What's going on between ESON and Cordis/Johnson&Johnson?
From Endosonics earnings announcement: "Our one disappointment during the second half of 1997 was the performance of our primary distribution partner, and we are moving aggressively to improve our total distribution system.''
Though not mentioned by name, they can only mean JNJ/Cordis. It interestingly bears out the comment made by Ntervene4 in this post:
Message 3428526
Let's examine two things:
1st) Now if it's one thing JNJ knows how to do, it's how to market a product. Their brands are among the most famous/well known brands around (Tylenol, etc.), both to the general public and within the medical profession.
2) Sales Reps for Cordis/JNJ in their stent area have got to be hurting. With Palmaz-Schatz stent market share falling from 80% of a $800 million market all of two months ago to below 20%, commissions & personal income have to be taking a serious hit. Again, I refer to Ntervene4's post for reference. One would think that with a potential hit product like the Endosonics Oracle IVUS system that they would turn to pushing that product to try to make up for some of the lost income from their falling stent sales, purely out of self-interest. This apparently is not the case.
So why is Cordis/Johnson & Johnson doing such a poor marketing job with IVUS? Anyone care to make an opinion?
Myself, being a shade on the cynical side, would not rule out the possibility of JNJ trying to keep a lid on ESON's sales, and thereby being able to pickup the company and their technology on the cheap at some later date. It wouldn't be the first time.
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