Fox Interactive Media Ranks #1 in Page Views; Yahoo! Sites Attract the Most Unique Visitors

Fox Interactive Media Ranks #1 in Page Views; Yahoo! Sites Attract the Most Unique Visitors

 

comScore Media Metrix Releases November Top 50 Web Rankings and Analysis

 

RESTON, VA, December 19, 2006 – comScore Media Metrix today released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at top online properties and categories for November.  Fox Interactive Media topped all properties with 39.5 billion page views in November, primarily driven by the 38.7 billion pages consumed at MySpace.com, based on traffic from home, work and university locations.

 

While Fox Interactive Media supplanted Yahoo! Sites as the top Web property by page views in November, Yahoo! Sites retained the top spot in audience size with 129.9 million unique visitors.  Further, Yahoo’s increased integration of AJAX technology may have had a dampening effect on page views, as the technology enables real-time site updates without the need to refresh a page.

 

An additional comScore analysis released this week highlighted the importance of including home, work and university audiences in measuring the Web’s largest properties.  In fact, if university usage is omitted, the comparison of page views at Fox Interactive Media and Yahoo! Sites tells a very different story:  Yahoo! Sites, with 35.6 billion page views for November, would rank higher than Fox Interactive Media with 34.9 billion.

 

“Inclusion of online activity occurring at university locations is critical to producing accurate online audience measurements,” said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix.  “The market was understandably perplexed by reports that offered seemingly conflicting opinions on whether Fox Interactive or Yahoo! had actually captured the top ranking in terms of page views.”

 

“The difference lies in whether the online activity of college students, which represents nearly 15 million people, is included in the measurements – a critically important detail when measuring activity at MySpace.com, which is included in the Fox Interactive property,” Flanagan added.  “Other research company reports claiming that Yahoo! had remained number one in page views did not include the important university segment. comScore is pleased to provide our clients with the unique ability to measure the full breadth of consumer activity online – including the activity of college students.”

 

Holiday Season Draws Online Shoppers to Retail Sites

Shopping was top of mind with American consumers in November, as nine of the ten top gaining categories for the month were retail-related.  Online department stores represented the top gaining category in November (up 24 percent to 70.6 million visitors), led by Walmart.com, which grew 64 percent to 40.5 million visitors, Target Corporation with 33.2 million visitors (a 37-percent increase), and JCPenney Sites, which grew 44 percent to 16.8 million visitors.  Much of Walmart.com’s steep increase was attributable to the rise in visitation to Wal-Mart Electronics, which saw a 155-percent increase to 7.9 million visitors. BestBuy.com (up 66 percent to 21.1 million visitors) and Circuit City Stores (up 55 percent to 15.7 million visitors) topped the list of consumer electronics sites.

 

Luxury gift site RedEnvelope.com led the jewelry/luxury goods/accessories category with 2.5 million visitors (up 14 percent), followed by Coach.com, which increased 28 percent to 2.3 million visitors, and Tiffany & Co., which grew 44 percent to 1.5 million visitors.  Overall, the category rose 21 percent to 18.1 million visitors.

 

The toy category saw a similar surge in traffic, growing 20 percent to 30.1 million visitors, highlighted by KB Toys’s 108-percent increases versus the previous month to 3.6 million visitors, ranking as the second-fastest gaining site in November.  Toys “R” Us Sites also demonstrated strong gains, growing 75-percent to 13.9 million visitors.

 

Online Promotions Popular in November

Online promotions also drove significant Web traffic in November, with the Xerox Corporation heading the list of top gaining sites with 3.7 million visitors. The 114-percent increase was largely driven by traffic to www.letssaythanks.com, the Xerox-sponsored site that provides the opportunity to send a free postcard to American troops overseas.  In addition, Chunky Soup’s “Click for Cans” NFL promotion ranked the Campbell Soup Company seventh on the list of top gaining sites in November, growing 86 percent to 4.4 million visitors.  

 

Top 50 Properties

In November, Yahoo! Sites again retained the number one position, attracting nearly 130 million unique visitors.  Wal-Mart surged into the top 10, claiming the number nine spot with more than 43 million unique visitors, a 59-percent increase from October.  Several other retail sites enjoyed increased traffic due to the start of the holiday shopping season as well.  Best Buy Sites, Sears Sites, and JCPenney Sites all entered the top 50 at positions, ranking 30, 32, and 39, respectively. Target Corporation experienced a 37-percent increase in visitors, and jumped eight spots to number 15, while Overstock.com climbed 13 spots and drew 23 percent more unique visitors (17.1 million) than in October.

 

Top 50 Ad Focus

During November, Advertising.com slightly extended its reach to nearly 148 million Americans online, or 85 percent of the U.S. online population.  Within the top 10, Casale Media Network inched up one spot to number five, reaching 64 percent of Americans online.  Advertising networks Blue Lithium and AdDynamix.com each gained four spots, capturing the number 10 and 19 positions, respectively.  Finally, Euroclick joined the Ad Focus ranking at number 22, while Bizrate.com and EA Online Games re-entered the ranking, with each entity reaching 9 percent of U.S. online population.

