Are the numbers sucking for Entresto regardless of efforts? Or, are the goals too high, again?

[anonymous]

Be real we live in a time where access sucks. We have very little influence on doctors. If the drug is good it will sell if it sucks then very little you can do.

 

[anonymous]

Entresto didn't work because upper management tried to pull a fast one on the medical community and the Med Community didn't buy in. NVS Upper Mgt tried to make a market that didn't exist in the PCPs. It was all smoke and mirrors. Secondly, Middle Management (Regionals/ABLs) were so busy wrecking havoc on the sales force coaching experienced reps to death, needless conference calls and work withs. Bottom line there was no goal set to increase market share it was more like let's run around and look busy instead of putting trust in an experience sales force. Now, people will lose their jobs over these incompetent behaviors.

Great post, you hit the nail square on the head.

ABL's need to back off and let us do our job. Two day field rides are just plain counter productive. It is hard enough to get to see a doctor face to face on our own, let alone dragging along a clueless ABL who is only concerned about 'Positive Tension'. Another suggestion is that stead of over coaching, why don't the ABL's pick up a few key cardiology accounts and call on them? Lets see how they can do with getting back to selling and helping make a difference instead of following us around on needless lurking field rides.

I know upper management reads these posts - I suggest they follow this advice - Things certainly aren't working the way things are currently being done

 

[anonymous]

Great post, you hit the nail square on the head.

ABL's need to back off and let us do our job. Two day field rides are just plain counter productive. It is hard enough to get to see a doctor face to face on our own, let alone dragging along a clueless ABL who is only concerned about 'Positive Tension'. Another suggestion is that stead of over coaching, why don't the ABL's pick up a few key cardiology accounts and call on them? Lets see how they can do with getting back to selling and helping make a difference instead of following us around on needless lurking field rides.

I know upper management reads these posts - I suggest they follow this advice - Things certainly aren't working the way things are currently being done

Yes, why don't ABLs pick a couple "Key Account Card" to adopt? Great point! A long time ago Managers would adopt at least 1, 2 key people to call on but now a days these spoiled entitled brats think that the selling is only done by the reps. They just want to "Coach" and these Reps w/ the title "Manager in Training" are another joke...they just want to coach too and they can barely do their own job.

 

[anonymous]

Be real we live in a time where access sucks. We have very little influence on doctors. If the drug is good it will sell if it sucks then very little you can do.

True.

 

[anonymous]

Yes, why don't ABLs pick a couple "Key Account Card" to adopt? Great point! A long time ago Managers would adopt at least 1, 2 key people to call on but now a days these spoiled entitled brats think that the selling is only done by the reps. They just want to "Coach" and these Reps w/ the title "Manager in Training" are another joke...they just want to coach too and they can barely do their own job.

The ABL's job is outdated. What other industry has managers riding with their reps twice a month? Most of the Novartis and PDI reps have enough experience to run a territory with minimal interference. .Frankly, most ABL's add very little value on a field ride and wear out their welcome quickly. The fact that most of the CV-2 expansion ABL's have very little understanding of the marketplace just compounds the problem. This model needs to change or we will continue to spin our wheels ding th same stupid things for the sake of checking a box

 

[anonymous]

The ABL's job is outdated. What other industry has managers riding with their reps twice a month? Most of the Novartis and PDI reps have enough experience to run a territory with minimal interference. .Frankly, most ABL's add very little value on a field ride and wear out their welcome quickly. The fact that most of the CV-2 expansion ABL's have very little understanding of the marketplace just compounds the problem. This model needs to change or we will continue to spin our wheels ding th same stupid things for the sake of checking a box

I have never had a manager who does not bring some sort of value. My ABL adds absolutely nothing to calls, it’s embarrassing.

 

[anonymous]

Entresto didn't work because upper management tried to pull a fast one on the medical community and the Med Community didn't buy in. NVS Upper Mgt tried to make a market that didn't exist in the PCPs. It was all smoke and mirrors. Secondly, Middle Management (Regionals/ABLs) were so busy wrecking havoc on the sales force coaching experienced reps to death, needless conference calls and work withs. Bottom line there was no goal set to increase market share it was more like let's run around and look busy instead of putting trust in an experience sales force. Now, people will lose their jobs over these incompetent behaviors.

