and Stefan Flueckiger (@s_flueckiger) on my left.

Today, I am speaking at the Roche Digital Academy just outside Milano, Italy. For more about that, see here.

Today will be the last day of the 2013 Pharmaguy European Tour :-) I will return to pharmaguy business as usual this Friday.

Bayer Pharma Meets Pharmaguy Meets Healthcare App Startups: A Call for Best Practices

In a couple of days I will be leaving for the "Pharmaguy European Tour 2013."

I will visit Berlin, Munich, and Milan and return on June 21, 2013. Part of my time will be spent meeting "old" friends like LenStarnes (@lenstarnes) and making new friends like Dr. Jesus del Valle (@yeysus), project leader of the Bayer HealthCare Grants4Apps™ (@grants4apps) program.

Bayer HealthCare Grants4Apps™ invites health app developers to submit their innovative app ideas for novel software that contributes to improving health outcomes or pharmaceutical processes. Bayer HealthCare considers an "App" as software solution based on any platform. Selected projects will be supported with an amount of either 5.000€ or 10.000€.

Dr. del Valle invited me to speak at a "Bayer Meets Startups!" event, Tuesday, 11 June, in Berlin. The title of the event is "Bayer Pharma Meets Pharmaguy Meets [Healthcare App] Startups." I will give an updated presentation that focuses on Overcoming Pharma's Social Media & Mobile Challenges.

It's a great opportunity for me to meet innovative health app developers in Germany and see if they are anything like the "typical" mobile app developer I described previously on Pharma Marketing Blog (see "Is This the Typical Mobile Health App Developer Hired by Pharma?"). I am guessing that many health app innovators in Germany and elsewhere do not know much about pharma industry restrictions and regulations that may apply to their apps (see, for example, "More Mobile Health App Guidance from FDA for Pharma to Worry About").