 

TABLE 1

Top 10 Gaining Properties by Percentage Change in Unique Visitors* November 2006 vs. October 2006 Total U.S. Home, Work and University Internet Users Source: comScore Media Metrix
Property	Oct-06 (000)	Nov-06 (000)	Percentage Change	Rank by  Unique Visitors
Total Internet Population	173,428	173,686	0%	N/A
Xerox Corp	1,748	3,747	114%	234
KB Toys	1,711	3,558	108%	250
OPRAH.COM	2,320	4,708	103%	193
TOPTVBYTES.COM	3,564	6,908	94%	132
BIDZ.COM	2,422	4,574	89%	198
Nintendo Co.	3,025	5,694	88%	165
Campbell Soup Company	2,348	4,375	86%	207
Toysrus Sites	7,975	13,922	75%	55
Sheknows	2,597	4,343	67%	209
Napster	3,384	5,578	65%	167

*Ranking based on the top 250 properties in November 2006.

 

TABLE 2

Top 10 Gaining Categories by Unique Visitors November 2006 vs. October 2006 Total U.S. Home, Work and University Internet Users Source: comScore Media Metrix
	Oct-06 (000)	Nov-06 (000)	Percentage Change
Total Internet : Total Audience	173,428	173,686	0%
Department Stores	56,747	70,561	24%
Coupons	19,143	23,484	23%
Politics	8,629	10,460	21%
Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories	15,035	18,134	21%
Toys	25,088	30,149	20%
Mall	30,020	35,376	18%
Consumer Electronics	51,985	59,982	15%
Retail - Music	22,860	26,316	15%
Sports/Outdoor	24,916	28,455	14%
Home Furnishings	36,877	41,264	12%

 

TABLE 3

Top 50 Properties November 2006  Total U.S. – Home, Work and University Locations  Unique Visitors (000) Source: comScore Media Metrix
Rank	Property	Unique Visitors (000)		Rank	Property	Unique Visitors  (000)
	Total Internet Users	173,686
1	Yahoo! Sites	129,932		26	Shopzilla.com Sites	22,387
2	Time Warner Network	119,684		27	AT&T, Inc.	21,884
3	Microsoft Sites	116,979		28	Real.com Network	21,593
4	Google Sites	108,280		29	Expedia Inc	21,391
5	eBay	83,021		30	Best Buy Sites	21,354
6	Fox Interactive Media	73,831		31	Bank of America	21,256
7	Ask Network	54,539		32	Sears Sites	20,786
8	Amazon Sites	52,619		33	Gannett Sites	20,236
9	Wal-Mart	43,038		34	ESPN	18,576
10	New York Times Digital	42,664		35	Comcast Corporation	18,113
11	Viacom Digital	39,618		36	E.W. Scripps	17,771
12	Wikipedia Sites	39,142		37	OVERSTOCK.COM	17,079
13	Apple Computer, Inc.	33,797		38	CareerBuilder LLC	16,774
14	Verizon Communications Corp.	33,268		39	JCPenney Sites	16,755
15	Target Corporation	33,185		40	FACEBOOK.COM	16,695
16	Weather Channel, The	32,215		41	Circuit City Stores, Inc.	15,671
17	CNET Networks	31,636		42	Photobucket.com LLC	15,639
18	YOUTUBE.COM	25,471		43	Weatherbug Property	15,586
19	United Online, Inc	25,420		44	EA Online	15,575
20	Adobe Sites	25,348		45	NFL Internet Group	15,142
21	CBS Corporation	25,193		46	WhitePages	15,087
22	Gorilla Nation Media	24,881		47	WebMD Health	15,051
23	Disney Online	24,814		48	ARTISTdirect Network	14,544
24	Monster Worldwide	23,677		49	Cox Enterprises Inc.	14,431
25	Lycos, Inc.	23,093		50	iVillage.com: The Womens Network	14,389

 

 

TABLE 4

Ad Focus Ranking November 2006  Total U.S. – Home, Work and University Locations  Unique Visitors (000)  Source: comScore Media Metrix
Rank	Property	Unique Visitors (000)	Reach %		Rank	Property	Unique Visitors (000)	Reach %
	Total Internet Users	173,686	100%
1	Advertising.com**	147,924	85%		26	EBAY.COM Home Page	45,750	26%
2	ValueClick**	131,590	76%		27	CPX Interactive**	44,615	26%
3	Yahoo!	128,404	74%		28	Vibrant Media**	43,387	25%
4	Tribal Fusion**	119,468	69%		29	Undertone Networks**	42,928	25%
5	Casale Media Network**	110,668	64%		30	ContextWeb**	37,954	22%
6	AOL Media Network	109,864	63%		31	ABOUT.COM	37,077	21%
7	Google	104,313	60%		32	Business.com Network	27,632	16%
8	Vendare NetBlue - TrafficMarketplace**	102,464	59%		33	YOUTUBE.COM	25,471	15%
9	MSN-Windows Live	98,615	57%		34	Disney Online	24,814	14%
10	Blue Lithium**	94,026	54%		35	Lycos Network	22,879	13%
11	Burst Media**	92,375	53%		36	CNN	21,913	13%
12	24/7 Real Media**	91,268	53%		37	WEATHER.COM	21,321	12%
13	AOL	90,489	52%		38	GameDaily Custom Network	20,029	12%
14	YAHOO.COM Home Page	87,841	51%		39	The WebMD Health Network	18,771	11%
15	EBAY.COM	74,929	43%		40	ESPN	18,576	11%
16	Tremor Network	67,007	39%		41	IMDB.COM	18,500	11%
17	AdBrite**	66,501	38%		42	CareerBuilder Network	17,385	10%
18	PrecisionClick**	66,379	38%		43	REAL.COM*	17,308	10%
19	AdDynamix.com**	62,267	36%		44	FACEBOOK.COM	16,695	10%
20	Gorilla Nation Media Network	60,943	35%		45	EA Online Syndicated Games	15,591	9%
21	DRIVEpm**	58,959	34%		46	BIZRATE.COM	15,535	9%
22	EuroClick**	58,144	33%		47	EA Online Games	15,495	9%
23	MYSPACE.COM	57,242	33%		48	EXPEDIA.COM*	15,265	9%
24	Ask Network	54,539	31%		49	SuperPages	15,219	9%
25	MSN.COM Home Page	50,600	29%		50	WeatherBug	15,155	9%