It is a shame. Added all these extra, unnecessary layers of people and spent money, like a drunken sailor, with little return on the investment and soon many will pay the price for poor decisions. If leadership had actually asked for input, from the field, last summer, I bet many would have said all this expansion was a bad idea.

 

[anonymous]

The ABL's job is outdated. What other industry has managers riding with their reps twice a month? Most of the Novartis and PDI reps have enough experience to run a territory with minimal interference. .Frankly, most ABL's add very little value on a field ride and wear out their welcome quickly. The fact that most of the CV-2 expansion ABL's have very little understanding of the marketplace just compounds the problem. This model needs to change or we will continue to spin our wheels ding th same stupid things for the sake of checking a box

NVS ABLs could make a very good assistant manager at a grocery store.

 

[anonymous]

Entresto didn't work because upper management tried to pull a fast one on the medical community and the Med Community didn't buy in. NVS Upper Mgt tried to make a market that didn't exist in the PCPs. It was all smoke and mirrors. Secondly, Middle Management (Regionals/ABLs) were so busy wrecking havoc on the sales force coaching experienced reps to death, needless conference calls and work withs. Bottom line there was no goal set to increase market share it was more like let's run around and look busy instead of putting trust in an experience sales force. Now, people will lose their jobs over these incompetent behaviors.

Exactly, and some call this Sales. HA!! Furthest from the truth. This sales was bungled from the beginning, world class sales organizations do not make these kinds of mistakes one after another.

 

[anonymous]

Exactly, and some call this Sales. HA!! Furthest from the truth. This sales was bungled from the beginning, world class sales organizations do not make these kinds of mistakes one after another.

One of these days Novartis will get a launch right!

 

[anonymous]

Entresto didn't work because upper management tried to pull a fast one on the medical community and the Med Community didn't buy in. NVS Upper Mgt tried to make a market that didn't exist in the PCPs. It was all smoke and mirrors. Secondly, Middle Management (Regionals/ABLs) were so busy wrecking havoc on the sales force coaching experienced reps to death, needless conference calls and work withs. Bottom line there was no goal set to increase market share it was more like let's run around and look busy instead of putting trust in an experience sales force. Now, people will lose their jobs over these incompetent behaviors.

Time is not cheap, but NVS still needed to buy it.

 

[anonymous]

It seems that the Novartis people who did market analysis for this product seriously misinterpreted the data. There isn't the volume of hfref that they thought. The data on Aces and Arbs that we have shows a volume of ALL heart failure, not just reduced EF. So when you take off half of Ace/Arb rx volume for patients with preserved EF, and then maybe take out another 20% for patients with low blood pressure, and maybe take off another 10% for patients who are prone to angioedema, etc etc, what are you left with? about 35-40% of volume of the ace and arb market on our reports. So a 30-40% market share for Entresto on our reports actually means close to 100% of the docs hfref business.

 

[anonymous]

I think that there is also an issue with data where ace/arb prescriptions are coded as heart failure by the physicians office and they shouldn’t be. Several md’s show HUGE potential for Entresto that probably doesn’t really exist.

 

[anonymous]

I think that there is also an issue with data where ace/arb prescriptions are coded as heart failure by the physicians office and they shouldn’t be. Several md’s show HUGE potential for Entresto that probably doesn’t really exist.

This is a big problem that NVS has put on the Reps. ACE/ARBS should have never been the bench mark for Entresto. ACE/ARBS are pennies and the gold standard for treating HEf. Entresto on the other hand is $4500 a month... in what world is an MD going to start a patient on Ent. vs an ACE/ARB... Never going to happen but the brilliant minds above have made this a Rep. issue and impossible to deal w/. ABLs are walking zombies the look at the numbers before every call and try to determine what the MD is writing... I fell like saying HEY dope! He writes, and like to start w/ ACE/ARB if he can't get control maybe we can be second line. Entresto will never, NEVER be first line ....especially at $4500 a month and 1 study data... This whole thing has been an exercise in INSANITY....Driven by a Zombie management team that has made every issue a Representative issue.

