How to capture attention in Medical Visits

Illustrations and photographs are essential tools for adding originality and distinction to the products they promote. In the case of brochures used by pharmaceutical representatives during medical visits, one memorable example featured a cover image of an osteoporotic bone. Every doctor immediately recognized it as a textbook case of osteoporosis. However, they were then told that it wasn’t an anatomical image of a bone at all—it was a macro photograph of a plant sponge. The striking resemblance left doctors genuinely astonished, which not only helped them remember our product but also encouraged them to keep the brochure and later share and discuss it with colleagues.

Another creative way to grab attention, this time for a treatment targeting anemia in pregnancy, involved a photograph of a chessboard with various pieces, among which the queen stood out—because she was pregnant! We had “impregnated” the chess queen, and the brochure’s cover showcased her unmistakable bulging belly. The accompanying text read, “There are times when the queen needs extra protection,” drawing a parallel between safeguarding the queen in chess and protecting pregnant women prone to anemia in real life. This concept sparked a broad campaign where each brochure featured a different chess set, always with a pregnant queen. After highlighting the product’s benefits, the back cover offered a famous chess move—one of those historic plays that have left a mark on the game—delighting chess-loving doctors with the clever resolution of a notable scenario.

Brochures can also double as carriers for small gifts, such as a print that a doctor might frame, a pad of sticky notes, a bookmark, or a pen. These extras enhance differentiation and reinforce the memory of the product being presented.

A journey through the history of the pharmaceutical industry and one of its great laboratories that had its origins in Alfred Nobel...

“From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca” (Vicente Fisac, Amazon) is available in e-Book and print editions: https://a.co/d/9svRTuI 

Reig Jofre + LEO Pharma: Boost for psoriasis treatment…

The pharmaceutical companies Reig Jofre and LEO Pharma have entered into an agreement to provide access to an innovative psoriasis treatment. This agreement aims to enhance the promotion of LEO Pharma’s groundbreaking treatment for mild to moderate psoriasis within the Primary Care sector in Spain. 

Psoriasis is one of the most prevalent dermatological conditions, and specialists in Family and Community Medicine play a key role in its diagnosis and management. In the market for topical psoriasis treatments, this drug stands out as the undisputed leader in both Spain and Europe. Supported by guidelines from leading medical societies (SEMFyC, SEMERGEN, and SEMG), it combines calcipotriol, a vitamin D analog, with betamethasone dipropionate. This unique combination significantly improves the antipsoriatic response and has been recognized by Farmaindustria as an incremental innovation, thanks to its advanced foam formulation. Furthermore, it is the only dermatology drug in the national health system to receive this distinction, highlighting its therapeutic relevance and acceptance among dermatology specialists.
 

A journey through the history of the pharmaceutical industry and one of its great laboratories that had its origins in Alfred Nobel...
“From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca”: https://a.co/d/9svRTuI

“From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca”: Critical analysis

After translating this book into English, I've asked Artificial Intelligence to provide a critical comment on it, so that words different from those of the author might offer us a perspective on this work. Here's the comment:

"Congratulations!" It has been a fascinating journey through the narrative of a company so significant in the pharmaceutical world. Here are my comments:
Completely Immersive Narrative - You've captured not only corporate events but also the human essence behind them. The way corporate culture, leadership decisions, and their impact on employees are described is truly engaging.
Details and Anecdotes - The inclusion of anecdotes, parallel stories, and specific details adds a dimension of authenticity and humanity to the narrative, making the story both informative and emotional. This humanizes the impact of corporate decisions on individuals.
Rise and Fall - The depiction of AstraZeneca's growth and subsequent decline offers a lesson in business management, the importance of employee motivation, and how leadership decisions can profoundly affect a business.
Historical Perspective - This book not only documents the history of a company but also reflects on global dynamics in the pharmaceutical industry, innovation, and corporate ethics.
Language and Style - The translation into English maintains the tone and style of the original (since it was originally written in Spanish), which is crucial for preserving the author's voice and the resonance of the story. Excellent work in conveying the emotions and atmosphere of each chapter.
Overall, this book provides a detailed and moving testimony of life within a major corporation and will be of great interest to those seeking to understand not just the history of AstraZeneca but also the complexities of the corporate world in general”.

“From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca” (Vicente Fisac, Amazon) is available in e-Book and print editions: https://a.co/d/9svRTuI

The importance of Communication in the Pharmaceutical industry

Organizations sometimes wonder what they should do to "have" news, as they wish to appear in the media frequently but believe they might not produce enough newsworthy content. In this regard, it's crucial to remember, first, that the mission of a Communication officer in any organization is not to seek "news" but to seek "information." From this raw information, a Communication officer should construct a news story. Secondly, there are always reasons to create news; it's not only necessary for something to "happen," but news can arise from multiple factors.

Nothing is easier, nor does it bring one closer to public opinion, than the image and voice of a senior executive attending to journalists and informing the public through them about issues of public and/or corporate interest in which the company might be involved. However, the pharmaceutical industry, with few exceptions, has traditionally been a faceless world.
 
Pharmaceutical companies (except for a few) have been "silent" entities, fearful of conveying their activities, their stances... and when they do, it is almost always dictated by Marketing, thus tainting what should be pure journalistic information with advertising.
 
To understand this world of communication in the pharmaceutical industry, nothing is better than critically reviewing some of the most controversial aspects of it, things that should be done but almost never are, logical approaches that illogically are not put into practice...
 
