Very scary post from Abbott Boards about Amrix

So Abbott just got some kind of "delay" letter for their new Vicodin Cr formulation. Here is what someone posted about the situation. Pretty much head on: (copied and pasted from Abbott Board)

Re: FDA Rejects Vicodin CR

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Lets look at it in a realistic way, using something that is going on right now, as a guideline:

Amrix. To those of you who are unaware, Amrix is a "new" drug from Cephalon. To be blunt, it is a me-too drug of Flexeril. It is cyclobenzaprine 'extended release'. So what is going on with Amrix you ask? Here is what is going on. Flexeril generic (cyclobenzaprine) is mere pennies. Amrix costs around $ 9 dollars a capsule. A month supply goes for between $ 270- $300 dollars a pop.

Yes, doctors have been well detailed, and began writing for it strong, but now that has come to a slow, dying crawl. Why? Because they got sick and tired of being called by pharmacists saying that they cannot dispense it.

Why are the pharmacists calling? Well, a small majority call because they claim it hurts there bottom line, dispensing something that costs so much, as compared to carrying a 1000 count of cyclobenzaprine which probably costs them around $ 30.

The rest of the pharmacists, the majority of them (including chain store pharmacists who don't give a rats ass how much the drug costs, since they are just employees) call the doctors to switch for an entirely diffirent reason.
The PBM's (prescription benefit managers) and the HMO's are not putting Amrix on their formulary. Why? because it is a overpriced, ME-TOO drug. So since the drug is not on formulary, they pharmacist must call for an alternative. Can't blame the pharmacist, patients insurance doesn't cover the drug, a call must be put in.

So, the Md's, who were on board to right for the Amrix, have gotten so annoyed at all the phone calls and interuptions, they basically say, "Fuck this Amrix", and basically stop writing for it.

Here is the deal folks, Amrix is an extended release version of a 60 year old drug that is available in a immediate release generic form. Now, re-read the previous sentence, but substitute Vicodin CR in the place of Amrix.

IF this drug gets approved, and the odds are against it at this stage, the drug will not be anywhere near as much a success as Abbott hopes it will be.

 

This message describes why reps are (1) leaving or looking to leave Cephalon. (2) Scared they are going to lose their jobs because they are making big salaries and the companies earnings are going to drop. (3) Going through the motions and putting in half ass days. Cephalon now looks like a greedy big pharma company who does not care about the patient. What are the benefits of Amrix over generic cyclo. Once a day for 280-300 a month. Wow! You spent years trying to build credibility with physicians selling Provigil and now this. Who is the genius who came up with this plan?

 

If you people are just starting to worry about this now then you deserve to crash and burn! Wake up and smell the coffee people It's over! It's been over. All of you that are still hanging on shame on you. No one is happy (maybe the new guy that has absolutlely no clue what he just signed on for!) Seriously people Company has gone down the tubes in the last 18 months and it's not because of the compliance meeting or fines. It's because there are idiots who thought buying a Amrix would be a brilliant idea. I think not!

 

Are you both very stoned?

Amrix grew over a thousand scripts the last two weeks.

Turn off Jerry Springer and read your email for more info.

 

This post reads to me like sour grapes. My guess is that this person used to sell AMRIX, and DID NOT feel guilty for doing so. Probably left for the greener pastures that Abbott seemed to be, and now has serious doubts about the future (if there is any). Probably a lot of second guessing and soul searching going on here.

 

I think you better ask yourself who is stoned. Do the math jack ass. 1000 scripts in 2 weeks at $300.00 = 300,000.00 x 26 weeks = 7,800,000.00. Add that to what you are currently making on Amrix and your performance is pathetic. The company paid 100,000,000.00 for Amrix and the patent is now being challenged. You better get busy selling Amrix you kool aid drinker, because this has to be the shittiest business decision I have seen. The brass should be working for AIG or Lehman Brothers with the kind of intelligence they have displayed. Then again you probably are management trying to defend your stupidity. P.S. I forgot to mention the expense of the sales force and all of the marketing that has gone into promoting Scamrix. I sure hope you are the one getting all of the bonuses on the 80/20 plan.

