Sanofi rep here. Here's the problem with Menveo: in the world of vaccines, portfolio contracting and ease of use/shot savings account for 90% of success. Novartis can offer neither of those things. There have been many examples of clinically superior vaccines that sold for slightly less money than their competitors but failed because the competitor could offer shot savings via a combo, prefilled syringes and vials instead of reconstitution, and had an entire portfolio of various vaccines to offer to the practice or hospital. Menveo is a slightly cheaper vaccine whose lower cost becomes insignificant as soon as the Sanofi rep demonstrates that Menveo is only one line item. The few $$ they can save with Menveo goes "bye-bye" as soon as the savings on the 5 DTaPs, 4 HIBs and 4 IPVs and the Tdap they purchase from Sanofi comes in jeopardy. And, you have to mix Menveo. Fair enough, offices also have to mix Pentacel, but Pentacel offers shot savings at a crowded point in the schedule. There is no shot savings with Menveo, just extra work.
Furthermore, the talk of the expanded age indications with Menveo will unikely come to fruition any time soon. Sanofi actually has the 2-10 indication already and has already submitted its application for the infant indication. Novartis is quite a bit further behind on these submissions than Sanofi. Do you have any idea how many times the Novartis rep has had his nuts crushed on the "better efficacy" argument as soon as the Sanofi rep shows the PI and the age indications? Every day I walk into an office and the doc says, "your competitor was just in and says his vaccine works better, is that true?" ME: "Well, tell me what he said doc." PHYSICIAN: "Well, some mumbo-jumbo about titer levels and the design of their vaccine." ME: "No problem doc, I'll be glad to clarify." After I go through my arguments I simply ask, "doc, if Menveo is supposed to work so much better, why does the FDA think that Menactra is the choice for those kids who are high risk in the 2-10 age group? So much for promises of greater efficacy for a longer period of time". I get agreement 100% of the time. In fact, several offices who dabbled early on with Menveo have since come back.
POW....there goes all that selling....Menveo is "out of here!".
So, Novartis will get 5-10% of the business but, absent some serious mis-steps from Sanofi in regard to Menactra (production shortages, weird side effects, etc.), 5-10% is likely the peak of Menveo's potential. Ask yourselves this question: can Novartis afford to keep a salesforce on 5-10% market share? Even if you buy that they can, doesn't it make you doubt all the expansion talk? I hope that you guys keep your job, even expand. Seriously. Nothing like a competitor breathing down your neck to keep your company from cutting your job. So, I consider you all to be job security.
