Adult Vaccines Are Going To Save The Day! Really?

[Anonymous]

Pneumovax 23 - a thirty something year old vaccine that has been taken for granted yet over priced and about to receive stiff competition in 10 months by Pfizer, the juggernaut, with their only vaccine, Prevnar. Gee, they won't be focused or anything.

Zostavax - a $150 adult vaccine, one dose, that can barely be supplied with numerous reimbursement issues.

Afluria - a $10 flu vaccine competiting with at least a half dozen competitors with recall issues in the pediatric formulation.

TD - huh?

Gardasil - the once billion dollar vaccine that lost it's popularity due to terrible lobbying, poor public relations response to adverse experiences reported by the media and the resulting fear from parents.

Vaqta/Recombivax Adult - missing in action like Jimmy Hoffa!

Meanwhile, dismiss the pediatric vaccines that have government requirements, good reimbursement, require at least 2 to 3 doses, cost more than half the adult vaccines, most docs are willing to use them and as long there continue to heterosexual relationships, babies will always be born to be vaccinated. That's the ticket for success! This is truly sad yet a comical Dramedy for vaccines. Alina, why don't you go ahead and sing at the January meeting and Annual meeting because you know this division is about to be over!

 

[Anonymous]

Pneumovax 23 - a thirty something year old vaccine that has been taken for granted yet over priced and about to receive stiff competition in 10 months by Pfizer, the juggernaut, with their only vaccine, Prevnar. Gee, they won't be focused or anything.

Zostavax - a $150 adult vaccine, one dose, that can barely be supplied with numerous reimbursement issues.

Afluria - a $10 flu vaccine competiting with at least a half dozen competitors with recall issues in the pediatric formulation.

TD - huh?

Gardasil - the once billion dollar vaccine that lost it's popularity due to terrible lobbying, poor public relations response to adverse experiences reported by the media and the resulting fear from parents.

Vaqta/Recombivax Adult - missing in action like Jimmy Hoffa!

Meanwhile, dismiss the pediatric vaccines that have government requirements, good reimbursement, require at least 2 to 3 doses, cost more than half the adult vaccines, most docs are willing to use them and as long there continue to heterosexual relationships, babies will always be born to be vaccinated. That's the ticket for success! This is truly sad yet a comical Dramedy for vaccines. Alina, why don't you go ahead and sing at the January meeting and Annual meeting because you know this division is about to be over!

If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. Every vaccine except Gardasil and Rotateq were out of production over the last few years. It makes one wonder if there were also problems with them that were swept under the carpet. Coincidence that there was fierce competition with both of them? I do not trust them. Every other vaccine had problems and was out yet these two continued on. Hmmmmm.

 

[Anonymous]

Pediatric vaccines are obviously where most of the current coin is, but pretty much every projection shows the biggest dollar growth area over the next 5 years will be in the adult space. Pediatric vaccines are nearly maxed out; the vaccine schedule is nearing saturation for both providers and patients.

The adult vaccines won't be huge blockbusters, but they'll at least keep the entire division afloat, and also help keep the lazy whiners employed.

I agree that Alina and much of former-tablet management still has no clue.

 

[Anonymous]

Pediatric vaccines are obviously where most of the current coin is, but pretty much every projection shows the biggest dollar growth area over the next 5 years will be in the adult space. Pediatric vaccines are nearly maxed out; the vaccine schedule is nearing saturation for both providers and patients.

The adult vaccines won't be huge blockbusters, but they'll at least keep the entire division afloat, and also help keep the lazy whiners employed.

I agree that Alina and much of former-tablet management still has no clue.

I hear what you are saying but if they decide not to provide incentive to maintain the ped portfolio some of these reps with little experience with ped vaccines will just blow them off and competition will come in through the back door. Also it doesn't help that they shuffled up some of the territories so in some cases the blind will be leading the blind. This new direction seems to have been put together a day late and a dollar short but what do you expect from the rejects that brought you the VIOXX debacle. Desparate measures during desparate times.

 

[Anonymous]

Pediatric vaccines are obviously where most of the current coin is, but pretty much every projection shows the biggest dollar growth area over the next 5 years will be in the adult space. Pediatric vaccines are nearly maxed out; the vaccine schedule is nearing saturation for both providers and patients.

The adult vaccines won't be huge blockbusters, but they'll at least keep the entire division afloat, and also help keep the lazy whiners employed.