 

Yes, Amrix is a scam and a dog, but there is no one challanging it's patent!!!

 

Hey Mr. Uninformed, Mylan is the challenger!!!!! We are done!!! We're RUINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You really are an idiot! Amrix is a joke whether you are making quota or not. We all know it! Why do you think the marketing team made fun of themselves by making paper hats out of promo items in a "film" at the national meeting last year? Going from a CNS/or pain specilasit to selling a piece of shit mee too drusg that is over priced and costing our health care system millions. It's criminal. But that's what Cephalon has seem to be all oabout. Bad to worse!

 

Sounds like a nerve has been struck! Grow up. It's the motive that is in question here not the virtues of AMRIX. Look around. AMRIX is one of many, it is hardly the cause of our health care problems.
I find it amazing how many Michael Moore's there are when you have the safety of an anonymous board. Really makes you brave. Being the saint that you are, do you turn down your salary? I don't think so. Moan, groan, whine and complain and a hypocrite too. Lastly, what is a drusg or an oabout? At least you spelled idiot right, go figure.

 

Don't fret losers, Amrix is done sooner than expected:


http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/21/ap5584772.html

 

I am a retail pharmacist and would like to throw my hat in the ring.
I didn't even know what Amrix was until 3 days ago when a patient brought in a prescription for Amrix and Percocet. He got the percocet but not the Amrix, we didn't have any, called every pharmacy in town, nobody had any, told patient we would order it for him. Tried to run it through his insurance, they wouldn't cover it. Called his md to get rx switched, they were closed. Patient left the pharmacy on a Friday at 5:15 without a muscle relaxant. We had to call the on call doctor who was not familiar with the patient or Amrix. I know it's not the fault of anybody on this board but me too drugs are really a problem, especially when they are so overpriced.

 

Thanks Mr. Pharmacist, shouldn't you be switching patients off of effective drugs to less effective ancient generics so you can hit your "generic quota bonus" for the CVS/RiteAid/Walgreens/etc... pharmacy you work for. Instead of trolling a Pharma rep website............get a life.

 

EVERYONE ON THIS POST NEEDS TO STOP BITCHING. EVERY COMPANY HAS "ME TOO" PRODUCTS. IF THEY ADD BENEFIT FOR THE PATIENT THEN IT SHOULD BE USED OVER THE OLD PRODUCT. ALL OF YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR SALES AND BE GLAD THAT OUR COMPANY IS EXPANDING AND YOU HAVE A JOB.

 

Keep drinking the Kool aid you loser. You are probably the one who is serving it. You are all pathetic and miserable. Can't say I know too many HAPPY cephalon reps right now!

 

Listen, don't worry about the #'s. There are too many stupid MD's out there, all ego, no brains, will will lick up anything we tell them. Just keep pushing the Amrix and watch your #'s grow as theses moron MD's hang on out every word!

 

Who ever the dumb ass is that wrote this thread about amrix is a moron. Abbott has a drug called depakote that has been around for decades and once the patent was nearing it's end abbott came out with depakote ER, what the hell do you think the reps began pushing? This a rhetorical question. Sounds like a load of bullshit and a me too drug. The take home message is that abbott is no better than any other company. Sorry to be a buzz kill.

 

So which company do you really work for Douche?

 

Do the math: 10,000 scripts last week (as reported by IMS). At $300 per (according to the prior poster) is $3 million per week. Multiply by 52 weeks. That is a winner. If it did not work well, let alone at all, 10,000 people would not be buying every week - despite how anyone calls names about MD's, people and sales reps.

 

200 million in 2009 i don't think so, but not to worry Inventiv is on the job. One more "Prep Rally and we are sure to be a success. Who thought bringing in a Pfizer RD to be a VP was a good idea?