Medea wins European sedative account
pharmafile | January 4, 2010 | News story | Medical Communications | Medea, orion, sedative
Medical communications agency Medea Communications has landed a brief to prepare the ground for a new sedative from Finnish company Orion Pharmaceuticals.
Dexmedetomidine, which is currently in phase III trials, would be used for post-operative sedation in intensive care.
Medea’s programme is to be one of “advocacy development” across 20 European markets ahead of a planned launch in 2011.
“The drugs that doctors use to sedate patients in intensive care are quite old, there are a lot of generics,” explained Medea managing director Kate Hawker. “This is the first new launch for about five years”.
“Orion want to know what top-tier doctors think and what education programmes are required.”
Medea, based in East Sheen, will interview 50 doctors across Europe by phone to gain an impression of how the new product should be positioned.
She admitted it would be “challenging” to persuade doctors to use a new, more expensive option but said the research would help to identify areas to address.
Medea will be expected to gather market intelligence on the need for a new product in the market, the key characteristics for success and which current perceptions will need to be addressed pre-launch.
As part of this approach, Medea will engage with interested parties such as, in the UK, the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Intensive Care Society as well as publications such as the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
Hawker reports to Rachel Foley, senior product manager at Orion’s Newbury office.
“We hired Medea because we liked their refreshingly clear and direct approach to identifying and profiling product advocates,” said Foley.
“We also get to work with the founders of the agency as they are heading up all business at this early stage of the agency’s life.”
Medea was set up in September by Hawker and Charlotte Florence, who were both previously at The Remedy.
The agency is part of Macclesfield-based healthcare communications group InforMed.
“At Remedy we did a lot of opinion leader profiling and mapping,” continues Hawker.
Orion Pharma is part of Orion Corporation, which manufactures active pharma ingredients and diagnostic tests as well as pharma products.
Related Content
Third application for Orion’s prostate cancer drug submitted by partner Bayer
Finnish pharmaceutical company Orion has announced that its partner Bayer is applying for a third application …
Bayer and Orion’s Nubeqa shows off strong overall survival benefit in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Bayer and Finnish pharma firm Orion Corporation have announced positive new Phase 3 data for …
Bayer and Orion’s Nubeqa secures FDA approval in non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
The FDA has awarded approval under its Priority Review pathway to Nubeqa (darolutamide) for the …