I agree that Alina and much of former-tablet management still has no clue.

Pediatrics have been keeping the entire company afloat since Merck lost it's way with it's research and inability to produce safe medicines. Management is assuming that primary care docs can be persuaded to embrace the costs of routine vaccination of adults, vaccine storage and reimbursement overnight. It ain't going to happen. Yes adult immunizations is an opportunity but it takes time to change the behaviors of these primary docs, time that this company isn't going to allow.

We have a new President of Vaccines and a new CEO. Management is scrambling to impress and putting the sales force under stress. This rollout of the new MSVCR force has been totally disorganized but as long as management can pretend to show results, they will be happy to keep their jobs at the expense of the reps. I guess that's nothing new here. Good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

Pediatrics have been keeping the entire company afloat since Merck lost it's way with it's research and inability to produce safe medicines. Management is assuming that primary care docs can be persuaded to embrace the costs of routine vaccination of adults, vaccine storage and reimbursement overnight. It ain't going to happen. Yes adult immunizations is an opportunity but it takes time to change the behaviors of these primary docs, time that this company isn't going to allow.

We have a new President of Vaccines and a new CEO. Management is scrambling to impress and putting the sales force under stress. This rollout of the new MSVCR force has been totally disorganized but as long as management can pretend to show results, they will be happy to keep their jobs at the expense of the reps. I guess that's nothing new here. Good luck.

It will be amusing to watch. I have NEVER seen so much BS as I am seeing now and leadership is ignorant about demographics. No shit Sherlock! They jettisoned almost anyone with vaccine experience as they were perceived as threats. Adult has ALWAYS had potential and ALWAYS will. Peds is where the business is and always will be. And MSVCR is NOT the way to go. Hopefully upper management heads will fall the next time around instead of reps and managers.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's the reality, a win for Adult business in a busy practice is a rep fighting as hard as they can to get a pc office to buy 10 doses of zosta a month that is on back order for months. A win in the ped business is a rep getting a ped in a busy practice without too much fanfare to order at least 50 to 100 doses of Proquad in a month when it's available. Peds sold over 1 million doses of Proquad in just half of the U.S. in 2010. How did Zosta fare? Probably 1,000 doses. Maybe they will brake 2000 when the next backorder is filled for 2010. This is a joke.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's the reality, a win for Adult business in a busy practice is a rep fighting as hard as they can to get a pc office to buy 10 doses of zosta a month that is on back order for months. A win in the ped business is a rep getting a ped in a busy practice without too much fanfare to order at least 50 to 100 doses of Proquad in a month when it's available. Peds sold over 1 million doses of Proquad in just half of the U.S. in 2010. How did Zosta fare? Probably 1,000 doses. Maybe they will brake 2000 when the next backorder is filled for 2010. This is a joke.

Aside from current leadership, in the division formerly known as MVD, the biggest joke is manufacturing. I believe only 3 vaccines did not have a problem the last few years- Pneumo, Gardasil, and Rotateq.

 

[Anonymous]

Aside from current leadership, in the division formerly known as MVD, the biggest joke is manufacturing. I believe only 3 vaccines did not have a problem the last few years- Pneumo, Gardasil, and Rotateq.

Right! Rotateq almost had a problem with the porcine virus scare. Manufacturing screws up most of the vaccines, vaccine reps get canned. The current vaccine leadership who ran from their failures in tablets screws this division up, vaccine reps get canned. No accountability or credibility at the exec level.

 

[Anonymous]

Right! Rotateq almost had a problem with the porcine virus scare. Manufacturing screws up most of the vaccines, vaccine reps get canned. The current vaccine leadership who ran from their failures in tablets screws this division up, vaccine reps get canned. No accountability or credibility at the exec level.

Exactly. Good gig if you can get it. Next question- these posers have ruined USHH, ruined MVD, what is the next step? There is nothing left here that they can mess up. How about giving them high level jobs at GSK so we can operate efficiently and effectively once again.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, I am a retiree. But I sold vaccines as a tablet rep. For years the vaccines always kept us going when we did not have any new drugs. Why the sudden problem in manufacturing? I mean the vaccines are the bread and butter.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, I am a retiree. But I sold vaccines as a tablet rep. For years the vaccines always kept us going when we did not have any new drugs. Why the sudden problem in manufacturing? I mean the vaccines are the bread and butter.

