LEXINGTON, MA: Indevus Pharmaceuticals has launched an aggressive direct-to-physician campaign to promote a new overactive bladder drug.
The drug company is working with Cohn & Wolfe to target physicians and investors, said William Boni, VP of corporate communications.
With Sanctura, its first product approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Indevus is hoping to morph from a drug-development company into a commercial one, Boni noted.
In a conference call with investors, John Tucker, VP of sales and marketing, said that the company is developing key messages and building relationships with specialists.
"We thought it was important to answer who Indevus was ... and in 2004 really rolled out the brand to urologists and [medical journal] writers," Tucker said.
He attributed the drug company's 18% sales growth to these promotional efforts.
"We think we have a strong enough message that this should be the first drug for providers," he said. "We're getting usage from some physicians based on the messages."
In an analysis, Hoover's Inc. wrote that Indevus is "endeavoring to launch a blockbuster drug quickly."
Boni declined to comment on market projections. Sanctura's sales are already $12.5 million.
Other products in the pipeline include drugs for anxiety, as well as for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
