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Post by kdaddyfresh2000 on Jan 14, 2016 17:19:48 GMT -5
Dr. Urbanski said Sanofi was using an outdated means to sell Afrezza. But I am concerned if that's a rationalization since we don't have resources to do it that way anyway. Blocking and tackling is never outdated. And neither is a drug salesperson talking face to face with a drug prescriber. Thoughts?
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Post by peppy on Jan 14, 2016 17:48:23 GMT -5
more modern sales strategy 1990 drug launch; sales reps---> rep to docs---> docs write scripts. The environment has changed. Afrezza , maybe rep doc paradigm is not the way to go. Go through social media, patient advocacy groups, diabetes education to help drive sales and utilization, with out having the huge cost of a sales force. Last ten years, the ability of a sales rep to generate scripts has been disabled by legislation. The sunshine act an example.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I do not spend time in doctors offices, but I haven't seen a sales rep get passed the front desk in years. Just a sample drop is all I have seen. Liane said, rep catered staff lunches are no longer done.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can't get blood out of a turnip.
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Post by slapshot on Jan 14, 2016 18:22:39 GMT -5
I think the biggest issue in the near term success of Afrezza is price. As it stands (non superior label) it simply cant be priced at a premium to its competition. Regardless of marketing, people wont pay a premium and insurance wont pick it up. Matt seems to be aware of this so the questions on our minds should be: when will the price be dropped?; and how low can we profitably sell it? Once a lower price is established, Mannkind needs to revisit the insurance coverage.
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Post by jurystillout on Jan 14, 2016 22:27:29 GMT -5
I have to agree with Dr. urbanski, dropping off sample packages at the front desk are not going to educate drs. Dr's and everyone else want to learn about things they are interested in not the things the sales reps want them to be interested in. The key is to build the interest, this is done through patients asking questions about it, good doctors will want to learn more to answer or validate their patients questions and comments. I truly believe pediatric approval will produce the biggest jump in sales. I can live with sticking myself with a needle however when I think about my child having to do it, thats a whole different story. Parents will make the their Drs get educated about this product.
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Post by mnholdem on Jan 14, 2016 22:31:19 GMT -5
I interpreted Dr Ray's remarks to mean that today's doctors use electronic media more than ever before in history to learn about drugs. We should capitalize on that trend.
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Post by sweedee79 on Jan 14, 2016 23:30:19 GMT -5
I think docs may be a little wary of the sales reps and all of the new drugs they come with ... they don't seem to be all that excited about new drugs .. Its like when a sales person calls me on the phone .. I don't like it .. There are so many new drugs now days ..
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Post by digger63 on Jan 15, 2016 4:08:55 GMT -5
The paradigm shift in today's market channels compared to the 1990s cannot be overstated. Today, the largest taxi company in the world - Uber - owns no taxis. One of the largest hospitality companies - Airbnb - owns no hotels. And the largest retailer by market cap - Alibaba - owns no inventory. Is it really that crazy to think that a drug company can be a huge success without sales reps?
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Post by LosingMyBullishness on Jan 15, 2016 5:09:25 GMT -5
I interpreted Dr Ray's remarks to mean that today's doctors use electronic media more than ever before in history to learn about drugs. We should capitalize on that trend. Okay, but how do you stream this Information? Is it sufficient that the Patient mentions his interest and the doc googles it? Then you need a page like there already is, with box warnings all over the page. I like the concept to focus on price. Toyota entered the US market via price and then people learnt that they actually bought good quality cars. And this would create volume, much needed to run the plant properly and reduce the costs per unit. more modern sales strategy 1990 drug launch; sales reps---> rep to docs---> docs write scripts. The environment has changed. Afrezza , maybe rep doc paradigm is not the way to go. Go through social media, patient advocacy groups, diabetes education to help drive sales and utilization, with out having the huge cost of a sales force. Last ten years, the ability of a sales rep to generate scripts has been disabled by legislation. The sunshine act an example.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I do not spend time in doctors offices, but I haven't seen a sales rep get passed the front desk in years. Just a sample drop is all I have seen. Liane said, rep catered staff lunches are no longer done.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can't get blood out of a turnip.
I think the biggest issue in the near term success of Afrezza is price. As it stands (non superior label) it simply cant be priced at a premium to its competition. Regardless of marketing, people wont pay a premium and insurance wont pick it up. Matt seems to be aware of this so the questions on our minds should be: when will the price be dropped?; and how low can we profitably sell it? Once a lower price is established, Mannkind needs to revisit the insurance coverage.
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Post by od on Jan 15, 2016 9:57:22 GMT -5
It would be nice to hear facts on this subject from experienced pharmaceutical marketers. A lot of conjecture, perhaps correct, but it would be like me telling GM how to market automobiles.
