Healthcare, Digital Marketing and Market Access Strategy - John G. Baresky

Eating disorders have been clinically recognized for decades; the quest for preventative care and better patient support continues

The federal government has designated  2/22 through 2/28 as National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This annual event has been observed for over 30 years. It is officially recognized to generate awareness of and promote action towards the need for more eating disorder research and prevention programs plus the development of new and better treatment options for this condition.

Most eating disorder challenges are related to mental health and personal wellness matters 

Eating disorders are largely attributed to behavioral healthcare issues. While no two people are alike when it comes to eating disorder suffering, there are 5 main categories of eating disorder diagnoses:

• Anorexia nervosa
• Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
• Binge eating disorder 
• Bulimia nervosa
• Other specified feeding or eating disorder

Numerous kinds of individuals experience eating disorders

It is too early to tell what impact the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has had on individuals in regards to eating disorder trends. These statistics were compiled prior to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States:

• Eating disorders are developed by men and women of all races, nationalities, ethnic groupS and other self-identified, personal socio-cultural characteristics
• Genetics, environmental factors and personality traits all contribute to the risk of a person developing some sort of eating disorder
• 95% percent of people with an eating disorder are between the ages of 12 and 25
• Eating disorders have the leading risk of fatalities among any mental illness
• 30 million people in the United States have an eating disorder

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Global recognition of the worldwide threat to healthcare

World Cancer Day is Thursday, February 4^th, 2021. It is a universal day of observance to bring attention to the increasing worldwide prevalence of cancer and the successes, disappointments and challenges of cancer treatment.

The global event is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). World Cancer Day was launched in 2000.

Key elements to learn and think about on World Cancer Day

Cancer is truly a universal threat around the world. Countless patients and families are impacted by the disease and numerous nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other clinicians battle it as healthcare professionals and dedicated oncology practitioners.

These are some of the primary elements involved with cancer care and treatment which become more granulated and specialized when applied to specific patients, their families and the healthcare professionals that treat them:

• Awareness and prevention
• Access to medical care
• Early diagnosis
• Assertive, targeted treatment
• Complexity of care
• Patient and clinician support
• Survivorship and ongoing care
• Medical academics 
• Medical and pharmaceutical research
• Commercial and government healthcare insurance and  prescription benefits, out-of-pocket treatment costs 

Despite advances in care and greater medical knowledge of cancer, it persists as a major clinical risk and healthcare expense. These are some of the latest statistics from UICC:

• More than 1 out of 6 deaths are due to cancer
• In the last 20 years, the number of people diagnosed with cancer nearly doubled, from roughly 10 million in 2000 to 19.3 million in 2020
• The number of deaths from cancer has increased from 6.2 million in 2000 to 10 million in 2020
• One in 5 people globally will develop cancer in their lifetime
• Forecasts reveal trends that the number of patients being diagnosed with cancer will increase and could be nearly 50% higher in 2040 than in 2020

Breast cancer has become the number one diagnosed cancer worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides important new information concerning global cancer care and challenges.

All forms of cancer represent significant concern to patients and medical professionals. The International Agency For Research On Cancer (IARC) and WHO recently announced that breast cancer has now surpassed lung cancer as the number one form of diagnosed cancer.

For the United States, BreastCancer.org shares these statistics:

• Approximately 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 13%) will experience invasive breast cancer in their lifetime
• For 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. plus 49,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer
• For men, about 2,650 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2021; a man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is approximately 1 in 833
• An estimated 43,600 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2021 from breast cancer
• Breast cancer fatality rates have been steady in women under 50 since 2007 but continue to drop in women over 50
• Overall, death rate from breast cancer decreased by 1% per year from 2013 to 2018 thanks to early detection from screening and improvements in medical procedures, pharmaceutical therapies and other breast cancer patient care strategies
• As of January 2021, there are over 3.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the United States comprised of women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment

• Don't use tobacco
• Eat a healthy diet
• Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active
• Protect yourself from the sun
• Get vaccinated
• Avoid risky behaviors (alcohol abuse, drug abuse, unprotected sex)
• Get regular medical care

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Latest Sanofi Deal Reaffirms Corporate Commitment To Become A Worldwide Leader In Life Sciences

Founded in 2004 and based in Paris, France Sanofi is making good on its strategic plans to become a global biopharmaceutical leader. The acquisition of Kymab for $1.4 billion is a significant investment and addition to its advanced biotherapeutic product development capabilities. Founded in 2010, Kymab is based in Cambridge, U.K. and specializes in the creation of novel immunology therapies used for:

• Hematology
• Immune disorders
• Oncology

Sanofi covets several new products Kymab is currently developing 

One of the primary reasons Sanofi is acquiring Kymab is for it KY1005 pipeline candidate. KY1005 is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to OX40-Ligand with promising characteristics to treat an array of immune-mediated diseases and inflammatory disorders.

