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CEO's Letter - Marketing |
THE ACTELION ANNUAL REPORT 2004 |
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| Marketing exemplifies entrepreneurial spirit |
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The decision to establish our own global marketing and sales organization went against conventional wisdom, but the courage to be different and entrepreneurial spirit have been the hallmarks of our young company.
Today, we can already reap the rewards of our pioneering work. Tracleer® (bosentan), our innovative dual endothelin receptor antagonist for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, is now sold in 18 countries. We have representatives in every major market, including Japan, where we expect to launch Tracleer® in spring 2005. In addition, we are pursuing the market introduction of this breakthrough drug in the 10 new European Union member states as well as in Southeast Asia, where we have concluded a distribution agreement with PharmaLink, the marketing division of Zuellig Pharma Ltd. This international presence has allowed us to conduct a broad educational campaign on pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is still frequently misdiagnosed, and to reinforce our global branding.
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Actelion’s educational efforts in the PAH market are supported by the expert recommendations as published recently in the Proceedings of the Third World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2004; 43: 1S-90S) and follow the guidelines of the American College of Cardiology on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ( CHEST2004; 126: 7S-92S). As a result of our expanded educational activities, we have not only firmly established Tracleer® as the cornerstone therapy in PAH among specialists, but also raised awareness about the need to diagnose and treat the disease early among a growing number of non-PAH expert physicians. |
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Tracleer® has helped thousands of patients and created a new market. We realize, however, that we will not be able to keep this market to ourselves indefinitely. Indeed, new clinical studies currently on the drawing board might one day establish that combination therapy with Tracleer® as the cornerstone medication is the preferred option to treat the debilitating disease PAH. In addition, we are leveraging our long-term safety and efficacy data (V. McLaughlin et al.,”Survival with first-line bosentan in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension.” European Respiratory Journal, Volume 25, Issue 2, page 244-49. 2005) to move into new indications for Tracleer® beyond PAH.
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After initial launch in April 2003, Zavesca® (miglustat) is now available in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In March 2004, Zavesca® was approved in Canada, with commercial launch expected as soon as reimbursement discussions are concluded.
In the approved indication for Zavesca®, Type 1 Gaucher’s disease, we face the challenge of an ensconced competitor. We are nevertheless confident that our drug’s efficacy and superior patient convenience as an oral formulation (the competing product requires twice-monthly infusions in the hospital), will enable us to capture a large share of this market as we expand into new indications in parallel. We may be only beginning to exploit the full potential of this novel therapy in lipid-storage disorders. |
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To maximize the impact of both products in their current indications, we have added 50 territory managers to the 150 already in the field, with a particular emphasis on strengthening our presence in the United States. A newly established unit, combining Strategic and Medical Marketing, will ensure the right balance between centralized coordination and decentralized activities in support of our Global Brand Teams.
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