Disaboom.com launched on Oct. 1 and plans to bring in more than a million unique visitors by the end of February. "I don't think mainstream advertisers realize the magnitude of the marketplace and how underserved it was," said Howard Lieber, vice president for sales at Disaboom.

Among advertisers who have signed contracts with Disaboom thus far are Johnson & Johnson, Ford and Netflix.

Full Article from NYTimes.com

A recent study performed by Medical Broadcasting Co. and CBI Research shows that the majority of pharma websites serve as little more than information centers. But by omitting standard interactive features, such as online video and rss feeds, pharma marketers are missing out on an opportunity to build stronger relationships with their consumers.

Full Article from eMarketer.com

A recent survey conducted by Prospectiv found that for the overwhelming majority of consumers (75%) the Internet is the first-choice resource for drug treatment information. Broadcast Media (15%) and magazines (10%) came in a distant 2nd and 3rd place.

Online consumes turned primarily to general health information sites (54%) and specific ailment-focused sites (37%) for their ailment and drug treatment information.

Full Article from BusinessWire

Bayer Healthcare has launched an online game (Aleviator.com), promoting Aleve to its younger customer segment. The site brings visitors on a web-wide hunt to solve a mystery. For users who complete the game, Bayer also gives a donation to a non-profit environmental group.

According to results of the 10th annual national survey on Consumer Reaction to DTC Advertising of Prescription Medicines, the most common action consumers take after seeing a DTC ad is to seek more information. Empowered by the web as an on demand resource, they may seek information repeatedly during the treatment/decision before, during and after a prescription is filled.

Full Article from PharmaLive

A recent study from Manhattan Research demonstrates the impact of condition education TV advertisements on online health information-seeking behavior. In some cases up to 1/3 of consumers researching a specific condition online were influenced to do so by a TV ad that they viewed.

The study identifies the top conditions researched online because of TV Ads as follows:

1-Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
2-Smoking/Trying to Quit Smoking
3-Erectile Dysfunction
4-Acne
5-Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

ePharma Consumer(R) v6.0, Manhattan Research, LLC

Full Article from PharmaLive

Manhattan Research's just released ePharma Consumer v6.0 study found that Cialis.com drives the highest percentage of its site visitors to the doctor's office for a script request. In terms of pure volume of script requests, Ambien CR's site came out on top. The study includes 100 pharma product sites and is based on data gathered from consumer surveys.

Full Article from Medical Marketing & Media

The latest effort to harness web-based social networking for patients has launched on OxygeNation.com. The offering is meant to be an online community for patients who require therapeutic oxygen and their families, in which they can share stories and information with one another, form discussion groups, and give/receive emotional support with others affected by lung disease.

Full Article from Sys-Con Media

King Pharmaceuticals will launch a multi-year sponsorship of the AHA's high blood pressure website with a commercial during Super Bowl XLI. The campaign aims to increase public awareness of the condition and its risk factors, with the aim of driving users to an online risk assessment test on BeatYourRisk.com (to be launched early February).

Full Article from PharmaLive

A company called WiSpots installed its first station, allowing patients to access the Internet wirelessly on touchpad computers as they waited for their physician appointments. When the computers are not being used, the company makes use of the downtime to display paid ads within the screensavers. The major hurdle for the company is that they need to convince doctors to pay for the service. For interactive marketers however, the concept presents an ideal channel directly into the waiting room.

Full Article from NewObserver.com

Finally, a study showing the universal impact of pharmaceutical online advertising on web traffic. A new comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions study indicates that 31% of visitors first become aware of the site or product through an online marketing program - a highly important statistic for promoters of web marketing. In total, 33 million Internet users visited a prescription medication site in Q3 2006, an increase of 13% over Q3 2005.

Article from Yahoo! Finance

As part of a revamp of marketing strategies, Merck has announced cut backs on TV advertising in favor of more targeted venues such as online. The company will be testing pilot programs with new drugs such as Januvia, for diabetes, and Gardasil, a cervical cancer vaccine. While TV will always have a key place in the media mix, moves like this from Fortune 100 advertisers show that marketers are more than ever starting to recognize the importance of shifting ad dollars to more closely match the way their audiences are consuming media.

Article from BizReport.com

Cancer survivors now have a unique opportunity to thank their cancer coach -- a family member, caretaker or friend who played a crucial role in helping them through the battle.

Full Article from Yahoo! Finance

Ten million American adults search online for health info every day, a new Pew Internet report finds. About 1 in 3 health searchers have sought prescription or OTC drug info online. Two thirds of health seekers start their session on a search engine, and 53% say that their most recent health search impacted offline care decisions. Most searches are satisifed with what they found online, but a significant percentage felt frustrated or confused.

Full Report from Pew Internet (Online Health Search 2006)

Breast cancer, followed by Skin and Colo/Rectal are the most common forms of cancer researched online, says a new study from comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions. Most are seeking treatment options, symptoms/diagnosis and causes of cancer. Significantly, 54% say they are extremely likely or very likely to ask their doctor about a specific drug as a result of reading cancer-related information online.

