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AbbVie Takes Hit After Expectations for Hepatitis C Treatment Disappoint

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Anonymous said:
Is that why Pehocki was moved out of his position in January - - - was Lootsie protecting him or making him the fall guy? The politics of HQ!! Morale is very low in the HCV marketing team! The VP and Directors look like they have seen a ghost!!
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It's actually mindboggling to me how anyone in house could think 10 pills QD/BID would win vs one pill QD. I couldn't believe how all the top dogs were standing around during AASLD with their arms folded and smirking acting like we won. What a joke!

That's the problem when you have a bunch of HIV retreads running your HCV development program and sales and marketing. Note who Gilead has running their HCV division, John McHutchinson. We should have gone to one of the top dogs out there (Ira Jacobson, Bob Brown, Doug Dieterich, Fred Poordad, etc.) and put a zero behind what ever they are currently making to get them to run our program. We not only have a poorly run division but we have no name recognition. We have no credibility essentially.
 








Anonymous said:
It's actually mindboggling to me how anyone in house could think 10 pills QD/BID would win vs one pill QD. I couldn't believe how all the top dogs were standing around during AASLD with their arms folded and smirking acting like we won. What a joke!

That's the problem when you have a bunch of HIV retreads running your HCV development program and sales and marketing. Note who Gilead has running their HCV division, John McHutchinson. We should have gone to one of the top dogs out there (Ira Jacobson, Bob Brown, Doug Dieterich, Fred Poordad, etc.) and put a zero behind what ever they are currently making to get them to run our program. We not only have a poorly run division but we have no name recognition. We have no credibility essentially.
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Everyone was laughing at our stupid Mr Clean white booth and the SUVs around
 




Anonymous said:
It's actually mindboggling to me how anyone in house could think 10 pills QD/BID would win vs one pill QD. I couldn't believe how all the top dogs were standing around during AASLD with their arms folded and smirking acting like we won. What a joke!

That's the problem when you have a bunch of HIV retreads running your HCV development program and sales and marketing. Note who Gilead has running their HCV division, John McHutchinson. We should have gone to one of the top dogs out there (Ira Jacobson, Bob Brown, Doug Dieterich, Fred Poordad, etc.) and put a zero behind what ever they are currently making to get them to run our program. We not only have a poorly run division but we have no name recognition. We have no credibility essentially.
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Excellent post! Despite what our leadership thinks there are some intelligent people with good ideas outside the four walls of HQ. This was one of them!
 




Anonymous said:
Well said. The rumor is we were six months ahead of Harvoni in clinical trials. We should have been to market ahead of Gilead by several months. It would have definately changed things and we would not have been put in the position to contact the way we did. That being said, the execution by leadership, managed care, and marketing was and is ridiculous. Lutz and Louie are silent and have their heads up their ass! They are already moving people around and out of HCV while in the first month of launch???? This will go down in MBA case studies as the biggest botched launch in pharma history!
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It is not a good sign when an email is sent out to everyone in the franchise that two people are leaving HCV - one to go work with Humira - and one who is retiring. If the launch was going well ....which it clearly is not...it has been a disaster since day ONE .... I wonder if both of these people would have moved on and out so quickly? Seems as if the timing is so coincidental ....considering the mess we are all in.

Now, watch AbbVie do what they do best...have us all hound and bug the hell out of our accounts for scripts so we can show MC there is a demand. It is a desperate attempt on our part, but it is starting to happen right now. We will be pressured like crazy to plead and beg our providers and offices to prescribe to show there is a demand....I would just like for once to not have to be pressured to behave this way. Your medication should speak for itself. This is embarrassing on all levels....and it will get much worse! The smell and sight of desperation is unattractive and pathetic. Best of luck to all of us for trying to maintain our sanity during this horrific time!
 




Anonymous said:
It is not a good sign when an email is sent out to everyone in the franchise that two people are leaving HCV - one to go work with Humira - and one who is retiring. If the launch was going well ....which it clearly is not...it has been a disaster since day ONE .... I wonder if both of these people would have moved on and out so quickly? Seems as if the timing is so coincidental ....considering the mess we are all in.

Now, watch AbbVie do what they do best...have us all hound and bug the hell out of our accounts for scripts so we can show MC there is a demand. It is a desperate attempt on our part, but it is starting to happen right now. We will be pressured like crazy to plead and beg our providers and offices to prescribe to show there is a demand....I would just like for once to not have to be pressured to behave this way. Your medication should speak for itself. This is embarrassing on all levels....and it will get much worse! The smell and sight of desperation is unattractive and pathetic. Best of luck to all of us for trying to maintain our sanity during this horrific time!
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Amen.
 




Anonymous said:
It is not a good sign when an email is sent out to everyone in the franchise that two people are leaving HCV - one to go work with Humira - and one who is retiring. If the launch was going well ....which it clearly is not...it has been a disaster since day ONE .... I wonder if both of these people would have moved on and out so quickly? Seems as if the timing is so coincidental ....considering the mess we are all in.

