The ascent of pharma marketing

Pharmaceutical companies with a chief marketing officer are thin on the ground, but their number will shortly see a slight increase thanks to a new appointment at Pfizer.

The pharmaceutical company has recruited Andreas “Drew” Panayiotou from Verily, the life sciences business of Google’s parent company Alphabet, to the new role of biopharma global chief marketing officer.

He will join a short list within pharma of companies with a chief marketing officer, despite the job title – and the responsibilities it comes with – being commonplace within the consumer sector.

Pfizer: Pharma needs a business strategy for a digital world

Pic by Brayden Law on Unsplash

The unprecedented rate of digital acceleration seen in the first two years of COVID-19 has set in train an age of digital transformation.

In my last article, I outlined the inflection point facing the pharmaceutical industry in digital health and the digital transformation of its clinical and commercial operations. This time I’m going to focus on one company and its view on pharma’s digital commercial strategy.

After an initial, and very necessary, frenetic response to the global pandemic, changes within pharma’s commercial organisations have yet to entirely settle, but there are many signs of new and future directions.

We should allow ourselves to be #pharmaproud

Pic: Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash

In the hours after Pfizer’s momentous vaccine news emerged earlier this month #pfizerproud popped up on my social media feeds again and again from the firm’s employees, both past and present.

I’ve been an avid observer of pharma social media for some time and this is somewhat unusual. Not for the pharma employees to be proud of the work they do, but such a spontaneous and widespread demonstration of pride in our industry is not normally seen, though it is thoroughly deserved here.

Episode 16: The UK cancer landscape with Pfizer’s Dr Olivia Ashman

For the last 2019 episode of the pharmaphorum podcast I met up with Pfizer’s Dr Olivia Ashman in London to talk about the UK cancer landscape.

As the pharma company’s UK oncology medical director, she’s well placed to comment on issues such as the impact of the NHS Long Term Plan and the UK health service’s pressure points.

Digital Intelligence in PME, June 2012

June’s PME has been out for a while now so it’s about time I cover my Digital Intelligence blog, which this month leads with the first pharma trade press coverage of the ABPI’s digital working group (ABPI forms new group to help pharma with digital communications).

There’s also a look at a study showing how sending patients text message reminders to take their medicine provided a significant boost to adherence  (Text messaging increases medication adherence).

Then there are mentions in print too for new digital marketing initiatives from Pfizer for Liptor, UCB and Eisai, and US stats on doctors’ use of iPads and smartphones.

• Read June’s PME in full online