Is Fanapt a bust?

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It is an atypical antipsychotic that we will launch in January. It has kind of a shady past and will be about the 7/8 drug inthe class to market. If we don't get it on state medicad, we are sunk!
 


















Read the PI. There were only two trials one of which concedes that Fanapt was no better than placebo. In the other, the claim to fame is that Fanpat was AS efficacious as the control drug. But better than placebo! Hooray.

Couple that with the narrow indication and its going to be like moving mountains to sell this.

So all of you whiny pussies (mostly in Tennessee) complaining that those who got pulled out of CV got lucky just shut the hell up. Those of you with five in a pod will indeed see some "displacement". Likely just like last time based on tenure---which is how it ought to be in almost every case that I know of. So you will lose your jobs this spring and these psych reps may get to draw a check until next Christmas. Its only going to be a few months difference.
 






Anonymous said:
Read the PI. There were only two trials one of which concedes that Fanapt was no better than placebo. In the other, the claim to fame is that Fanpat was AS efficacious as the control drug. But better than placebo! Hooray.

Couple that with the narrow indication and its going to be like moving mountains to sell this.

So all of you whiny pussies (mostly in Tennessee) complaining that those who got pulled out of CV got lucky just shut the hell up. Those of you with five in a pod will indeed see some "displacement". Likely just like last time based on tenure---which is how it ought to be in almost every case that I know of. So you will lose your jobs this spring and these psych reps may get to draw a check until next Christmas. Its only going to be a few months difference.
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Thanks for being honest. Are you sure there are going to be cuts next Spring. I thought it would be October 2010
 












Anonymous said:
Read the PI. There were only two trials one of which concedes that Fanapt was no better than placebo. In the other, the claim to fame is that Fanpat was AS efficacious as the control drug. But better than placebo! Hooray.

Couple that with the narrow indication and its going to be like moving mountains to sell this.

So all of you whiny pussies (mostly in Tennessee) complaining that those who got pulled out of CV got lucky just shut the hell up. Those of you with five in a pod will indeed see some "displacement". Likely just like last time based on tenure---which is how it ought to be in almost every case that I know of. So you will lose your jobs this spring and these psych reps may get to draw a check until next Christmas. Its only going to be a few months difference.
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You are either a complete asshole or you do not know how to read a clinical trial. My guess is, BOTH!
 






Seems like everyone is really leaning the information on the modules based on the last webinar - the short titration schedule to help with quick alleviation of psychotic symptoms, low incidence of weight gain to stop adverse metabolic syndromes and efficacy that separated from the active drug, risperdal (which is cheap and generic). It will be sooo easy selling this drug. Did I mention Medicaid status on all state formularies in the US?
 






Anonymous said:
Seems like everyone is really leaning the information on the modules based on the last webinar - the short titration schedule to help with quick alleviation of psychotic symptoms, low incidence of weight gain to stop adverse metabolic syndromes and efficacy that separated from the active drug, risperdal (which is cheap and generic). It will be sooo easy selling this drug. Did I mention Medicaid status on all state formularies in the US?
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Better not promote outside the PI. After what happened to Pfizer, I can't wait to see what happens here.
 






How can you be so sure we will have coverage on all states' Medicaid plans. The patients who typically need these drugs can't hold a job and live off the state. If Fanapt does not get on your state's Medicaid, you are sooooooooo screwed!
 






Ok, you folks are slow - no one caught the sarcasm - yes, there is no guarantee that you will be on state medicaid, and yes you are sooo screwed if you are not on medicaid. Also, the titration schedule is very long, the efficacy did NOT surpass the active component, risperdal, and there seems to be some weight gain not to mention orthostatic hypertension. To top if off, the territories are too small in some areas with no access. So there will be a lay off in December of 2010. BMS, AstraZeneca, Janssen and Lilly have the highest shares in this market place and they are laying off reps in this division. It would not be surprising if we had a lay off in 2010 unless we have something else to sell - an antidpressant, Exelon Patch? Go back and read those modules - you are going to have to know the information to sell this drug - it will not be easy! Seems like home office wants to give us half the information you will need to sell the product effectively.
 