Now, watch AbbVie do what they do best...have us all hound and bug the hell out of our accounts for scripts so we can show MC there is a demand. It is a desperate attempt on our part, but it is starting to happen right now. We will be pressured like crazy to plead and beg our providers and offices to prescribe to show there is a demand....I would just like for once to not have to be pressured to behave this way. Your medication should speak for itself. This is embarrassing on all levels....and it will get much worse! The smell and sight of desperation is unattractive and pathetic. Best of luck to all of us for trying to maintain our sanity during this horrific time!
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Nope. A move to Humira means big changes on the horizon for HCV. Humira is our cash cow. Putting additional resources including leveraging/ moving HCV talent over to Humira, they are moving the necessary pieces into place. Protecting key players. Pay close attention but don't be caught off guard. Have your Plan B in place.
 




My manager said he thinks they're going to bring in some reinforcements to help us pull through the new RXs from opening up the new medicaid contracts. I'm not sure if I like this idea since our territories are so small already.
 




Anonymous said:
Is that why Pehocki was moved out of his position in January - - - was Lootsie protecting him or making him the fall guy? The politics of HQ!! Morale is very low in the HCV marketing team! The VP and Directors look like they have seen a ghost!!
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Yup, they saw a ghost alright the ghost of Dr. Abbott saying wth?! Poor guy is spinning in his grave!
 




Anonymous said:
My manager said he thinks they're going to bring in some reinforcements to help us pull through the new RXs from opening up the new medicaid contracts. I'm not sure if I like this idea since our territories are so small already.
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Would you elaborate on what the "reinforcements" are? Extra Reps? Overlay Reps?
 




Im throwing the BS flag. Does not make business sense. We are killing each other already. We lost some plans already, have parity in others. We may only end up with a few state plans. And not big ones. Medicaid patients are a mess. Can't take thier BP med every day. Think they can take VPak. No way. They could send it to a contract company and hope for peanuts! Then get rid of most of the troops. Worst idea for a ABBV rep ever. This would be a catastrophe!
 




Anonymous said:
My manager said he thinks they're going to bring in some reinforcements to help us pull through the new RXs from opening up the new medicaid contracts. I'm not sure if I like this idea since our territories are so small already.
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Yes I heard that it's because we only have until December when Merck comes out with another single pill. They will have learned by then how to contract us out to the curb.
 




Anonymous said:
It is not a good sign when an email is sent out to everyone in the franchise that two people are leaving HCV - one to go work with Humira - and one who is retiring. If the launch was going well ....which it clearly is not...it has been a disaster since day ONE .... I wonder if both of these people would have moved on and out so quickly? Seems as if the timing is so coincidental ....considering the mess we are all in.

Now, watch AbbVie do what they do best...have us all hound and bug the hell out of our accounts for scripts so we can show MC there is a demand. It is a desperate attempt on our part, but it is starting to happen right now. We will be pressured like crazy to plead and beg our providers and offices to prescribe to show there is a demand....I would just like for once to not have to be pressured to behave this way. Your medication should speak for itself. This is embarrassing on all levels....and it will get much worse! The smell and sight of desperation is unattractive and pathetic. Best of luck to all of us for trying to maintain our sanity during this horrific time!
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DM called and said we need to work Saturday mornings from now on. Also, Lootsie and Louie are going in the field at least 3 days/ week. I pray they don't work with me!! I will have a hard time not barfing on them.
 




Anonymous said:
DM called and said we need to work Saturday mornings from now on. Also, Lootsie and Louie are going in the field at least 3 days/ week. I pray they don't work with me!! I will have a hard time not barfing on them.
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And what do Lootzie and Louie know that you don't know. I'm sure they will only help you lose more business
 




Anonymous said:
DM called and said we need to work Saturday mornings from now on. Also, Lootsie and Louie are going in the field at least 3 days/ week. I pray they don't work with me!! I will have a hard time not barfing on them.
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Really? I call BS on Sat mornings.
Field rides definitely believable, we are in crisis mode.
 












Anonymous said:
Louie is already riding the managers to put pressure on our reps. What do you think Chicago was all about!! It is only going to get worse! Field sales will take the brunt of the pressure...not the real problem, Louie, Jeff and Lutz.
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Shit always rolls downhill at Abbott/Abbvie. Defensive management. Management by fear. Nothing we can do to make VPak into a 1 pill/QD with great Managed Care access. We have to settle for what's left. As very driven, competititive individuals that's a hard pill to swallow. 2nd best...

Should have been 1st to market like they promised us when the woo'd us to HCV from Humira. Managed Care debacle is the final nail I'm our coffin. We'll plod along with a skeleton sales force post launch until 2nd gen. Let's hope we aren't late to the party on that one as well.
 




Anonymous said:
Shit always rolls downhill at Abbott/Abbvie. Defensive management. Management by fear. Nothing we can do to make VPak into a 1 pill/QD with great Managed Care access. We have to settle for what's left. As very driven, competititive individuals that's a hard pill to swallow. 2nd best...

Should have been 1st to market like they promised us when the woo'd us to HCV from Humira. Managed Care debacle is the final nail I'm our coffin. We'll plod along with a skeleton sales force post launch until 2nd gen. Let's hope we aren't late to the party on that one as well.
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We're not 2nd best. That's Oliysio plus Sovaldi only 2 pills QD.
 








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