The complete portfolio of investigational therapies in Kymab’s pipeline are being developed for these and other treatments:

• Acute Graft vs. Host Disease
• Atopic Sermatitis
• Hemophilia A
• Solid Tumors

Kymab’s investors come from diverse healthcare sectors

Since its founding, Kymab has raised over $220 million from investment, biopharma and philanthropic organizations. They include:

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Hepalink (Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd)
• Malin
• ORI Capital
• Shroders
• Wellcome

Sanofi launched a corporate makeover strategy in 2019

Leading up to the Kymab deal, Sanofi has initiated numerous actions and strategies to catapult its position in biotech and advanced pharmaceutical product development. 

Early in 2020 the company’s Sanofi’ Sarclisa (isatuximab-irfc), a new IV oncology product from Sanofi was approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of adult patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma. 

It closed out 2020 by forming a strategic collaboration with Merck involving the potential development of a tandem therapy consisting of Sanofi pipeline candidate THOR-707 (non-alpha IL-2 candidate pegylated recombinant interleukin-2 therapy) and Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumba).

Since 2018, Sanofi has rolled out a series of biopharmaceutical acquisitions:

• Kiadis Pharma for $359 million in 2020
• Principia Biopharma for $3.6 billion in 2020
• Synthorx for $2.5 billion in 2019
• Ablynx for $4.8 billion in 2018
• Bioverativ for $11.6 billion

In 2018 the company sold it its generic drug unit Zentiva to private equity concern Advent International for $2.2 billion.

Sanofi’s outlook for 2021

There is no telling what’s to follow the Kymab deal in 2021 for Sanofi. Following the coordinated integration of Kymab and Sanofi’s other 2020 acquisitions, a leading priority is to gain regulatory approval for products in the respective pipeline of their acquisitions to help pay for the buyout deals.

It was rumored in 2019 that Sanofi was considering the sale of part or all of its consumer products business unit. This could still be an option that Sanofi has in its business strategy moving forward.

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UnitedHealth Group Escalates Its Healthcare Data Analytics Capabilities With Change Healthcare Buyout

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has communicated it is acquiring Change Healthcare (NASDAQ: CHNG) for $7.84 billion in cash plus assumption of $5 billion in Change Healthcare debt.

UnitedHealth Group will integrate Change Healthcare into its OptumInsight business group. OptumInsight is devoted to healthcare data analytics and technology aligned with clinical and financial applications.

Change Healthcare is a compact and successful data management innovator that is purely focused on the healthcare industry

Change Healthcare was founded in 2016 and is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Its 2019 revenue was $3.3 billion. Its scope of work encompasses clinical information and revenue and cycle management solutions that span patients and payers. 

This includes data from pharmacies, healthcare provider organizations (hospitals, health systems, medical practice groups, etc.),various channel partners plus commercial and government medical and prescription benefit plans. It also offers IT solutions that optimize the management of medical imaging applications.

UnitedHealth Group is the largest healthcare insurance corporation in the United States

United Health Group (commonly referred to as "United Healthcare", "UHC" or "UHG") was founded in 1998. Its 2019 revenue was $242 billion. The addition of Change Healthcare catapults its ability to manage data across its business model that includes:

• Commercial healthcare insurance (employers, union groups etc.)
• Dental benefits
• Immediate care clinics
• Mail order pharmacy, retail pharmacy, specialty pharmacy
• Medicaid plans
• Medicare plans
• Pharmacy benefit management (PBM)
• Surgical centers
• Vision benefits

By fortifying OptumInsights with Change Healthcare, it will function as UnitedHealth Group's center of excellence that will account for multiple aspects of billing, clinical and commercial healthcare data analytics, financial management, forecasting and other aspects of profitable risk management enterprise.