 

[anonymous]

This is a big problem that NVS has put on the Reps. ACE/ARBS should have never been the bench mark for Entresto. ACE/ARBS are pennies and the gold standard for treating HEf. Entresto on the other hand is $4500 a month... in what world is an MD going to start a patient on Ent. vs an ACE/ARB... Never going to happen but the brilliant minds above have made this a Rep. issue and impossible to deal w/. ABLs are walking zombies the look at the numbers before every call and try to determine what the MD is writing... I fell like saying HEY dope! He writes, and like to start w/ ACE/ARB if he can't get control maybe we can be second line. Entresto will never, NEVER be first line ....especially at $4500 a month and 1 study data... This whole thing has been an exercise in INSANITY....Driven by a Zombie management team that has made every issue a Representative issue.

$450.00 typo..major.

 

[anonymous]

This is a big problem that NVS has put on the Reps. ACE/ARBS should have never been the bench mark for Entresto. ACE/ARBS are pennies and the gold standard for treating HEf. Entresto on the other hand is $4500 a month... in what world is an MD going to start a patient on Ent. vs an ACE/ARB... Never going to happen but the brilliant minds above have made this a Rep. issue and impossible to deal w/. ABLs are walking zombies the look at the numbers before every call and try to determine what the MD is writing... I fell like saying HEY dope! He writes, and like to start w/ ACE/ARB if he can't get control maybe we can be second line. Entresto will never, NEVER be first line ....especially at $4500 a month and 1 study data... This whole thing has been an exercise in INSANITY....Driven by a Zombie management team that has made every issue a Representative issue.

So true.

 

[anonymous]

While sales of heart failure drug Entresto more than doubled to $128 million, they again missed market expectations amid a slowdown in July and August.

Jimenez acknowledged revenue must accelerate for Entresto to hit its 2017 target of around $500 million, though he still expects Entresto to eventually become a $5 billion-per-year medicine.

Only need a 74% increase in sales in 4th quarter!!!! Not even at 50% at target ending 3rd quarter!! Let the beatings and Positive tension continue.... RMs/ABLs why don't you just throw in the towel and act like adults and treat the reps w/ respect... Maybe you can get the sales in 4th quarter to 250 million at least? Still 50% off of plan....

dust off the resumes because there is NO WAY...this drug is going to support 3 field forces being 75% off of plan!!

5 Billion dollar drug....in what decade?

 

[anonymous]

Entrsto is at 322 million through three quarters:
84 m 1st quarter
110 m 2nd quarter
128 m 3rd quarter

So need 178 million, in the 4th quarter, to reach the goal. Probably a stretch but may be doable. Still think it doesn't warrant all the people they have added in the last year. Reorg probably coming soon. I think the PDI contract will end but they will hold on to most of the rest of the sales force in order to see what they can do. Still in the growth mode phase and if I recall, it took Diovan 4-5 years to reach blockbuster status. The company seems to forget it takes time to have a paradigm shift in the market, which is what Entresto is.

 

[anonymous]

Entrsto is at 322 million through three quarters:
84 m 1st quarter
110 m 2nd quarter
128 m 3rd quarter

So need 178 million, in the 4th quarter, to reach the goal. Probably a stretch but may be doable. Still think it doesn't warrant all the people they have added in the last year. Reorg probably coming soon. I think the PDI contract will end but they will hold on to most of the rest of the sales force in order to see what they can do. Still in the growth mode phase and if I recall, it took Diovan 4-5 years to reach blockbuster status. The company seems to forget it takes time to have a paradigm shift in the market, which is what Entresto is.

35% growth for 4th quarter from a demotivate humiliated sales force...No chance. Diovan didn't cost $450.00 per month and need a Cardiologist consult.

 

[anonymous]

completely demotivated. Hard to keep trying everyday when upper management blames us for their failures instead of admitting that they, not the competent sales force who are busting our collective asses, screwed up.