athleen Lynch: I received a call today at 1:06 Pacific Standard Time. I was talking with a very new member of the Liberati, so I let the incoming call go to voicemail, and then forgot to pick it up until now. The call was from New Jersey, and following is a verbatim transcript from my voice mail:
Hi. Good afternoon, Kathleen. My name is Ian Fair (sp?) and I, I work at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Uh, I work with the Gilenya team [pause] and I was I'm reaching out to you today, um - uh in, in regard to [pause] the issue with uh, I believe it was Pharma Cafe and the, um, unsettling postings that you saw there. I would like the opportunity to discuss this with you. Um, I work in the customer [unintelligible] center. Umm, and we basically handle all of our consumer inquiries so I would, I'd love the infor, the uh, the uh, [pause] time to speak with you regarding what has happened. Um, if you are available today, please give me a call. I can be reached at 862-778-3151. Otherwise, I'll, uh, try to get in touch with you next week. Alright? Thank you very much, Kathleen. Take care, buh-bye.
Did you read the Gilenya sales reps' postings on the Cafepharma message board and wish you could tell someone how offended you were? If so, perhaps you should give Ian (Pronounced “Eye-en”) a call. My plan is to communicate in a way that contrasts sharply with the way the sales reps were communicating; that is to say, intelligently, respectfully, sensibly, inoffensively, humanely, conscientiously and without profanity. http://www.facebook.com/ccsvi.ms.toronto.canada#!/note.php?note_id=10150110932778857&id=578879694
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Here some of the “Gilenya sales reps postings on the Cafepharma message board” - thanks Marcel!! => http://savemarcelnow.blogspot.com/2011/02/gilenya-fingolimod-new-oral-ms-drug.html?spref=fb
The entire Norvatis thread (3 pages) on http://www.cafepharma.com/boards/showthread.php?t=441892&page=2 is deleted completely now…BUT there is more to come guys because pwMS did a screen shot!:-)
Best
Arne
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Anonymous, Posts: n/a, Re: Gilenya in trouble already?
Don't forget, 13 Rx = $650,000 a year. First week is meaningless. Know how long it takes to get an appointment to see your neuro? Think general neuros want the waiting rooms filled with patients before they even get a grasp of monitoring and how to do it? We'll find some way to screw it up (like every launch), but this drug will make $$, and any rep who can't make a great bonus on this initial incentive plan is an idiot and should be made to trade places with any CV or neuro or Fanapt rep waiting for the ax to fall....
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Anonymous, Posts: n/a, Re: Gilenya in trouble already?
I along with many collegues are not seeing the Rx's come in. These doctors are as frightened as they comen many more are not writing than are. And the folks that are writing a lot are very few and far between. Not hitting the panic button yet, but for a drug so anticipated no one is using it. MC tiers is not helping the situation either, but that's no excuse at the end of the day.
And here come all the barrage of your a loser comments. I know, I know. But that doesn't change the fact nationwide this med is currently sluggish at best.
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Anonymous, Posts: n/a, Re: Gilenya in trouble already?
This is what you get, when you hire a bunch of idiots who know nothing about the MS market, reimbursement nor biologic therapy. I bet you, all 13 pts were from clinical study centers. Gilenya is priced 10% to 15% higher than Tysabri, and Neuros make money off its infusions. Next, over half the sales force has never sold MS products, let alone Biologics. But that's Novartis for ya, greed always rules the day.
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Anonymous, Posts: n/a' Re: Gilenya in trouble already?
Quote: Originally Posted by Anonymous
This is why this industry sucks. Here we have a guy who is happy to see a good drug fail because he wants to make money. I hope you get cancer and the drug that is saving your life get pulled because of bradicardia.
I know! Come on every patient is different and there is a therapy for each patient. Maybe it's a weekly IM, or an every day or every other day injection. Maybe it's an oral. This launch means there is one more option for patients. Would I make the oral my first choice if I was an MS patient. Probably not unless the existing therapies with a safe track record did not work then I would take the risk.........my point is there are patients for this drug.
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Anonymous, Posts: n/a, Re: Gilenya in trouble already?
Quote: Originally Posted by Anonymous
Real MS patient. Found this board when researching the cost of Gilenya. I was rx'd this drug by my neuro. I've gone through all the tests and qualified. Just got a call from a Gilenya rep about my insurance coverage. I have excellent insurance but this drug is still classified as a "non-formulary" drug. As such, my co-pay would be 60% making my out of pocket cost $2351.53 per MONTH. I qualify for the Novartis assistance of $800 per month or $10,000 per year. This still does NOT in any way make this drug affordable. So, this will be a script that will NOT be filled. I know many other MS patients in the same boat. If this is any indication, this drug is in trouble until the insurance companies add it to their formularies.
Other MS patient. Your out of pocket balance after $800.00 reimbursemet is my mortgage, property taxes, car payment, car and homeowners insurance rolled into one monthly payment.
No wonder the drug isn't selling.
What gives anyone the right to charge nearly $50,000/year for a drug regardless of its cost, to develop, orphan status, marketing expenses, doctor payoffs, etc. And you wonder why the medical care, insurance, pharma, biotech are so screwed up. Something is terribly wrong.
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Anonymous, Posts: n/a, Re: Gilenya in trouble already?
Quote: Originally Posted by Anonymous
I do not care about the MS patient or any type of patient. My job is to make money to put food on the table for my family. I will do anything to make as much money as I can make. I could care less about MS, patients, future therapies. I need to make money today and the MS patient allows this to happen.
You're disgusting! .....[Arne] YES you are!