United Healthcare’s primary competitors are:

• Aetna (CVS/Aetna - NYSE: CVS)
• Anthem and all other Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations nationwide
• Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC)
• Cigna/ExpressScripts (NYSE: CI)
• Humana (NYSE: HUM)
• Intermountain Healthcare (privately held)
• Kaiser Permanente (privately held)

UnitedHealth Group's investment is an ideal strategic move as the company continues to diversity its business model as a payer and provider organization.

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FDA Approves Ebanga (ansuvimab-zykl): A New Ebola Virus Treatment

Ridgeback Biotherapeutics has earned FDA approval for its new Ebola virus treatment therapy Ebanga (Ansuvimab-zykl). Ebanga is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that is issued an indication for the treatment for Zaire ebolavirus (Ebolavirus) infection in adults and children.

Available by prescription only, Ebanga is an injectable product. Its method of action prevents the binding of the Ebola virus to the cell receptor so that it cannot make entry into and infect the cell.

Ebola is a highly contagious and potent viral pathogen

Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks signal instant medical emergencies that demand the swift attention of healthcare professionals and government health officials. The virus is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. Its victims can contract EVD by direct contact with or the bodily fluids of an infected creature (bats, nonhuman primates, assorted mammals) or a human –including the bodies of EVD fatalities.

There are 6 varieties of Ebola virus; these 4 are harmful to humans:

• Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)
• Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)
• Tai Forest (TAFV - formerly referred to as Ebola Ivory Coast)
• Zaïre ebolavirus (EBOV)

If outbreaks occur in remote areas there are less sources of medical care for Ebola victims to go to for treatment so deaths or severe suffering by patients occur as it is difficult for medical professionals to reach them quickly. This issue becomes magnified due to Ebola's ability to emerge and spread suddenly while deploying its harmful ability to generate deadly symptoms in its victims.

The FDA prioritized Ebanga’s evaluation and approval process

As Ebola is a significant and deadly threat the FDA and other regulatory authorities are eager to help facilitate the review of products which may be effective in treating it.

The FDA took action to accelerate the process to assess Ebanga so it could be evaluated sooner and once approved be made available to medical professionals and their patients more quickly. 

The agency deployed these and other measures to support an expedited review of it:

• Breakthrough Therapy designation.
• Orphan Drug designation

Ridgeback Biotherapeutics is a compact biopharma enterprise

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October, November and December have been exceptionally active months spanning multiple sectors in the healthcare industry. Get the new strategic updates on these and other healthcare enterprises by clicking here now!

• Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) Unveils “Care Hub”: A New Alexa Healthcare Service
• Boehringer Ingelheim Acquiring NBE Therapeutics For $1.5 Billion
• FDA Approves Eiger Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: EIGR) New Product Zokinvy (lonafarnib)
• New Genentech (Roche - OTC: RHHBY) Oncology Drug Gavreto (pralsetinib) Approved By FDA 
• Lucira Health: FDA Approves First At-Home COVID-19 Test
• Merck (NYSE: MRK) Announces $2.75 Billion Acquisition of VelosBio
• Orladeyo (Berotralstat) By Biocryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BSX) Earns FDA Approval
• Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) Acquires Bartell Drugs
• Royal Philips Nv (NYSE: PHG) Acquires BioTelemetry (NASDAQ: BEAT) For $2.5 Billion
• Select Rehabilitation Is Acquiring Kindred Healthcare's (Humana - NYSE: HUM) RehabCare Business Unit
• UPMC And CarePathRx Form Partnership In $400 Million Deal

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Learning about antibiotics leads to better decisions and healthy outcomes

Antibiotics are wonderfully effective therapies used to treat an array of illnesses but they have their limitations and precautions as all medications do. Medical professionals are careful in their assessment of patients and their clinical decision making that leads to them prescribing or not prescribing an antibiotic. These are important considerations that clinicians and consumers share when it comes to the use of antibiotics:

1) Bacterial resistance

The overprescribing of antibiotics can lead to bacterial pathogens becoming more resistant to them. The natural biosystems within bacteria can become conditioned to and/or build their own natural defenses against antibiotic agents. This can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. Medical professionals are well aware of this as it impacts their choice to prescribe or not prescribe an antibiotic –and it weighs in on their specific choice of antibiotics when they do choose to prescribe them.