Reach % denotes the percentage of the total Internet population that viewed a particular entity at least once in November.  For instance, Yahoo! was seen by 74 percent of the more than 173 million Internet users in November. 

* Entity has assigned some portion of traffic to other syndicated entities.

** Denotes an advertising network. 

About comScore Media Metrix

comScore Media Metrix, a division of comScore Networks, provides industry-leading Internet audience measurement services that report – with unmatched accuracy – details of online media usage, visitor demographics and online buying power for the home, work and university audiences across local U.S. markets and across the globe.  comScore Media Metrix continues the tradition of quality and innovation established by its Media Metrix syndicated Internet ratings – long recognized as the currency in online media measurement among financial analysts, advertising agencies, publishers and marketers – while drawing upon comScore's advanced technologies to address important new industry requirements.  All comScore Media Metrix syndicated ratings are based on industry-sanctioned sampling methodologies.

 

About comScore Networks

comScore Networks is a global leader in measuring the digital age. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes.  comScore consultants apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI.  comScore services are used by global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Verizon, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Tribune Interactive, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, MBNA, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Merck and Expedia.  For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.

Americans look for drug safety information, many turn to Web

Americans are proactively seeking out information about drug safety, according to a new Harris Poll of 2,429 U.S. adults. Forty-one percent of respondents say they always or often seek out drug safety information for themselves or family members, and 35% said they sometimes do. Only 24% of respondents rarely or never look for it. A survey from comScore Pharmaceutical Solutions earlier this month showed that Americans turn to the Web for drug safety information (ePharm5, 12/8/06). The survey showed that of those who search online for drug information, 66% reported looking for information on drug side effects, and 53% looked for drug safety information. Fifty-three percent looked for condition-focused information. The new Harris Poll also showed that the majority of Americans feel that the FDA and drug companies should closely review drugs for safety even after they are on the market, with 71% saying it is very or highly important.

Simens Medical Taps Capstrat for Marketing

RALEIGH, NC: Siemens Medical Solutions has chosen Raleigh-based Capstrat to aid the communications effort on Siemens' Web site, create print and online ads, and produce the company's "straight-talk" booklet. Siemens provides service support for medical imaging equipment.

Novo Nordisk site is centralized locale for diabetes initiatives

Novo Nordisk site is centralized locale for diabetes initiatives       

Novo Nordisk is sponsoring a new Web site that aims to be a centralized national clearinghouse for innovative initiatives in diabetes care, prevention, and management. The site, www.DiabetesXChange.org, allows users to search for and submit information about diabetes initiatives from around the country. Users can search the site by state or project type, including projects focusing on telemedicine, indigent or rural populations, and government research. Other information on the site includes links to key organizations, an e-mail newsletter, and featured diabetes research. The site is part of Novo Nordisk's National Changing Diabetes Program, which aims to improve the U.S. healthcare system to provide better diabetes care and prevention.     

Re: Google Maps: A Terrific Hack

Gotta love the crashing!


On 12/18/06 1:13 PM, "Fabio Gratton" <fabio@ignitehealth.com> wrote:

http://www.isoma.net/games/goggles.html

Google Maps: A Terrific Hack

I "stumbled upon" this a few nights ago (http://www.stumbleupon.com)... and I have to say, it just blows my mind what people are doing with google map hacks.  However, this has to be one of the most original and engaging hacks I have seen to date.

http://www.isoma.net/games/goggles.html

If cancer was a themepark...

http://users.utu.fi/lajhalm/cancerland.html

Cancer Social Network

Not a very active community, but it has promise.

http://www.mycancerplace.com/

Online Portal Launched for Young Adults with Cancer

Online Portal Launched for Young Adults with Cancer
Business Wire via NewsEdge Corporation

Patients/Survivors Under 40 Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2006--For the first time ever, adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer will have access to the best cancer support services via a new one-stop online web portal. Steps For Living, a nonprofit communications, support and advocacy organization has launched I'M TOO YOUNG FOR THIS! (i2y), a public awareness and resource literacy campaign to benefit the oft "forgotten" group of cancer survivors-aged 15 to 39-who are seeking support directed at their unique demographic and lifestyle needs. These services can include survivor spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, financial scholarships and more.

