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Health Products Research Reports Pediatricians Are 2nd Largest Target Audience for Pharma Companies

Posted on: Friday, 11 November 2005, 09:00 CST

WHITEHOUSE, N.J., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Health Products Research, Inc.(R) (HPR(R)), a division of Ventiv Health, Inc. , today announced its Metropolitan Area Promotional Audit (MPA) market intelligence on pharmaceutical sales forces' promotional activities with pediatricians for the quarter ending August 2005. According to the information collected by HPR, pediatricians were the second largest target audience for the top U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Abbott Laboratories and Pfizer Inc. It was also found that cephalosporins (antibiotics), analeptics (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Stimulants), and inhaled nasal steroids were the top three therapeutic categories being promoted to pediatricians.

HPR's MPA is designed to provide statistically relevant competitive sales force promotional information at the sub-national level across major metropolitan areas of the United States, on a monthly basis. Between June and August, over 2,300+ pediatricians were asked to report on competitive promotional activities to measure and monitor the impact and effectiveness of localized field-based marketing activities. Physician feedback included: location and type of sales rep contact, nature of the product discussion, sales rep service rating, call frequency, sampling activity, competitive product comparisons and product medical education program participation.

Key findings from the MPA Report on Pediatricians in the quarter ending August 2005 include: * Pediatricians received over 2.9 million sales calls from pharmaceutical companies -- second only to primary care physicians (including general practitioners, family practitioners and internists). * GSK was the leading pharmaceutical company calling on pediatricians followed by Abbott Laboratories and Pfizer Inc.; pediatricians received the most sales calls from GSK in almost all of the 22 Metropolitan Statistical Areas studied. * Among top-promoting pharmaceutical companies, pediatricians reported seeing their Abbott sales representative most frequently (reporting more than twice a month) followed by GSK, Merck, and Pfizer, all reporting a call frequency of slightly more than 1.5 calls per month. * Overall, pediatricians rated the sales reps' level of service an average of 5.2 on a 7-point scale; Abbott received the highest rep rating with a score of 5.6. * Most GSK sales presentations to pediatricians focused on asthma drug Advair Diskus(R) and/or Flonase(R) Nasal Spray for allergies; Abbott promoted antibiotic Omnicef(R) most often in pediatrician details and Pfizer primarily focused on allergy drug Zyrtec(R) and/or antibiotic Zithromax(R) in product details to pediatricians. * Reported sales presentations to pediatricians lasted 5.1 minutes on average. * Pediatricians on the MPA panel quite frequently cited the GSK Advair sales representative conveying Advair's "efficacy in the treatment and prevention of asthma symptoms" as well as providing "more symptom free days". * Abbott sales representatives promoting Omnicef were cited by panel pediatricians discussing Omnicef's "five day dosing for bronchitis" as well as the benefits of providing "once-a-day dosing for sinusitis".

For questions or further information on the MPA service including a copy of the report, please contact James Charnetski or Kevin McFadden at (609) 771-9777.

About the Metropolitan Area Promotional Audit (MPA)

The Metropolitan Area Promotional Audit (MPA) is a monthly service providing insights into pharmaceutical/health care company promotional activities and sales force structure across 22 metropolitan area geographies (MSA-GEOs). Physicians provide insights into the nature of the sales rep product discussions, the value of this information, and their intent to prescribe the product, in addition, to a host of other information collected on the sales rep call. This information enables pharmaceutical companies to fine-tune their marketing, field force resource allocation and professional medical education support initiatives to better meet the on-going information needs of physicians and health care providers. The MPA service was launched in January 2000 and has a dedicated panel of over 15,000 physicians representing 13 specialty segments.

About Ventiv Health, Inc.

Ventiv Health, Inc. is the leading provider of commercialization services to the global pharmaceutical and industries. Ventiv delivers its customized clinical, sales, marketing and communications services through its three core business segments: Commercial Services, Clinical Services and Communications Services. Ventiv's 4,600 employees support over 150 client organizations, including 18 of the Top 20 global pharmaceutical companies as well as emerging and specialty biotech leaders. For more information on Ventiv Health, Inc. visit http://www.ventiv.com/.

Ventiv Health, Inc.

CONTACT: investors, John Emery, CFO of Ventiv Health, Inc.,+1-732-537-4804, investor@ventiv.com, or, marketing, James Charnetski or KevinMcFadden of Health Products Research, Inc., +1-609-771-9777,jcharnetski@hprmrd.com, kmcfadden@hprmrd.com, or media, Kellie Walsh of LazarPartners Ltd., +1-646-871-8480, kwalsh@lazarpartners.com

Web site: http://www.ventiv.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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