2) The differences between bacterial and viral pathogens

Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. Even though the symptoms of a viral infection may mirror those of a bacterial infection, the differences between bacterial and viral pathogens prevent the use of antibiotics to treat viral infections. Medical professionals often use various diagnostic tests and other evaluation methods to discern if a patient is ill due to bacterial or viral pathogens and choose their treatment course of action accordingly.

3) When it comes to antibiotics sharing is not caring!

It is not safe or effective to share antibiotics. Medical professionals prescribe antibiotics according to the specific patient they have diagnosed. If a patient shares their medication with another person that has the same symptoms, various issues can arise. Even if their symptoms are the same, each person may be infected by a different pathogen and the antibiotic prescribed will not be effective for the other sick individual.

Another concern is the other person may not be able to tolerate the medication prescribed to the patient diagnosed by the clinician or they may also be on another medication which could have a harmful interaction with the antibiotic.

4) Therapeutic adherence is essential to ensure antibiotic effectiveness

Patients taking antibiotics need to consume them according to the instructions of the medical professional that prescribed them. The doses of therapy should be taken at the precise hourly or daily intervals directed by the prescribing clinicians plus they should be taken in accordance with any other guidance that accompanies those instructions (take with food, abstain from alcohol, etc.). 

The complete course of therapy prescribed needs to be completed. If a patient fails to consume the entire quantity of prescribed medication because they feel better, symptoms may return as the bacterial pathogen being treated is able to rebound with the result being their illness is prolonged and could require further care.

5) The negative economic impact of inappropriate antibiotic use

Misuse of antibiotics increases costs. If resistance to antibiotics increases, their effectiveness declines which means they may need to be prescribed at greater strengths or rendered ineffective to the extent that other more expensive antibiotic treatment options need to be used first. 

These issues also apply to when an individual takes antibiotics prescribed to someone else and they fail to be effective or the consequences of drug interactions demand further care.

6) Pharmacists are important resources 

Frequent prescribers of antibiotics are nurse practitioners and medical doctors. They can provide patients with ample information about the antibiotic therapy they are prescribing them. If a patient has further questions about the medication, they can also talk with the pharmacist who dispenses the antibiotic prescription medication for them. 

Antibiotics are some of the most frequently dispensed medications at retail pharmacies. If necessary, the pharmacist can further consult with the prescribing clinician so the patient's questions are completely answered to their satisfaction.

Maximizing the benefits of antibiotics

Through understanding these 6 basic points about antibiotics, consumers, patients, medical professionals and payers all benefit from the clinical and economic attributes of antibiotics. Pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare researchers are continuing to develop better antibiotic therapies to treat a wider array of illnesses. The value of old and new antibiotic medications will continue to increase if they are used appropriately.

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Global demand for SARS CoV-2 vaccine is enormous

Cambridge, Massachusetts based Moderna has accumulated over $1 billion in deposits for the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing. It reportedly has COVID-19 immunization supply contracts with interests in Africa, Asia, Middle East and North America. Dating back to March, Moderna and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) formed an agreement to speed discovery and commercialization of a vaccine for COVID-19. BARDA is a unit of the Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

Moderna is becoming a worldwide biotech and healthcare brand

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts Moderna’s research & development initiatives are aligned with COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) sciences and solutions. Human cells use mRNA to direct the creation of proteins necessary to sustain biological functions within people including those actions that thwart disease.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to a single DNA strand in a gene. An mRNA is an RNA form of the gene that exits the cell nucleus and travels to the cytoplasm where proteins are produced. Throughout protein synthesis, an organelle defined as a ribosome travels along the mRNA, scans its base sequence then uses the genetic code to decipher each three-base triplet (“codon”) into its matching amino acid.

Moderna’s clinical trial vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, requires two doses as its proposed immunization regimen. It presently has more than 30,000 patients enrolled in its clinical trials and more than 25,000 of them have received the second dose.

The vaccine research & development work at Moderna extends beyond COVID-19:

Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) has deployed numerous assets and resources into its vaccine development initiatives. These are some of the immunization products underway in Moderna’s new therapy pipeline:

• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
• hMPV/PIV3
• KRAS (pancreatic cancer immunization)
• Influenza H7N9
• PCV (personalized cancer vaccine)
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Zika vaccine

Patients, medical professionals, government officials, nations and investors all uniquely share a common interest in Moderna's success in developing a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible!

