It’s time for my monthly look at noteworthy news stories from the Drug Channels universe. In this issue:- Money: A scathing editorial on why McKesson's CEO's is "insanely overpaid"
- One of These Days: Pfizer goes from first to fourth by 2016, while Sanofi rises
- Comfortably Numb: Fortune profiles Purdue Pharma and OxyContin
- Wish You Buy Here: Consumers Reports finally admits the danger of importation from Canada
P.S. From the list above, you probably guessed that I went to an Aussie Pink Floyd concert last week. (Yes, really. And I’m only mildly embarrassed to tell you about it!)
Why America's Highest Paid CEOs Are Insanely Overpaid
This article from Forbes (!) takes aim at John Hammergren, Chairman and CEO of McKesson (NYSE:MCK). According to the author, Mr. Hammergren is the “one to triumph in this year’s tournament for the most rapacious pillage of shareholder property.” Depending on how you feel about wholesalers, you will find this article to be hilarious, infuriating, and/or just plain mean.
Pfizer to lose crown to Sanofi as world’s biggest drug maker
Evaluate Pharma has looked into their crystal ball and projected the top 15 pharmaceutical manufacturers in 2016. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) will drop from #1 to #4 due primarily to Lipitor’s impending loss of marketing exclusivity. Sanofi’s acquisition spree, culminating in the Genzyme deal, will keep the company growing. Fun fact: Pembroke Consulting has worked with 10 of the top 15 companies on this list.
OxyContin: Purdue Pharma's painful medicine
Pharma industry muckraker Katherine Eban is back with a look at the unfortunate U.S. opiod abuse epidemic. She naturally blames Purdue Pharma for opiod addiction, rather than assigning any responsibility to doctors or patients. The article is a worthwhile summary of the past and future of the painkiller business, as long as you can stomach Ms. Eban's negative spin on even the most benign activities.
Save money by ordering drugs from Canada? Not so fast
File this under “only Nixon could go to China” (or perhaps “only Kirk could go to Qo'noS”). Perpetual pharma industry critics and long-time importation fans Consumers Reports finally get a clue and acknowledge reality: “Only a fraction of online pharmacies are legitimate. Our medical consultants say that given such risks, ordering from foreign websites should be avoided altogether.” Gee, you don’t say? FYI, I summarized the problems with importation last February in Importation is back? Really?!?
11/11/11 is Nigel Tufnel Day
Tomorrow is November 11, 2011. Please take a moment to think about our brave veterans. Then, turn it up to 11 in celebration of Spinal Tap's legendary guitarist Nigel Tufnel. Longtime Drug Channels readers will of course remember Spinal Tap's important role in the California e-pedigree debate a few years ago.
Enjoy Spinal Tap's 2007 performance at Live Earth with every bass player in the known universe. Click here if you can't see the video.
How could I leave this behind?
Wow, can't beleive I almost forgot about the big day tomorrow. TAP RULES!!!
ReplyDeleteTap's music will always endure because they recorded everything in Doubly.
ReplyDelete