"The i2y website ImTooYoungForThis.org is primed to become a premiere online resource for AYAs with cancer by eliminating the stress and hassle of navigating through thousands of search engine results," said Matthew Zachary, founder and executive director of Steps For Living and an 11-year young adult survivor of pediatric brain cancer. "Our goal to make ImTooYoungForThis.org the first place adolescents and young adults with cancer think of to go when in search of credible, targeted support programs, tools and services."

The centerpiece of the i2y awareness campaign is a 21-track namesake benefit CD featuring original songs composed by AYA musician/survivors who belong to a national arts coalition organized by Steps For Living. The i2y online resource guide is printed within the liner notes of the album repositioning the disc as an educational toolkit. Additionally, i2y literature is being distributed nationally to hospitals and cancer clinics to foster AYA resource literacy among oncology healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, social workers and therapists.

"Too often, adolescents and young adults are not aware of-and therefore do not access-free services that are available to them," said Archie Bleyer, M.D., Chair, Children's Cancer Group (ret.), Mosbacher Chair Emeritus and Professor of Pediatrics, MD Anderson Cancer Center (ret.) and founding member of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance. "This website is just what the doctor ordered. Now, with the click of a mouse, they can instantly connect with a universe of others just like them." Doug Ulman, Chief Mission Officer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and a 10-year young adult survivor says, "We are pleased that Steps For Living is dedicated to making a difference in cancer advocacy for this community."
ImTooYoungForThis.org received over 5,000 hits in it's first three weeks. As of this release, 250 benefit CDs have been sold and i2y support literature has been distributed to over 40 cancer treatment centers including Dana Farber, St. Jude and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Steps For Living is presently investigating a cause-marketing relationship with a corporate partner to underwrite the costs for the toolkit's national distribution.

Steps For Living is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit communications, support and advocacy organization whose mission is to increase quality of life for adolescents and young adults with cancer by connecting them with credible cancer survivorship information, human resources and psychosocial support services. We provide communications projects and programs for the adolescent and young adult cancer community that educate and mobilize survivors through resource literacy, consumer empowerment and grassroots music and arts advocacy. For additional information visit http://www.ImTooYoungForThis.org and http://www.StepsForLiving.org.

Video games ease sick kids', parents' pain

Video games ease sick kids', parents' pain

By Lisa BaertleinFri Dec 15, 5:45 PM ET

When 11-year-old Gus Luna was able to play one of his favorite video games while recovering from exploratory brain cancer surgery in intensive care, his mother breathed a big sigh of relief.

"It was brain surgery... it was so scary. That made me feel like things seemed OK," said Marcela Luna, whose son has been undergoing chemotherapy since last year, when surgeons were unable to remove his tumor.

Gus, an all-star soccer player and tae kwon do green belt, was president of his fifth-grade class before falling ill. Now being home schooled, he cannot imagine getting through his treatments without video games: "It would be really hard without this ... You never know what's going to happen next."

Games let him focus on something other than the illness, doctors and hospital visits that dominate his life.

Gus is being treated at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which is among 1,000 hospitals worldwide with video game Fun Centers that roll from bed to bed, just like regular hospital equipment.

"You're like a regular kid," he said. "You forget about needles, you forget about what's all around you."

NOT JUST KIDS STUFF

Over the last decade, researchers around the world have done hundreds of studies probing the value of video games and other forms of virtual reality to help children, and their parents, cope with medical-related anxiety and pain.

Results have been mostly positive and continue rolling in.

The University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine earlier this year published details from a study of 20 children having an intravenous line inserted.

Half of them underwent the procedure while playing "Street Luge," a fully-immersive virtual reality game in which players control characters who race downhill while reclining on a big skateboard. The children wore a helmet fitted with headphones and glasses that delivered game sounds and images. They also used a rumbling joystick.

Children who did not play the game reported a four-fold increase in pain intensity from the procedure, while those who used virtual reality distraction reported no change in pain intensity.

The University of South Australia's Center of Allied Health Evidence did a study of children with serious burn injuries and found "strong evidence" supporting the use of virtual reality-based games in pain management.

In similar fashion, doctors at Israel's Chaim Sheba Medical Center used Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s (6758.T) PlayStation II EyeToy -- a camera that connects to a video game console allowing users to see themselves on TV -- as a rehabilitation tool for patients with severe burns. In a published article they said it proved to be an efficient and affordable alternative.

GAMING FOR GOOD

Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS) executive Don James designed the current Fun Center and said the company will start shipping units that include its new Wii video game console in mid-2007.

The Japanese game giant sponsors more than 3,500 of the 5,000-plus Fun Centers in hospitals through a program created and run by Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, whose aim is to combat the isolation and fear experienced by hospitalized kids.

A donation of $3,250 covers a current-generation Fun Center with a GameCube console, flat-screen monitor and DVD player, as well as its lifetime upkeep, a Starlight spokeswoman said.