Finally... I caught the sarcasm just didn't post it.
Some people are just not ready to admit this drug will be a dog
My friend sells Abilify which is the market leader and to compete with a drug that has 8 indications and great coverage will be very tough.
 






Finally someone with some sense.
Reps+modules=danger.
Take a look at the competitor environment. The atypicals have been out for years. Many are going generic and have better, and more tested efficacy, and a hell of a lot more indications. The chance of this drug getting on formularies - zero. Abilify has the safety, proof, and indications. Seroquel has enough of the safety, better efficacy, and cheap, cheap, cheap. Peak your heads outside of the modules to look at these patients and the psychs. 7th, 8th to market with a weaker product and generics is a no-winner. And in case anyone doesn't notice, acute schizophrenics don't go walking into their doctor's offices requesting Fanapt.
 






While this product may not have superior efficacy relative to other atypicals, that may not have much effect on its potential success in this market. Given the variability of response to atypicals (and psychotropics in general) among patients, there is always room for another option in the treatment armamentarium assuming the product is no worse than currently available options. Fanapt may be a viable option since it has similar efficacy to risperidone and a SE profile that is not significantly better or worse than most atypicals. There are certainly some challenges related to administration, but they aren't insurmountable--orthostasis is less of a concern within a younger population and there aren't many geriatric schizophrenia patients; BID is also a challenge but Geodon and they managed to get past that plus an extended release version can always be developed.

The bottom line is that this product isn't without its challenges, but it shouldn't be discounted before it is launched. The leading indicator of its success won't be on its package insert but rather it will be measured by the quality of the brand management team. Let us wish them luck.
 






Efficacy- please, you'll have countless dinner programs and 20 speakers per territory. Your drug will get written regardless of formulary coverage. Not all patients will get on drug, but that is not the docs concern. Psychs are the biggest whore docs ever!
 












Anonymous said:
Ok, you folks are slow - no one caught the sarcasm - yes, there is no guarantee that you will be on state medicaid, and yes you are sooo screwed if you are not on medicaid. Also, the titration schedule is very long, the efficacy did NOT surpass the active component, risperdal, and there seems to be some weight gain not to mention orthostatic hypertension. To top if off, the territories are too small in some areas with no access. So there will be a lay off in December of 2010. BMS, AstraZeneca, Janssen and Lilly have the highest shares in this market place and they are laying off reps in this division. It would not be surprising if we had a lay off in 2010 unless we have something else to sell - an antidpressant, Exelon Patch? Go back and read those modules - you are going to have to know the information to sell this drug - it will not be easy! Seems like home office wants to give us half the information you will need to sell the product effectively.
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Now this is an accurate post! Finally someone who gets it!
 






Not for the Vanda Execs that bilked Novartis for $200 MILLION
can u say Starlix the sequel ?

Vanda officials earn sizable bonusesDecember 23, 2009 2:59 PM ET advertisement


Executives at Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VNDA) earned their bank accounts some healthy bonuses for an action-packed year in which they won federal approval for the company’s first drug and signed a potentially $465 million deal with a partner to start selling it on the market.

As a result of meeting those milestones, the Rockville biotech’s board awarded Vanda CEO Mihael Polymeropoulos a cash bonus of $530,400 for 2009. Chip Clark, Vanda’s chief business officer, received $187,200, while acting Chief Medical Officer John Feeney received $162,000 and acting Chief Financial Officer Stephanie Irish received $120,000.

Due to the recession and budget cutbacks this time last year — which included layoffs of both executives and employees — Vanda’s management team didn’t earn any bonuses in 2008. But the company’s fortunes turned around in May this year, when the Food and Drug Administration unexpectedly approved Vanda’s schizophrenia drug, Fanapt, after having rejected it months earlier. After months of negotiation, Vanda made official the new licensing deal with Novartis AG earlier this month for the larger pharmaceutical to sell Fanapt in the U.S. and Canada, a deal that earned the local company $200 million in upfront cash.
 






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