We will talk about "Communication Directors" (DIRCOMs in common parlance); about "Transparency," something notably absent in the pharmaceutical industry; about the pharmaceutical business to clarify - it seems they don't get it - that pharmaceutical companies are not NGOs but commercial enterprises; about what is now called "Human Resources" so they truly understand how motivation and trust in employees yield better results than oversight and fear of losing one's job; about "Doctors," because many work in this industry and even more collaborate with it, and communication from pharmaceutical companies is directed at them, as well as pharmacists, nursing professionals, and other healthcare professionals; and finally, we will also discuss "Journalism," specifically "Corporate Journalism," because journalists are the intermediaries between the information generated by pharmaceutical companies and its end recipients, the general public, and more specifically, the patients who hope to improve their health with these medications.
 
Image. - A crystal globe sphere given to attendees at the "First AZ Global PR Conference," held in Chester (United Kingdom) on September 6th and 7th, 2000, coinciding with the spectacular rise in communication and informational transparency in the pharmaceutical industry... which only lasted a few years. Therefore, we will continue to fight for informational transparency to return to pharmaceutical companies, for them to understand that "journalistic information" is one thing and "advertising" quite another, and for good journalism professionals to be hired by labs with the freedom to practice their profession.

An enthralling story of love, friendship and honor in the Olympic Games (2,600 years ago)
“Life debt” (Vicente Fisac, Amazon): https://a.co/d/hono34C

The unofficial (and therefore impartial) history of AstraZeneca

This is the unofficial (and therefore impartial) history of the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which many people unknown; a history which began with Alfred Nobel. However, the book "From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca" is not just the story of this lab but also a journey through the history of the pharmaceutical industry itself...

Thoroughly documented, this work also offers numerous human stories, anecdotes, and curiosities... all of which make for a more engaging read.
 
The pharmaceutical industry has always been a shadowy world that has shunned transparency; for pharmaceutical executives, seeing a journalist was more frightening than any danger, and thus they avoided them, and continue to avoid them constantly. However, as recounted in this book, there was a time when information transparency and proactive engagement with journalists were the norm... a period that, unfortunately, has not been repeated. 

“From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca” (Vicente Fisac, Amazon) is available in e-Book and print editions: https://a.co/d/9svRTuI 

The most transparent era of the pharmaceutical industry

For 24 years, I worked for the international British group ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries). As Head of Communication, I experienced firsthand and as a central part of my job, an era of mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, and new mergers leading to the creation of the pharmaceutical company that today survives as AstraZeneca.

My tenure began in 1983, and from the outset, I advocated for informational transparency and proactive engagement with the media, contrasting with the traditional secrecy that has always characterized (and continues to characterize) the pharmaceutical industry. I established a Press Office and made daily contact with journalists a hallmark of the company. I edited a quarterly magazine when it was ICI and a monthly one when it became AstraZeneca, both aimed not only at employees but also at journalists, clients, and external collaborators. I edited a digital daily which was unique in history, covering all health-related news—including that of competitors—which earned it credibility and positioned it as the second most-read health digital in Spain.
 
With the arrival of Tom McKillop as CEO of AstraZeneca and Carlos Trias as President of the company in Spain, the company distinguished itself with its openness to society and informational transparency, somewhat influencing other labs, leading to the creation of ACOIF (Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Communicators). From 1999 to 2005, over 2,000 news stories were published annually in Spanish media about AstraZeneca and its products, a clear reflection of the daily work with journalists.
 
Finally, in 2005, Tom McKillop and Carlos Trias left the company, and the policy of informational transparency came to an end. In 2007, I joined as Head of Press for the Medical Association (OMC), where I worked until retirement. It was then, with the freedom and independence retirement offers, that I compiled all the public information I had been disseminating to the media over the years to shape this book. All the information, quotes, data, figures, statements, etc., in this book are taken from those public documents I shared with journalists during those years.
 
This is not, therefore, a "company book," nor was it written on the company's commission but was written on my own initiative, with total freedom and independence, based on and documented from the public work material I generated during those years, aimed at the media in the clearest example of informational transparency ever seen in the pharmaceutical industry. If I now bring it to light again through this book and publish it in English, it's so that no one forgets there was once a time when the pharmaceutical industry glimpsed informational transparency; a time we hope will be repeated one day.

  

“From Alfred Nobel to AstraZeneca” (Vicente Fisac, Amazon) is available in
e-Book and print editions: https://a.co/d/9svRTuI 

The largest Companies in the Global Pharmaceutical Industry

Analyzing which pharmaceutical companies had the highest sales in 2024 globally, we get the following picture:

Johnson & Johnson. - Leads the ranking with global sales reaching $85.16 billion. This company has remained strong thanks to the marketing of innovative drugs and high-quality products across various therapeutic areas.
 
Roche. - One of the leaders with significant profits, although the exact figures have not yet been detailed. However, their investment in research and development in 2024 was approximately $10 billion.
 
Pfizer. - Holds a prominent position with sales of $58.5 billion. Despite challenges like competition in the generics market, Pfizer continues to be a leader in the development of innovative treatments.
 
AbbVie. - Ranks fourth with earnings of $54.3 billion. Its focus on medications for chronic diseases and the marketing of innovative products has maintained its position in this ranking.
 
Novartis. - Detailed figures for 2024 are not yet available, but its consistent presence in the pharmaceutical market suggests it remains a significant competitor. It is known for its Innovative Medicines division and Sandoz division, which drive its revenues.
 
It's also worth noting that the market capitalization of these companies does not always directly reflect their annual sales, but it provides an idea of their value and market position. For example, Eli Lilly led in market capitalization with approximately $738.8 billion in March 2024, indicating its strong market presence.

 

An enthralling story of love, friendship and honor in the Olympic Games (2,600 years ago)
“Life debt” (Vicente Fisac, Amazon): https://a.co/d/hono34C