Jeffrey Gold, program psychologist for the pediatric pain management clinic at USC-affiliated Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, was on the team that did the university's virtual reality pain study and continues to research the subject.

Hospitalized children are in a foreign environment with none of the familiar comforts of home, he said.

"There is no normalcy. When you roll in a video game, there is some normalcy," Gold said.

Parents also benefit, he added. "If you have children and you see them in distress, then you're in distress. If they're more calm, you're more calm."

That's something all moms -- from Marcela Luna to movie star and author Jamie Lee Curtis, a Starlight proponent -- know first-hand.

Five years ago, Curtis' son was hospitalized with a ruptured spleen and nurses wheeled in a Fun Center.

"It made him forget he was in the hospital ... It changed our experience," she said.

ePharm eXtra: Blog states "We love Pfizer in our house": Real or fake?

SOURCE: ePharm5 Newsletter: Blog states "We love Pfizer in our house": Real or fake?
(IMPORTANT NOTE: The following article, in its entirety, comes from the ePharm5 newsletter published by HCPPro. In no way do the contents of this article reflect the views or opinions of Ignite Health.)

http://www.hcpro.com/

The ePharm team came across an interesting blog yesterday, one that read: "We love Pfizer in my house because your exotic anti-arrhythmic drug Tikosyn has changed my wife's life. It's genuinely a miracle drug for her." The author, Glenn Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee, writes the blog called Instapundit and was responding to a Pfizer employee's inquiry about a book Reynolds recently wrote. The posting goes on to describe the grateful e-mail Reynolds received from the Pfizer employee, who related how he would "pass your thanks along to the guys in the lab. You have no idea how much this kind of message matters to them." Reynolds goes on to say that "while so-called 'Big Pharma' may not be perfect, drug companies have done a lot more to make my life better than their critics have. Maybe someone should point that out more often." We wonder if this is proof that the industry's reputation is slowly improving. If it is, these kinds of posts are what will make a difference in altering the reputation of the industry. However, ePharm also is aware that the industry hires third parties to monitor blogs in order to gauge consumer attitudes and company reputation (ePharm5, 9/12/06). We have also heard experts caution pharma against hiring bloggers--who are not identified as having connections to the industry--to spread a more positive message throughout the blogosphere and to perform damage control when disparaging remarks are made. Yesterday's blog, which has several posts from other bloggers, is an example of one or the other or even both. Pfizer is reportedly using software to monitor blogs and user-generated-content (ePharm5, 6/1/05) and is likely aware of this blog interchange. However, we thought the industry would find the posts interesting. In a responding post, a blogger named Tigerhawk took the blogging ball and ran with it to include a long post about how "pharmaceutical companies deliver extraordinary value to their customers, yet there is apparently great political advantage in bashing them. It is not obvious why this is so." The post elicits several other similar responses, as well as a bit about legalizing marijuana. Tigerhawk also claims that, "In our household, the miracle drug is called Copaxone. Not only do we owe this miracle to a pharmaceutical company, we owe it to an Israeli pharmaceutical company. Apart from George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, in some precincts it's tough to get more evil than that." Visit Tigerhawks's blog here. M. Simon (a 62-year-old Illinois male with an engineering background who is trying to publish a book on drug wars) posted a couple of his anti-pharma articles for review, to which a poster named John replied, "Big Pharma may rent-seek, but that's at least in part because they have godawful expenses. Consider Pfizer, they recently pulled Torcetrapib from trials after 800 million dollars in testing. That's $800,000,000 in expense that they cannot get back. That's a lot of money, even by government standards." Another post from Howard in Boston also shows an in-depth knowledge of pharma: "And, speaking of Copaxone, I'm not entirely sure of the nature of the deal but it isn't only an Israeli drug. While Teva Neurosciences was involved, there is some sort of licensing with Sanofi-aventis (again, not sure of their role in all of this but they are definitely involved). So, the miracle drug is actually a combined effort between Israeli pharma and French pharma. Wow." And from a pharma consultant: "Thanks for including the post about helpful drugs. I work with a lot of pharma companies and get pretty tired of all the negative press. I, too, have profoundly benefited from what these companies have produced, as have millions of others (who have little or no voice in our media environment)." All in all, it was a pretty warm and fuzzy endorsement for pharma!

Online doc portal poll finds majority say "no" to DTC ads

Online doc portal poll finds majority say "no" to DTC ads

 

With new survey results showing that 84% of polled physicians say prescription drugs should not be advertised to consumers, the physician online community Sermo (ePharm5, 10/17/06) continues to be a hotbed for debate. Physicians who oppose DTC ads said that they feel pressure to prescribe new and more expensive medicines, and DTC ads interfere with their role as a "learned intermediary," according to Sermo. However, 28% of physicians who disagree with DTC ads say that they may change their opinion if the ads made clear the difference between individual risk and relative risk of drugs. Only 16% of surveyed physicians agreed that prescriptions should be advertised directly to consumers. These physicians cite DTC ads' educational benefits. They also point out that ultimately, it's up to the physicians whether or not a patient receives a drug.

