Pharma Industry News Update: 25 August 2017
Pharma Puts Out Help Wanted Signs for Chief Digital Officers
Techies from Retail Firms Preferred!
[From www.reuters.com] Novartis has appointed a senior retail expert to the new post of chief digital officer, following a similar move by GlaxoSmithKline last month, underscoring how drugmakers are grappling with the impact of new technology.
Pharmaceutical companies face a range of challenges from the digital world as mobile apps offer patients new ways to monitor their health and online communications with prescribers and consumers become routine.
Bertrand Bodson, currently chief digital and marketing officer for Sainsbury’s Argos chain, will start in his new role on Jan. 1, 2018, and report directly to CEO Joe Jimenez, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday.
Former Wal-Mart Stores executive Karenann Terrell was appointed to the similar position of chief digital and technology officer at Britain’s GSK in July.
Further Reading:
- How to Succeed as Chief Digital Officer in Pharma
- Looking for a Job in Digital Marketing and Communications at GSK? Fluency in Mandarin Would Seal the Deal!
To Combat Non-Adherence, an Army of Smart Pill Bottles is Unleashed!
Are The Troops “Smart” Enough to Win?
[From www.npr.org] A number of companies are now selling wireless “smart” pill bottles, Internet-linked devices aimed at reminding people to take their pills. More than a dozen companies have developed Internet-connected bottles and caps that can send email and text message reminders to take pills, or even alert a caregiver if, say, an elderly parent forgets to take medication. Some such bottles are for sale online – others are being handed out by pharmacists.
A large-scale evaluation of smart-bottle technology, published online in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine last month, showed results that were far less encouraging.
Further Reading:
Novartis First to Use ResearchKit App in Multiple Sclerosis Study
Evaluation of Evidence from Smart Phone Sensors and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Participants with MS
[From www.pmlive.com] Novartis has launched the first large-scale research study in multiple sclerosis using Apple’s ResearchKit software.
Participants will be able to contribute directly from their smartphones, via sensors that will collect movement and symptom data, removing the need for clinic visits.
Novartis’ Evaluation of Evidence from Smart Phone Sensors and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Participants with Multiple Sclerosis, or elevateMS, study aims to improve understanding of patients’ daily challenges.
Further Reading:
