Relating to the current spate of media-weirdness, I see at least 4 approaches for Vivus. 1) Do nothing 2)launch an ad campaign without sufficient product 3) increase developmental activities regarding media relations, 4) active damage control, now.
Here's a post I wrote in August regarding an article on ED is Esquire.
The history of Vivus under-representation in the press marches on.
ESQUIRE ARTICLE POST
<< ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH TO HANDLE A FOUR HOUR ERECTION? asks David Friedman in the September, 1997 issue of Esquire. Basically, its the story of a writer willing to endure the Pharmica & Upjohn penis injection system in order to write a "guy" story for the Esquire demo.
The article:
1) Indicates the 1994 Massachusetts Male Aging Study estimates that 52% of American men between the ages of 40 an 70- about 20 million guys- have minimal, moderate or complete impotence.
2) "Like teeth," Friedman muses, "penises weren't designed to work for 80 years, but worry not, hard-ons are for sale now." The Pharmica injection,last year, its first full year in business, was prescribed for more than 183,000 patients worth roughly 25 million to the parent company.
Vivus was given a small mention in the article and the product name Muse was never used. However, Friedman reported that the Vivus product was prescribed more than 360,000 times in the first six months the product was on the market.
3) "But the drugs getting the biggest buzz now are two erection pills that are locked in a race to get to market first....by late 1998 or early 1999" (Viagra and Zonagen).
As intended, the article was an interesting read. Sadly, the vast majority of readers will never have a clue that Muse is the reigning King of the ED industry unless they notice the math: Pharmica, 180,000
scripts in 12 months. Vivus, 360,000 scripts in 6 months. Number of erection pills sold in the United States by Viagra or Zonagen this year: zero. I wonder if Mr. Friedman noticed the math. He did notice that the injection caused his schlong to bleed when he withdrew the needle on at least one occasion. Now that's manly.>> |