 

[FULL STORY]

 

Sermo Acts as Conduit for Physicians Nationwide to Hotly Debate Recommendations around Regulations for DTC Ads

Business Wire via NewsEdge Corporation :

Education about Individual Vs. Relative Risks of Prescription Drugs Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2006--Sermo (http://www.sermo.com), the fastest growing online community created by physicians for physicians, has quickly become the destination for physicians nationwide to share their opinions and insights about the latest trends in medicine -24/7. A recent hotly debated topic on Sermo is the American Medical Association's recommendations to regulate direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements. The new guidelines include imposing a temporary moratorium on the advertising of newly approved drugs and guidelines for pharmaceutical companies to follow when preparing DTC advertising. In general, physicians on Sermo focused on one aspect of the AMA's recommendations - the delay of advertising until drugs have been proven effective.

Sermo is a new online forum where physicians from across the country are working together to improve patient care and save lives -- by instantly comparing notes about different medications, approaches to care, and changes in pathogen resistance. A Sermo member recently posted a question to ask other physicians: Do you think prescription drugs should be directly advertised to consumers?"

To date, more than 100 physicians across specialties and geography have weighed in and shared their opinion on this topic. Poll results span the spectrum of possibilities, though many respondents are voicing the same concerns and agreeing on opportunities for better education about risk and benefits and improved physician-patient interactions. Perhaps the most compelling finding from the poll is that many physicians who voted "no" to prescription drug advertising said they could be swayed if the difference between relative risk (the risk to the population) and individual risk (the risk to an individual) was made more clear to consumers.

Sermo Physician Poll Results:

84% of the physicians polled on Sermo have stated "NO", prescription drugs should not be advertised to consumers, citing the challenges they encounter in their practice. Respondents have indicated that:

-- Physicians feel pressure to prescribe new, expensive medications that patients will have to pay out of pocket for and may not realize it.

-- Direct advertising interferes with the physician's role as the "learned" intermediary. According to one physician, "Commercials on TV are intended to sell the product. Therefore, the product is presented as being desirable, at least to a person with a particular problem. There is no attempt to explain to the public the complexities of prescribing and why we may not wish to put a particular patient on that particular drug. I would very much like to see prescription drug advertising banned."

-- Patients come to a doctor's visit with unrealistic expectations of a drug's performance: Said one Sermo member, "The lay public sees only septuagenarians doing cartwheels in a field of daisies while their husbands sneer longingly in a bathtub with renewed sexual vigor. Patients allow their common mild ailment to be pathologized to the point of life-or-death, only to be rescued by this wonderful new drug."

16% have stated, "YES", promoting education benefits and underscoring physician's responsibility to refuse to prescribe:

-- Drugs require prescriptions. Physicians are unlikely to prescribe them unless they are indicated (to treat a condition.) One Sermo doctor encourages colleagues to, "Be strong in your knowledge of medicine. Be firm in your approach to patients. A solid, 'NO' works well. If I have done my job right, my patients know that I am honest and to be trusted."

-- The patient must buy into the treatment and take the medication. Advertising can support this. A Sermo physician explained, "The Physician is only one intermediary in a patient's treatment and all must come together. The prescriber is required to initiate the medication use ... but ultimately the patient must agree to take the medication recommended."

An unexpected, major finding among the practicing physician community: A large segment, 28%, could be swayed from their NO vote if a critical, physician-driven aspect is made clear in direct-to-consumer ads: the difference between relative risk and individual risk.

-- According to these physicians, there is no counter-balancing information that reminds people that relative risk and individual risk are two different universes for making treatment decisions and most of the data (patients) see on TV shows only relative risk.

Patients may not know that less costly alternatives often have as good if not greater efficacy than those advertised, and that new medications are often not reimbursed and expensive to pay for out of pocket.

Patients may be on another medication that is contra-indicated (might result in expected side effects that can be serious). Explains one Sermo physician, "It is impossible to fully inform someone in a 30-second TV spot to a degree sufficient for them to make an educated judgment. They are reacting only to hype and that is not the way we want to make our therapeutic decisions."

-- All agree that only physicians are in the position to correctly evaluate an individual patient's risk surrounding a medication, and this needs to be underscored.

"Sermo is a new and powerful medium by which physicians nationwide have a collective voice and the ability to influence major constituencies including the healthcare industry, financial industry and regulatory bodies," said Dr. Daniel Palestrant, founder and CEO, Sermo. "Here, physicians are taking stances on the latest issues, and getting feedback from their peers instantly. This is providing a strong "physician voice" to the industry that has not existed before -- and is already improving patient care."

About Sermo:

Launched September 2006, Sermo is the fastest growing online community, created by physicians for physicians. Its Web-based platform provides a medium for physicians to aggregate observations from daily practice then -- rapidly and in large numbers -- challenge or corroborate each other's opinions, accelerating the discovery of emerging trends and new insights on medications, devices, and treatments. Through Sermo, physicians exchange knowledge with each other the minute it is learned, and gain insights from colleagues as they happen instead of waiting to read about them in conventional media sources. Sermo harnesses the power of collective wisdom and enables physicians to discuss new clinical findings, report unusual events, and work together to dramatically impact patient care. For more information visit www.sermo.com.

Resources: For more information on Sermo visit: www.sermo.com. Credentialed physicians can join the discussion by joining the Sermo community, at no cost, and begin responding immediately to posts on this subject.