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Post by mnkdmorelong on Jan 15, 2016 10:10:22 GMT -5
Dr. Urbanski said Sanofi was using an outdated means to sell Afrezza. But I am concerned if that's a rationalization since we don't have resources to do it that way anyway. Blocking and tackling is never outdated. And neither is a drug salesperson talking face to face with a drug prescriber. Thoughts? I agree with you. Dr. Urbanski's comment has more to do with MNKD's lack of cash than the actual method. Doctors are very busy people and the like the system where salespeople call on them to advise them of new products. Right in their office. Needless to say, the salesperson must not waste the doc's time. This is why salespeople love new products. It allows them to present something new to the doc. A dedicated sales force is very very costly and inefficient. But it seems to be working. Without an Afrezza advocate in front of the doc next to SNY and NVO, who do you think is going to win? Social media is new, inexpensive, and alluring for its reach. But MNKD must be careful as they are responsible for the message and if that is garbled, they will hear from the FDA.
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Post by peppy on Jan 15, 2016 10:20:12 GMT -5
Dr. Urbanski said Sanofi was using an outdated means to sell Afrezza. But I am concerned if that's a rationalization since we don't have resources to do it that way anyway. Blocking and tackling is never outdated. And neither is a drug salesperson talking face to face with a drug prescriber. Thoughts? I agree with you. Dr. Urbanski's comment has more to do with MNKD's lack of cash than the actual method. Doctors are very busy people and the like the system where salespeople call on them to advise them of new products. Right in their office. Needless to say, the salesperson must not waste the doc's time. This is why salespeople love new products. It allows them to present something new to the doc. A dedicated sales force is very very costly and inefficient. But it seems to be working. Without an Afrezza advocate in front of the doc next to SNY and NVO, who do you think is going to win? Social media is new, inexpensive, and alluring for its reach. But MNKD must be careful as they are responsible for the message and if that is garbled, they will hear from the FDA. The sales people are talking to person at the front desk. The physicians are busy.
Ex Drug Rep -- Manipulating Doctors www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOW8LNU2hFE
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Post by mnkdmorelong on Jan 15, 2016 10:32:20 GMT -5
I agree with you. Dr. Urbanski's comment has more to do with MNKD's lack of cash than the actual method. Doctors are very busy people and the like the system where salespeople call on them to advise them of new products. Right in their office. Needless to say, the salesperson must not waste the doc's time. This is why salespeople love new products. It allows them to present something new to the doc. A dedicated sales force is very very costly and inefficient. But it seems to be working. Without an Afrezza advocate in front of the doc next to SNY and NVO, who do you think is going to win? Social media is new, inexpensive, and alluring for its reach. But MNKD must be careful as they are responsible for the message and if that is garbled, they will hear from the FDA. The sales people are talking to person at the front desk. The physicians are busy.
Ex Drug Rep -- Manipulating Doctors www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOW8LNU2hFE
Peppy, you have never been on a sales call with a rep. This is the real world. Keep in mind, the salesperson knows not to waste anyone's time. A good salesperson comes in and checks in at the front desk. Then they go to the nurse's station and make sure their product is working and generally making sure all are feeling the love. It is there that they enquire about docs. Who is busy. "Can I get 10 minutes with Dr. Smith to show him a new product." So on and so forth. The salesperson who waste time sits in the waiting room. The best ones are so well known and have such a relationship that they just enter the practice and go the the nurse's station. A good salesperson is a valuable resource to the practice. Of course there are bad salespeople. And they move from job to job. They would be available to MNKD for their own salesforce. This would not be good.
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Post by peppy on Jan 15, 2016 10:45:21 GMT -5
no I have never been on a call with sales reps at physician offices. I have had sales reps teach how to use equipment after if was purchased by the purchasing dept.
Mnkdmoreshort, as a rule I do not care to be in health care facilities. However, over the years I have been at physicians offices, with children. The rep comes in and is stopped cold at the front desk. They drop off samples.
The physicians know the gig, so many drugs, so many reps. So many conflicts of interest.
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Post by mnkdmorelong on Jan 15, 2016 10:54:20 GMT -5
no I have never been on a call with sales reps at physician offices. I have had sales reps teach how to use equipment after if was purchased by the purchasing dept. Mnkdmoreshort, as a rule I do not care to be in health care facilities. However, over the years I have been at physicians offices, with children. The rep comes in and is stopped cold at the front desk. They drop off samples. The physicians know the gig, so many drugs, so many reps. So many conflicts of interest. You see a few sales reps drop off samples and assume that scenario applies to all reps? Why would you even write this? You really don't know.
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Post by slugworth008 on Jan 15, 2016 10:57:04 GMT -5
I have to agree with Dr. urbanski, dropping off sample packages at the front desk are not going to educate drs. Dr's and everyone else want to learn about things they are interested in not the things the sales reps want them to be interested in. The key is to build the interest, this is done through patients asking questions about it, good doctors will want to learn more to answer or validate their patients questions and comments. I truly believe pediatric approval will produce the biggest jump in sales. I can live with sticking myself with a needle however when I think about my child having to do it, thats a whole different story. Parents will make the their Drs get educated about this product. I've said this all along - Drive the patient to the Doc and Endo asking about Afrezza while you educating the Doc's and Endo's - burn the candle from both ends.
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