Medical Marketing and Media - Letter to the editor
Another view: how BW beat Roche
May I add a bit of background to an article in the October 2001 issue of MM&M?
I have received and enjoyed MM&M since it was first published. In 1952, I joined the Upjohn sales force and in 1996 1 retired from Roche. I had a delightful career during 40 of the most interesting years in the pharma industry.
This note concerns a comment by William Castagnoli in his article: “Where are they now?” In his summary about the career of BW’s Clifford A. Parrish, there is this claim: “… such successes as the head– to-head introduction and competition of the identical drugs Septra from BW and Roche’s Bactrim, where the smaller BW was able to outperform the formidable Roche marketing machine.” Not to detract one bit from Mr. Parrish’s advertising talents but the truth is that BW was able to outperform Roche in the Septra/Bactrim launch because the Roche Marketing Board assisted them.
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The year of the Septra/Bactrim launch Roche CEO, Irwin Lerner, announced: “Roche has discontinued the sampling of its drugs to U.S. physicians. We hope to set a standard that others in our industry will follow.” As we now know, the industry did not follow Roche’s example. When the BW and Roche reps made their Septra/Bactrim calls, U.S. physicians said: “Great products. Leave your samples and we will remember to use it.” BW loaded in the Septra samples. Roche reps wrung their hands and begged for Bactrim business. My BW competitor at Yale Medical Center, Bill Nawrocki, chuckled: “Is Roche crazy!” Within six months, Roche was back to heavy sampling of Bactrim and all its promoted products. But Septra had this market. Cliff Parrish and the Roche Marketing Board should share the credit for the success of Septra. I think, too, that the Septra/Bacrim launch ended any thought in the minds of pharma marketing executives that drug samples could be discontinued.
Harold F. Mullen
Copyright CPS Communications Dec 2001
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