For more information on the AMA visit: http://www.ama-assn.org/

Dorland Healthcare Information Launches Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide

Dorland Healthcare Information Launches Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide

Tuesday December 12, 12:18 am ET

Publication Answers Need for a Patient Education Tool That Rates the Best Websites on Health Conditions

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that redefines the way consumers search for online health information, Dorland Healthcare Information has launched Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide, a series of books that identifies, describes, filters and rates the best websites on the 60 most common diseases and health conditions. This series is the first of its kind, directing consumers to only the most credible Web information.

Source: Dorland Healthcare Information

"Finding reliable online health information is no easy task," says Robert Graham, CEO of Dorland Healthcare Information. "Results from major search engines can be overwhelming. How much time can you allot to sorting through thousands of deceptive, random and often outdated results, and how do you know if the information found is credible? Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide has solved this problem for Web users who are increasingly going online for health information."

Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide is designed to direct consumers to the most reliable online health information in a matter of seconds. "Users can be confident in the recommended sites," says Robert C. Smith Jr., Ph.D., Editor- in-Chief of Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide. "Created by an experienced staff of physicians, medical editors and website analysts, the series contains the most reliable information from a trusted and independent third party source." Smith added that "80 percent of the online population searched for health information last year, and less than 50 percent was satisfied with the results they found. This is clearly the right product at the right time."

The guide is also a great resource for time-stressed physicians as it helps doctors efficiently care for their patients by directing them to health websites vetted and pre-screened by Dorland's group of medical experts. "Total Health Rewards is excited to partner with Dorland Healthcare in the launch of the Website Guide. Providing the means to quickly and confidently direct patients to appropriate online information is undoubtedly a benefit to both physician and patient," says Mary Tooman, Director of Materials Management for Total Health Rewards.

Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide also provides pharmaceutical sales representatives with a new and relevant marketing tool. It saves healthcare professionals hundreds of hours, which would otherwise be spent searching the Web for objective and reliable disease-specific websites. "Time is perhaps the greatest gift to anyone, especially physicians. Their time is so much in demand," says Harry J. Alba Jr., Executive Vice President of Sales at Dorland Healthcare Information. "The guide will be invaluable for both patients and health professionals and will help create ongoing opportunities for pharmaceutical sales representatives to gain more face-time with physicians. Most importantly, it will help professionals care for their patients." Alba added that "the rules have changed regarding the kinds of advertising premiums and gifts that can be given to health professionals. Fortunately, a patient education tool featuring medically relevant health information is perfectly suited to today's marketplace and PhRMA guidelines."

Available now in print, and online beginning January 2007, consumers can purchase individual copies of Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide by calling toll free at 800.784.2332. Physicians are encouraged to visit http://www.totalhealthrewards.com to redeem certificates or purchase the guides most appropriate to their specialty.

About Dorland Healthcare Information

Dorland Healthcare Information (DHI), based in Philadelphia, is a nationally recognized publisher known as the leader in healthcare business information for the past 50 years. DHI publishes several magazines - enrich, your Health & Life distributed quarterly to over 1,000,000 consumers, Case in Point for medical professionals in case management, and the Good Neighbor Health Guide for multi-cultural marketing. DHI also publishes a variety of industry print and online reference books, such as the Case Management Resource Guide; Dorland's Medical Directory; Medical & Healthcare Marketplace Guide and Dorland's Healthcare Website Guide.

About Total Health Rewards

Total Health Rewards (formerly Medsite Rewards(TM)) is the leading provider of medically relevant incentives for the Pharmaceutical Industry. Their programs provide outsourced fulfillment primarily designed to attract medical professionals to pharmaceutical promotional events. As the industry leader, Total Health Rewards reaches more doctors and handles more volume than any of their competitors, and their brand recognition significantly increases recruitment efficacy for all types of pharmaceutical programs.

Total Health Rewards' Redemption catalog contains 40,000 medical products (supplies and textbooks) specifically geared to aid physicians in the treatment of their patients, making Total Health Rewards a smart and flexible way to create awareness, encourage activity, and build goodwill among medical professionals in a manner that is compliant with existing guidelines.

Source: Dorland Healthcare Information

 

Seevast Rolls Out Sponsored Links For Video

Seevast Rolls Out Sponsored Links For Video
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2006 6:00 AM ET

PULSE 360, A UNIT OF Internet marketing company Seevast Corp., has begun offering advertisers the ability to place sponsored links before or after online video clips. The static links can be targeted based on context, geography, behavior or demographic profile. Pay-per-click rates for the sponsored video links will be the same as existing rates through Pulse 360--ranging from five cents to more than $10, depending on the level of targeting and other factors. Advertisers can now reach their audience in this highly desirable space, and publishers can add another way to monetize their content," said Seevast CEO Lance Podell, in a prepared statement. Mark Josephson, chief marketing officer for Seevast, said advertisers will be able to add listings to all the video inventory on sites in its ad network including MarketWatch.com, MSNBC.com, USAToday.com and sites of the Dow Jones Online Network. 