Ask Dick Clark. Before he became Merck CEO he ran manufacturing. Immediately after he left Manufacturing for the CEO position, vaccine issues were exposed.

 

[Anonymous]

Right! Rotateq almost had a problem with the porcine virus scare. Manufacturing screws up most of the vaccines, vaccine reps get canned. The current vaccine leadership who ran from their failures in tablets screws this division up, vaccine reps get canned. No accountability or credibility at the exec level.

They still do not get the vaccine thing.

 

[Anonymous]

Ask Dick Clark. Before he became Merck CEO he ran manufacturing. Immediately after he left Manufacturing for the CEO position, vaccine issues were exposed.

Now he is the boss, no one would dare to investigate what happened to the infrastructure in manufacturing that led to all the production disasters.

 

[Anonymous]

Merck fully supported the Healthcare Bill that will cost PC docs big bucks and they want them to use more vaccines that don't add to the bottom line. PC docs are trying to stay alive and their focus is on patient turnover and all the other illnesses surrounding their older population.

 

[Anonymous]

Man, I am so glad I left. They just don't get it. They never will. PCPs will always think that vaccination is a hassle. They will buy a little bit of Pneumovax. Every year someone screws them over on flu. Zostavax is a joke. My parents wanted to get the vaccine and had to seek it out like it was the Holy Grail or something. It is always on back order. They will never understand that the Peds market makes the money, and it is all about selling the whole portfolio to larger accounts. Wait...that means every product needs to be available. Well, that will never happen. Get out while you can.

 

[Anonymous]

Man, I am so glad I left. They just don't get it. They never will. PCPs will always think that vaccination is a hassle. They will buy a little bit of Pneumovax. Every year someone screws them over on flu. Zostavax is a joke. My parents wanted to get the vaccine and had to seek it out like it was the Holy Grail or something. It is always on back order. They will never understand that the Peds market makes the money, and it is all about selling the whole portfolio to larger accounts. Wait...that means every product needs to be available. Well, that will never happen. Get out while you can.

I am out now too. I was not happy when it happened but with the package, I am better off out than with a job and in. The USHH Toxic Mentality has ruined MVD. Ignorance was not bliss in this case.

 

[Anonymous]

The biggest customer for vaccine is the government and they are NOT paying top dollars.
PC vaccines are not required-most is out of pocket and elderly are not into buying "extras".
Gardasil is NOT being recommended on a daily basis. Male doctors are the worse for even remembering vaccines.
When vaccines are covered by insurance---that is a BIG win!!!! Providers can always find the number for the insurance companies to follow up and gain their reimbursement. So many patients give false info...including wrong cell phone numbers..BIG PAIN!
Overall, vaccines are a BIG money loser for most doctors. They carry vaccines because they want to have that service for their patients (compete with other drs.) and have a draw to bring in patients. Most peds vaccines are REQUIRED!!!
Bottom line....if management has no real ideas to change the PC providers from not vaccinating to vaccinating,,,,,then it is off with more heads in the crowd of the representatives.
That seems to be their only idea for the past few years....think about it!!!
Be ready for heads to roll again this year and next and next.....

 

[Anonymous]

Folks...this is why they have combined the 2 sales forces and reps will now carry every vaccine. Mother Merck looked at the model and finally realized that after a certain point in time sales in the PC market will stop growing. Listen, if Dr Douche-bag hasn't carried Pneumo23 in his office after 20+ years chances are there isn't a rep alive who can get him to change his mind. Unless of course you bring in a bigger douche-bag such as your SBD Tom Lyons.....wait, wrong thread.

You launch a vaccine and of course sales grow. After time they plateau, especially in vaccines (no, there wasn't much of a spike with Gardasil and the male indication...by the way there won't be with expanded age indication either). You don't see another robust spike until there are school mandates or 2d dose recommendations such Varivax. This of course is in Ped/FAP offices.

 

[Anonymous]

All of you stated the truth. Pediatric vaccines bring in a steady stream of revenue for Merck. That is always our strength. May be a hassle to the PCP but it is another office call, patient retention, loss leader or whatever you want to call it. Then we apply the pill model to all those adult vaccines to expand the market, create the needs, etc. I have seen only one PCP that got excited about all these and his worry was how to get them and get reimbursed without losing money.