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Chain drugstore giants pivotal players in upcoming HHS COVID-19 immunization initiative

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has contracted with Walgreens and CVS Health to develop programs to administer coronavirus immunizations to residents / patients that live in assisted living / residential care homes plus long term care / skilled nursing facilities. 

Operators of the facilities will be able to choose which of the two companies they prefer to  provide them with coronavirus immunization services free of charge. They can also decide not to participate in the program or possibly request another provider, such as a local independent pharmacy or other viable care provider, to administer the immunizations.

Walgreens and CVS staff will administer the coronavirus vaccines through on-site care at facilities

The program is structured around Walgreens (NASDAQ: WBA) and CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) who will work with management and owners of the facilities to arrange for space and plan calendar schedules for residents and staff to be immunized on-site. Depending on the facilities and number of staff and residents at each, the on-site immunization proceedings are expected to potentially require 3 days of appointments over the course of 2 months.

Vaccine dosing compliance, vaccine quantities and coordination of staff are 3 pivotal program elements

The scheduling and logistics can vary depending on the type of COVID-19 vaccine being administered from various companies. Some manufacturers have vaccines in clinical trials that require only 1 injection and others that require 2 injections spaced apart by weeks or months. The initiative is a massive undertaking. It is estimated there are more than 30,000 assisted living facilities and approximately 15,000 skilled nursing facilities in the United States.

Walgreens, CVS competing for volume, bragging rights as care providers in national health crisis

For Deerfield, Illinois based Walgreens and CVS Health based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the program is reminiscent of their competitive participation in the launch of Medicare Part D in 2006. Each will be seeking to be the most chosen vendor by the participating facilities and be diligently planning on how to execute their progams with a minimum of issues and a maximum level of profitability.

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Breast Cancer is the number one cancer among new cancer patient diagnoses

About one out of every 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime -and men can be diagnosed with it as well. On a global basis, breast cancer impacts about 2.1 million women annually. It is a very challenging disease for patients and medical professionals to deal with worldwide.

These are some essential facts to know about breast cancer in the United States:

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers; it is estimated that in 2020, about 30% of all new women cancer diagnoses will be breast cancer
• In 2020, about 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 48,530 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer
• This year, an estimated 42,170 women will die from breast cancer in the United States
• On average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 2 minutes in the United States
• Although it is rare men can be diagnosed with breast cancer, during 2020 about 2,620 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. and about 520 will die from it
• 64% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage (there is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the breast), for which the 5-year survival rate is about 99%
• There are more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States

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Click Here to read about these and other new healthcare industry developments now:

• Amazon Enters Wearables Market With "Halo"
• Genetics Leader Illumina Buying Oncology Innovator Grail For $7.1 Billion
• Healthcare Providers Investing In Website User Satisfaction
• Veterans Administration (VA) and Apple Telehealth Initiative
• Washington Takes Action To Help Rural Health

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New healthcare apps overwhelm the market

The shelter-in-place and social distancing elements of the pandemic escalated the growth trajectory of healthcare mobile applications around the world. Smartphones have more than proven their usefulness prior to COVID-19 and now developers continue to churn out new health and wellness apps daily. 

Numerous technology companies have recognized these opportunities and invested considerable staff, financial and technical resources to pursue the enormous commerical opportunities involved. They have committed themselves to the health and wellnes sector with their advanced and convenient to use software applications and devices from Amazon, Apple, Google and others. 

Healthcare provider organizations have followed suit by developing numerous applications supported through various digital means to demonstrate their ability to innovate, account for tech-friendly consumer needs and compete against other patient care providers. Some are merely "mobile friendly" to enable patients to access website resources more easily. Others are more sophisticated and specialized -many with unproven ROI track records.