Full Article from Yahoo! Finance

The results of a Harris Interactive poll conducted in July indicate that 80% of all adult online users, or 136 million "cyberchondriacs", have searched for health information online. About half - 52% - have discussed the information with their doctor at least once. However, while online health seeking continues to rise, users are less apt to find the information trustworthy.

Full Article from Harris Interactive

Based on information from the Wall St Journal ("The Marketing Maze" - subscription required), this article estimates the 2005 marketing mix allocation for pharma versus total all consumer marketing, including TV, Newspaper, Internet and Outdoor spending.

Full Article from Pharma Marketing Blog

A report released by Consumers International (CI) accuses 20 drug companies across Europe of endangering public health by engaging in questionable marketing practices. Particular criticism is levied at the use of condition education sites and online chat groups for implicitly promoting specific products.

Full Article from NewsTarget.com

New sites that allow consumers to easily search on prescription drugs and compare prices across pharmacies could indicate a rising trend in how patients shop for and request specific brands. In some cases, the sites highlight generic drugs over brand name rivals at significant savings.

Full Article from BusinessWeek

A study released from Yahoo! finds that 61% of searchers have visited or plan to visit their doctor after searching for health information online. Once at the doctor's office, 71% of health searchers have pointed conversations with their physician about medications and brands. The study also covers ad responsiveness, finding that 20% of consumers conducted health searches as a result of an ad that they saw.

Full Article from Search Engine Journal

A new study conducted by MRxHEALTH with Medical Marketing & Media (MM&M) magazine cites the Internet as the most widely used source for health information, and the biggest driver for brand name drug requests. However the perceived trustworthiness of online information scored only a 3.67 on a scale of 1 to 5.

Full Article from PRNewswire

Some of the bigger pharma players are spending anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of their marketing budget online now, and they could be doubling that in the next 18 months, media executives say.

Full Article from MediaPost (free subscription required)

77% of pharma executives surveyed by MBC/DTC Perspectives say their DTC communications will focus on disease education going forward. Additional trends point towards greater emphasis on targeted vehicles such as email, search, and direct mail, as well as growth in emerging technologies such as video on demand, mobile marketing, and podcasting.

Full Article from Yahoo! Finance

Nielsen BuzzMetrics tracked pre- and post-approval buzz of four new drugs, finding that those that generated even small amounts of buzz prior to approval enjoyed a comparatively large and sustained increase in discussion among relevant populations.

Full Article from Marketwire

People are now spending about 18% of their time neither at home or work. Pharma marketers are starting to evolve their media mix to encompass non-traditional channels that address portability, such as ipods, cell phones and satellite radio.

Full Article from eyeforpharma.com

A new study shows promising results for health initiatives incorporating text messaging to users' phones. The study looked at text initiatives for disseminating public health info, treatment regimen alerts, and appointment reminders.

Full Article from Global Technology Forum

An enterprising doctor is working with game developers to create an interface that reaches young people with diabetes via phones and video games.

Full Article from Seattle Times

In January, PhRMA issued 15 guiding principles for DTC pharma marketers. While not specifically designed for the online advertising, the principles have applications for Internet messaging and targeting as well. Some highlights below.

Pharma companies are encouraged to:
- Provide an educational focus in DTC communications
- Promote general health and disease awareness
- Provide other available options such as diet/lifestyle changes
- Give access to help for the uninsured and under-insured
- Avoid targeting audiences that are not age appropriate
- For launches, spend an appropriate amount of time educating doctors FIRST

In related research, Epocrates surveyed doctors to find out to what extent they supported the guideline for educating professionals first for new drugs, prior to a DTC launch. Epocrates found that 80% of surveyed physicians were either strongly supportive or somewhat supportive. When asked what an "appropriate amount of time" needed for educating physicians first was, the mean answer was 9 months.

Full Article from PhRMA.org

One way to help patients get to the doctor for diagnoses and treatment is to help them locate a physician that they are comfortable with. Some health sites are now providing users with a doctor search using very specific criteria, such as race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Full Article from iHealthBeat

Manhattan Research reports that 99 million adults used the Internet to find health information in 2005; 31.6 million of them now consider the web their primary resource for researching health issues, an increase of 50% over 2004.

Looking forward to 2006 and the years ahead, the group has identified a segment of health consumers termed "on demand" - a segment more likely to use a wide variety of interactive applications, such as online videos, podcasting, and blogs.

Full Article from eyeforpharma.com

After seeing or hearing direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug ads, more consumers report that they go online for information than dial the 800 number. According to Manhattan Research, more than 22 million consumers now go online to learn more about the pharmaceutical products advertised.

Full Article from Manhattan Research

Direct-To-Consumer Advertising in America is to adpot a set of guiding principles in January of 2006. Priciples are said to improve "...the inherent educational value of advertisements." (Billy Tauzin, PhRMA President and CEO)

Full Article from Phrma.org

"Virtual Cafeteria" interactive website educates children and their parents on healthy eating habits at school.

