What's your favorite blunder at Novartis in the last 10 years?

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Instituting a mass market approach POD structure in Oncology.

This only continues to get worse and has resulted in alienation of our customer base.

How many reps does it take to sell Affinitor?
Or Zometa, Tasigna and Femara for that matter!
 






Hiring you idiot sales and marketing folks that have nothing better to do than post proprietary information, giving an advantage to our competitors. If you don't like your boss or the company quit. There are plenty of people willing to take your place.
 






On a more serious note, I would point to three things that I saw:

1. Failure to effectively negotiate w/FDA to get a label for Galvus. They were willing to allow B.I.D dosing but we pushed for QD and were rejected. The drug is selling millions in Europe. We expanded FF's in anticipation and have been dealing with fallout ever since. I think this was the biggest blunder.

2. Launching Elidel without an indication for under 2 years of age. Anybody that knows eczema knows that most usage is in the first 2 years. We were asking for trouble. Lawsuits are mounting on this. It never made sense to me.

3. Being caught off guard and losing the Lotrel patent. I was in a room when Alex Gorsky said "We now have a team devoted to patent protection that will report directly to me". NOW? We did not do a pay-for-delay, as in the case of Diovan. This was clearly a blunder.

All the personnel stuff happens in every company. Believe me, its no different anywhere else.
 






Anonymous said:
Hiring you idiot sales and marketing folks that have nothing better to do than post proprietary information, giving an advantage to our competitors. If you don't like your boss or the company quit. There are plenty of people willing to take your place.
Click to expand...

Looks like fear and intimidation doesn't result in loyalty. Have some kool-aid and just shut up!
 












Anonymous said:
On a more serious note, I would point to three things that I saw:

1. Failure to effectively negotiate w/FDA to get a label for Galvus. They were willing to allow B.I.D dosing but we pushed for QD and were rejected. The drug is selling millions in Europe. We expanded FF's in anticipation and have been dealing with fallout ever since. I think this was the biggest blunder.

2. Launching Elidel without an indication for under 2 years of age. Anybody that knows eczema knows that most usage is in the first 2 years. We were asking for trouble. Lawsuits are mounting on this. It never made sense to me.

3. Being caught off guard and losing the Lotrel patent. I was in a room when Alex Gorsky said "We now have a team devoted to patent protection that will report directly to me". NOW? We did not do a pay-for-delay, as in the case of Diovan. This was clearly a blunder.

All the personnel stuff happens in every company. Believe me, its no different anywhere else.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree on all of these and would include Zelnorm with this as well.
zelnorm helped so many people and drs loved it. Not sure what really happened but someone really messes up somewhere
 




































HB is the Allentown DM in CE's PA region in the NEOU. She could also go by the name of Stalin, Castro, Kim Il Sung etc. etc. The way and means she is getting rid of people, she is making Hitler blush.
 












Letting Lucienne Lastovic of San Diego leave neuroscience. She had the sweetest tits I had ever seen on a rep. Guess that is why I prescribed Ritalin LA for her as much as I did.
 






How about the Multicutural Physicians Sales Guide!! LMAO!!
That book was the greatest. What type of food should I bring to a physician based on their race/religion/ethnicity. Still laughing!!

And it was sent to the whole field force!!!
 






Anonymous said:
How about the Multicutural Physicians Sales Guide!! LMAO!!
That book was the greatest. What type of food should I bring to a physician based on their race/religion/ethnicity. Still laughing!!

And it was sent to the whole field force!!!
Click to expand...

OMG! UR right - it was a bigot's guide to "race relations". When I saw it at the time I was horrified- but now - LMAO!! thanks for the memories!!!
 






Sorry I threw this pamphlet out - it came about a year before the last predential election. It was a review/synopsis of the candidates. Oh, but Obama was not even in the hand out!
 






This is one of the greatest threads I've ever seen. Thanks for who started this, and thanks for those who listed many of the blunders here. I left the company a few years ago, and many of the product and diversity blunders bring back memories. They do make you scratch your head and wonder, don't they?
 






anyone remember the Starlix launch? STARLIX LIVE! I would guess they spent 5 million at least on that meeting. They hired the SNL cast to entertain us everyday. The Brian Selser Band and 1000's of rooms. How much money did that dog ever make? We weren't even really selling it after a couple yrs..

Adding N2 through N infinity to create mobs of reps selling the same product.
 






The attempt to expand right before the Galvus failure, Zelnorm pulled from the market and Lotrel going generic. That was the beginning of the end. Can I vote for um...um...um Lisa Pilla too?
 






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