A lineup of patient care and consumer health & wellness app examples:

Patient demand continues to encourage more customer-centric mobile apps that help with a myriad healthcare tasks:

• Schedule appointments with clinicians at medical groups, hospitals, health systems, specialty practices, urgent care centers and even retail pharmacy clinics
• Virtual apppointments (telehealth and telemedicine) conducted in a "Facetime" setting between patients and clinicians
• Prescription refill requests at retail, mail order and specialty pharmacies that also include deliveries
• Exercise and activity fitness trackers abound that span smartphones and wrist-bound wearables
• Numerous apps focused on specific healthcare conditions and patients including asthma, diabetes care, heart health, oncology

Healthcare provider organizations reap the benefits or shoulder the burden from the apps they develop

Apps are a great way for healthcare provider organizations to extend their care and promote their services. It's an opportunity to generate data that a consumer or patient can benefit from whether it's for their eyes only or if the data is also shared with their clinicians. Depending on the level of clinical involvement and patient data capture nuances involved, medical professionals are being reimbursed by commercial and government payers for this additionl patient care support. 

Considering the array of care even modestly sized medical groups offer, hospitals and health systems deliver an even greater abundance of patient treatments that apps could be developed for. 

The benefits of apps are attractive but there are immediate and ongoing costs to provide them. Once apps are developed they need to be sustained through upgrades as enhanced accuracy, improved technology performance, privacy, security standards and threat levels change. Healthcare provider organizations have to consider the cost, time and technical resources necessary to develop, launch and manage apps their own apps through the duration of their clinical and technical lifecyvle. 

Questions for healthcare providers to ask themselves in advance of developing new apps

The increasing use of healthcare apps is going to continue by consumers and patients. Healthcare provider organizations need to evaluate what opportunities suit them and their patients best in terms of care and cost. 

Key considerations for medical care providers to be informed of when assessing the development of a new app:

• What is the estimated numer of consumers or patients that will benefit from it?
• Is the critical medical need involved for the app at a high enough level to warrant its development costs and use?
• Are there free or low cost apps already available in the marketplace that provide comparable data and care support for consumers, patients and clinicians to use?
• Can the clinical, financial and technical elements requirements to develop and support the app be sustained by the healthcare provider organization's resources?
• Is there an application the healthcare provider organization already has that can be enhanced with additional features to avoid having to develop an entirely new app?

The future holds greater opportunities for patient care innovation

Technology continues to outpace itself as smartphones, fitness trackers and highly portable FDA-approved medical devices become more sophisticated and less costly. Remote patient monitoring, telehealth and telemedicine are additional catalysts in creating more demand for apps by consumers, patients and medical professionals. 

Moving forward, healthcare provider organizations need to carefully think about where they deploy their resources to be certain they are allocating them to support the care needs they can best serve and rely on other stakeholders to account for the others.

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Merck continues its aggressive 2020 business strategy with landmark Seattle Genetics collaboration

Through a major clinical and commercial initiative focused on the development and marketing of oncology therapies Merck (MYSE: MRK) is investing heavily in a partnership with Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: SGEN).

Kenilworth, New Jersey based Merck is acquiring $1 billion of Seattle Genetics’ stock at a 30% premium based on its current share price. Merck is also committing over $600 million in funding to help develop  Ladiratuzumab, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that Seattle Genetics is working on with the intent for it be approved by the FDA for use in oncology. Merck and Seattle Genetics are intrigued by the possibility the novel mAb could be paired with Merck's blockbuster Keytruda oncology drug as a co-therapy in breast cancer treatment and perhaps others.

In addition to the investments in Seattle Genetics' stock and Ladiratuzumab, the agreement includes the rights for Merck (who is committing up to $200 million in this arrangement) to market Tukysa (a Seattle Genetics mAb that is already FDA approved for use in treating breast cancer) in global markets. Merck will commercialize Tukysa in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

All in, the strategic partnership with Seattle Genetics may push Merck's financial commitment to over $2 billion if certain product development and approval milestones are met that are additional elements within the collaboration deal.

Merck is undergoing a major corporate transformation

Merck emerged from 2019 on a positive note and has not taken its sights off of achieving significant planned and unplanned 2020 goals involving partnerships, new product launches and major business unit divestitures.