Full Article from iHealthBeat

E-detailing technologies for physicians are reviewed in interview with Manhattan Research.

Full Article from Skyscape

Consumers are increasingly using the Internet to heighten their disease education and awareness levels, and also to faciliate better discussions with their doctors.

Full Article from Harris Interactive

Should pharmaceutical companies focus more on building brands or building relationships to get the highest ROI?

Full Article from Pharma Marketing

Although Bristol-Myers Squibb has established a code to hold off on DTC marketing during the first year after a new drug launch, this is meant for mainly TV, print, and radio, and is not directly related to the Internet. The unspent ad budget will most likely be put to use online, especially concerning disease awareness.

Full Article from ClickZ

A new study shows even more opportunity for pharma companies to reach consumers through investing online.

Full Article from eMarketer

A recent Pew Internet report finds that 80% of internet users have gone online for health information. The report also sites certain groups such as women, college grads, and people with broadband access, as more likely to look for health information.

Full Article from Pew/Internet

A recent survey finds that most Americans want access to a secure online version of their personal health record.

Full Article From e-Health Insider

A recent study by Manhattan Research finds that physicians' reliance on technology is increasing. A growing number of doctors are becoming more comfortable with electronic and interactive versions of traditional things such as eDetailing and electronic medical records.

Full Article from Manhattan Research (login required)

comScore reports that sales of prescription drugs online have grown 15% over 2004. "Non-traditional" pharmacy sites account for most visits to online drugstores, driven by price-conscious consumers who have not been dissuaded by safety concerns.

Full Press Release from comScore

A recent Manhattan Research report encourages pharmaceutical advertisers to allocate more of their budgets to online spending.

Full Press Release from Manhattan Research

A JupiterResearch studies finds that 20% of online consumers are exposed to health content and health information through other consumers. "Consumer-created health content" (or CCHC) is generated through discussions in chat rooms, e-mails, IMs and other online communities and channels. More than just looking for peer support, these consumers look to others for coping, treatment, and even diagnosis.

Full Article from ClickZ

DTC ad awareness online quadrupled in 2004. One-third of patients that contacted their physicians after seeing a DTC ad visited the Internet before doing so.

Full Article from MediaPost

Pharma companies are shifting their online strategies to loyalty and retention for 2005, and will be increasing their budgets for certain tactics to do so.

Full Article from ClickZ

Pharma companies are considering shifting their emphasis from marketing to patients- to educating patients, and utilizing the Internet as the way to do so.

Full Article from Manhattan Research

Effectiveness of DTC marketing is increasingly susceptible to a decline, especially now that more and more consumers are beginning to lose faith in the FDA's ability to ensure safety after Vioxx.
Full Article

Do the sensitivity issues of consumers outweigh the benefits that behavioral marketing provides for pharmaceutical companies?

Full Article

A Manhattan Research study has defined a new type of online health consumer, the "eHealth Innovator". eHealth Innovators have gone far beyond basic informational health searches and frequently use the Web to conduct health related transactions. While this segment represents a small percentage of the market (10%) they account for 50% of the market value.

Article

With the total adult US Hispanic population nearing 25 million, 10 million Hispanics now use the Internet for health information. Some of the top conditions researched by Hispanics obesity, allergies, cancer, and diabetes. Getting pharma companies to use culturally related messaging and Spanish-language content is the best way to target this segment.

Full Article

While millions of Americans use the Internet to research drug information, only a fraction of them have actually purchased prescription drugs online. Email spam pushing prescription drugs and other health products could be influencing a perception that buying drugs online is not as safe as buying them at your local pharmacy.

Full Report from Pew Internet

A recent study done by DoubleClick and Beyond Interactive shows the cost-saving benefits of advertising on the internet, specifically for Pharmaceutical marketing purposes.

Full Article

Critics are unsure if DTC pharmaceutical advertising is helping to actually generate the need for drugs instead of helping to cure the diseases. (article includes comments from the CEO of Consumer Health Services)

Full Article

This editorial by Stan Bernard, MD, MBA -- President of Bernard Associates and Senior Fellow at The Wharton School of Business -- discusses how modern marketers are managing multiple opportunities and challenges. Fifteen years ago, pharma marketers typically faced one mega-group of consumers, one mega-group of physicians, one mega-competitor and one mega-price. Today, pharma marketers must deal with multiple markets, media channels, stakeholders, prices, regulations, products, and consumer/physician segments. In terms of media channels, the Internet has increased the complexity and prospects for modern marketers. Read the editorial here.

The annual Harris Interactive health survey found that the number of people seeking health information online has remained fairly constant over the past year. As of February 2004, an estimated 111 million adults, or 51% of all adults, have looked for health information on the Internet. This is a slight increase from 109 million in the previous year.

Manhattan Research recently identified five critical trends driving the future of the ehealth market in 2004:

1. Market of ehealth consumers diversifies -- organizations will need to properly analy