Study: More Than Three In Four Now On Broadband

Study: More Than Three In Four Now On Broadband
Media Post News Brief
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2006 6:00 AM ET

SEVENTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF ACTIVE HOME Web users connected via a high-speed line last month--up from 65% one year ago, according to new data from Nielsen//NetRatings. The broadband users also spent an average of 34 hours and 50 minutes online last month--33% more than dial-up users, who averaged 26 hours and 13 minutes per person. Broadband users also viewed 1,574 Web pages on average--more than double the 681 pages per person average for narrowband users. 

source: http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=52494&Nid=25811&p=212886

 

Google beta tests AdWords-style radio advertising model

Google beta tests AdWords-style radio advertising model

 

Google is shifting its reign from the Web to the radio by enabling some of its current marketers to advertise on radio using its automated ad system, reports CNetNews.com. Like AdWords online, advertisers can bid on air spots and target the ads to their listeners based on factors such as listener demographics and geography. The ad system allows marketers the flexibility to see real-time reports about their ads and change aspects of them, such as the time they are played or the geographical target. The test of Google Audio Ads is limited to just more than 20 AdWords customers and more than 730 radio stations. Among those stations is XM Satellite radio, according to the report. The ads will be running in 87% of the country--more than 260 metropolitan markets.

Merck tool aims to "transform" diabetes education

Merck tool aims to "transform" diabetes education

 

Merck is developing tools that it says will transform the way diabetes educators teach patients about diabetes and making lifestyle modifications. The company is partnering with healthcare education company Healthy Interactions for the diabetes Conversation Map tools, which aim to help patients manage their chronic illness. The tools are hard-copy maps, a Merck spokesperson tells ePharm5, that healthcare providers and diabetes educators can use to provide visual learning and active dialogue. The content was developed and reviewed by the American Diabetes Association, and the maps are scheduled to be launched across the United States in 2007. The maps will first be offered to 2,800 American Diabetes Association-recognized diabetes education programs, with a goal of having them used by at least 9,500 diabetes educators within the next three years.

 

[FULL STORY]

 

Merck and Healthy Interactions Announce Collaboration to Transform Diabetes Patient Education

Business Wire via NewsEdge Corporation :

Patients in Sustainable Behavior Change for Better Control of Diabetes Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. & SYLVANIA, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2006--Today, Merck & Co., Inc. and Healthy Interactions Inc. announced that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to transform how diabetes educators and other healthcare professionals engage patients in learning about diabetes and making lifestyle modifications that lead to improved self-management. This initiative will utilize a series of diabetes Conversation Map(TM) tools, which Healthy Interactions and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) have been developing since early 2006. In addition to being extremely effective at engaging patients, the Conversation Map tools are aligned with the reimbursement curriculum for healthcare professionals as defined by Medicare.

"We at the ADA believe Conversation Maps are one of the most important innovations in patient and physician education in a decade," said Karmeen Kulkarni, immediate past-president, Healthcare & Education, American Diabetes Association.

The diabetes Conversation Map tools, with content developed and reviewed by the ADA, are scheduled to be launched across the United States in 2007, initially being offered to 2,800 ADA recognized diabetes education programs (ERPs) as well as to other healthcare professionals. The goal is to have at least 9,500 diabetes educators incorporate the Conversation Map tools into their diabetes education programs within the next three years.

Conversation Map tools increase patients' ability to understand and manage chronic diseases and other health conditions. They combine visual learning techniques and active dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals to engage patients in sustainable behavior change. The Conversation Map tools help patients to decipher the complexities of diabetes, empower them to draw new insights for better disease management, and inspire them to develop a personal plan for change. The underlying philosophy of the approach is that patients will make better healthcare decisions when they self-determine why change is necessary, what has to change and who else needs to be involved in the change process.

"We have a unique opportunity to make a very real and important difference in the lives of millions of people with diabetes and in the lives of the healthcare professionals who care for them," said Peter Gorman, president of Healthy Interactions Inc. "Patients increasingly need to become better self-managers of their diabetes. Together, Merck and Healthy Interactions will transform diabetes education, enabling patients to advance their awareness and knowledge about their disease, to assume greater personal ownership for lifestyle changes and to employ practical actions to improve their health."

"We are excited to be able to provide proven patient education resources at the level of the healthcare provider," said Patrick P. Magri, vice president, Diabetes and Obesity Franchise, U.S. Human Health, Merck & Co., Inc. "Merck is proud to be the first and only healthcare company to make these innovative educational tools available in the United States."

About Healthy Interactions

Healthy Interactions Inc. (Healthyi) is revolutionizing healthcare education in the United States and around the world. Founded in 2003, Healthyi's mission is to improve healthcare decision-making of patients and healthcare professionals by transforming the way in which they experience and internalize health-related information. Healthyi achieves this mission by developing and distributing small-group Conversation Map tools, web 2.0 tools, and tools specifically created for pharmacy and retail settings. Healthyi also builds and maintains learning networks and venues. Conversation Map is a trademark of Healthy Interactions Inc. Visit Healthyi at www.healthyi.com.

About Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Forward-looking statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Merck's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements in Item 1 of Merck's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2005, and in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, which the Company incorporates by reference.

Conversation Map is a trademark of Healthy Interactions Inc.