In less than 1 year Merck has undertaken a series of impressive actions that continued even as the pandemic unfolded: 

• In December, 2019 Merck received approval for Ervebo, the world's first Ebola vaccine approved by the FDA and CHMP
• Merck's first major move in 2020 occurred in February when it announced plans to develop an entirely new company through a spinoff of several product franchises joined together as an entirely separate enterprise
• The company sold off its StayWell business unit to WebMD in March
• In April Merck's clinical and commercial partnership with AstraZeneca launched Koselugo (FDA approved to treat Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)) and the same collaboration earned a new prostate cancer indication for its jointly developed Lynparza therapy in May
• Merck formally entered the battle against the coronavirus in May when it launched a COVID-19 initiative that encompasses the development of an antiviral and 2 vaccine candidates plus the acquisition of Themis Biosciences

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Telehealth is becoming a competitive edge for medical groups, hospitals and health systems

The benefits of telehealth for patients are well publicized. Healthcare provider organizations that rushed into telehealth as a way to continue patient care at the onset of the pandemic are now capitalizing on telehealth as a way to improve their bottom line. While telehealth, remote patient monitoring and IT technology requires financial investment, clinicians and provider organizations are realizing they can increase revenue streams and wield telehealth technology as a competitive asset.

Clinical and commercial drivers of telehealth and telemedicine adoption and enhancement across the healthcare industry:

• Expands the reach of specialists to treat more patients that are geographically dispersed in metro, rural and remote areas
• Appointment cancellations are less frequent which reduces gaps in billable hour income
• Patients and clinicians have flexibility to schedule appointments outside of standard facility operating hours
• Increased revenue streams through combining telehealth and remote monitoring capabilities
• Facilitates collaboration between clinicians and other healthcare provider organizations for advanced patient care issues including emergency care
• Greater commercial and government payer recognition and formal reimbursement guidelines are in place and being enhanced to reflect the unique aspects of telehealth care delivery
• Extends the reach of care which supports patient retention and continuity of revenue streams

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Select healthcare sectors increase hiring

According to the latest Federal jobs data and Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, August numbers showed modest improvement in specific healthcare provider organization categories. Hospitals added about 14,000 new jobs and physician offices filled roughly 27,000 positions. Home health contributed 12,000 new hires and the dental care sector did its part by adding a robust 22,000 workers. Other sectors across the economy showed promising jobs growth as well. Within the healthcare sector, the nursing home and long term care sectors continue to suffer as admissions are down and a higher number of patients are treated via telehealth and remote monitoring (a trend which may last for a while).

COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandates and other public health restrictions hit many healthcare provider organizations harshly and unexpectantly late in the first quarter of 2020 through end of the second quarter. The rapid expansion of the pandemic and shortage of PPE was a double whammy followed by a plunge in the performance of the economy.

Promising indicators for healthcare product manufacturers

The increase of hiring across hospitals, physician practices and dentist offices may also signal an increase of procedures. Pharmaceutical, medical device and other healthcare product manufacturers dependent upon outpatient and inpatient surgical cases have lost revenue during the pandemic as various procedures were delayed or cancelled. As we approach the front edge of the 4^th quarter, any pickup in business is welcome.There is likely pent up demand for procedures to be completed due to the slowdown earlier in 20 or in regards to elective surgeries, complete cancellations.

As people seek to optimize their medical and pharmacy benefit expenditures based on deductibles they have met or knowledge of higher out-of-pocket costs facing them in 2021, there could be a moderate surge in the volume of procedures to close out the year. Such a trend will be hugely welcomed by clinicians and healthcare product manufacturers. The clinicians will appreciate the income and the healthcare product manufacturers will closely monitor the lowering of inventories.

Looking ahead to 2021

For those manufacturers that have introduced new products in 2020, a return of activity will revitalize their marketing and sales teams to close out the year on a positive note and go into the new year with renewed purpose. Companies with plans to launch new products in 2021 will be in a much better position to gain early traction if medical care activity is on the increase. Best case scenarios between now and the end of the year involve the approval of one or more COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 antiviral therapies to amplify the clinical and commercial recovery across the healthcare industry.

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Privately-owned and publicly held retailers supporting mask requirements nationwide

Appliance & electronics, clothing, grocery, mass merchandisers, pharmacy and other retailers are requiring customers to wear masks on their premises while shopping. Their actions embrace the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They bring an extra measure of protection and safety to those persons in municipalities and/or states that do not have mask restrictions in place.

Some have exceptions for children and for those persons that have pronounced breathing difficulties while wearing masks.

Mask requirements in place regardless of metropolitan or state requirements

While several states do not have mask mandates, these retailers are still requiring consumers to wear masks in their facilities. By having universal mask wearing requirements across their stores, they protect their employees who are also wearing masks as well as customers.

This is a list of retailers with mask requirements that is steadily growing:

• Albertsons (plus all subsidiaries Jewel, Safeway, Vons, etc.) - NYSE: ACI
• American Eagle – NYSE: AEO
• Apple - NYSE: APPL
• Best Buy - NYSE: BBY
• BJ’s Wholesale Club - NYSE: BJ
• Costco - NASDAQ: COST
• CVS - NYSE: CVS
• Dierbergs Markets – privately held
• Kohls - NYSE: KSS
• Kroger (plus subsidiaries Dillons, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter’s, King Soopers, Marianos Ralph’s etc.) -  NYSE: KR
• Publix – privately held
• Schnucks Markets – privately held
• Starbucks (at company-owned stores) - NASDAQ: SBUX
• Target - NYSE: TGT
• Walmart (plus subsidiary, Sam’s Club stores) - NYSE: WMT
• Walgreens (plus Duane Reed-branded stores ) -  NASDAQ: WBA

Summer of 2020 has been challenging to manage for retailers

While numerous communities and states had shelter-in-place mandates and other rules such as mask requirements enforced earlier in 2020, many of these have been rescinded. Retailers want their employees and their shoppers to be collectively protected. The ongoing expansion of the list is good news that multiple stakeholders across the United States can play a leading role in the efforts to defeat COVID-19.

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Visit the Healthcare Medical Pharmaceutical Directory homepage for updates on these and other topics:

• 2020 A Robust Year For Contract Research Organizations (CROs)
• AbbVie's Two New Oncology Partnerships
• Centene's Strategic Acquisition of NextLevel Partners
• National Urology & Oncology Practice Formed By Healthcare Private Equity
• Merck's Triple Threat COVID-19 Strategy
• UnitedHealth Group Collaborating With Microsoft
• Eli Lilly's New Oncology Product Retevmo Earns Trifecta Of FDA Approved Indications

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For many companies, 2020's marketing and sales goals as well as their strategies drastically changed between March and May 

Now that we are officially in the second half of the year, it's time to conduct a simple but definitive assessment of digital marketing strategies and tactics. In-person meetings, medical conferences and other close personal contact venues for marketing and selling pharmaceutical products, medical devices, diagnostics and clinical services have evaporated. Digital marketing resources have already been widely recognized by many companies as the go-to method to effectively communicate with customers and patients. 

Is your company doing enough to outpace the competition and if they are, is it sustainable through the end of the 2020? 

Now is the time to address the present and future of your digital marketing resources and how they are deployed to engage customers and generate sales to close out the year with profitable sales results. 

A few simple questions coupled with data should help determine the actions necessary to propel your organization through the end of the year:

• Are the sales numbers (volume, margin, etc.) ahead of goal, on track or behind; do the figures call for sustaining or improving their performance through the end of 2020?
• If you asked Sales how your company's digital marketing could better support their efforts, what are the top 3 recommendations they would share with Marketing?
• Based on the feasibility of their suggestions, is your digital marketing budget enough to meet 1, 2 or all 3 of their recommendations and if not, where can funding be allocated from and which one of their requests is most impactful to get underway immediately?
• If you strictly evaluated each of your digital marketing instruments (e-commerce, email marketing, PPC, social media and other digital promotional elements, etc.) based on budget versus ROI, which ones are clearly outperforming the others?
• What is the weakest digital link between your company, its product franchises and its most important customers and what is the cost and time required to strengthen it?
• What is your primary competitors' key strength(s) in digital marketing and how do your digital strengths and weaknesses compare to them; what is the optimum strategy and action necessary to leverage your greatest digital strengths against their digital weaknesses?
• If your company has recently or is about to launch a new product, service or program what would your customers say is the best way to introduce it to them digitally in light of COVID-19 and is your company following their advice?
• Are there any digital marketing initiatives planned for 2021 that you can afford to moved up into 2020 to have a greater impact this year and gain early momentum into 2021?

Realistically determine how fast your digital marketing strategies and tactics can pivot based on the answers and the data

As you assess the answers you have collected and interpret the associated data involved, determine which solutions can be realistically implemented in a reasonable amount of time. It is important to avoid churn at this critical point in 2020. 

If you can exceed or meet your goals by year-end or at least profitably outperform your competitors, you will be better positioned to advance into 2021.

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