Wednesday, August 17, 2011

A zest for marketing medicine to women


Pair's flair for pharma provides lift for a product that flopped in startup's hands


Take each twice daily with food at first onset of cold symptoms."It's not that they're not buying things," Jaensch said. "But there isn't a whole lot to buy, and there hasn't been anything that's worked, until Zestra."ConclusionThat August, a bankruptcy judge declared Scherl and Jaensch the new owners of their own biotech company. Scherl said the acquisition process was a whirlwind experience.10. Your Refrigerator As an Extension of Your Medicine CabinetThe numbers are shocking: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)1 approximately seven million Americans - 2.8 percent of the U.S. population - currently abuse prescription pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. Young people are particularly vulnerable: The Partnership for a DrugFree America reports that, every day, 2,500 American teenagers try a prescription drug for the first time to get high. Second only to marijuana, seven of the most prevalently abused drugs among teens are prescription medications used recreationally. Types range from narcotic painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin to Adderall, a stimulant commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder (NIDA, Monitoring the Future "Drug Use Among 12'1' Graders," 2009).Do you use Tylenol but for the rare headache? If so, check your medicine cabinet for recalled products. The Tylenol recall of 2010 has extended to include some Zyrtec, Benadryl, aspirin, Rolaids, and Motrin products. The reason for the recall is sometimes-severe gastrointestinal symptoms from moldy-smelling 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, a contaminant that entered the products from the wooden pallets used to transport packaging material. Discard the products, or confirm the recall at 888-222-6036 or McNeilProductRecall.com. Removing these products from shelves around the world--Antartic research stations, emergency boxes, and home medicine cabinets--requires worldwide participation.* grape seed extract 100 mgA second public health concern involving Tylenol or any other acetaminophen-containing products is liver damage. Acetaminophen is the most common cause of medication-related liver damage. Children are at risk because of their small size and because they may unintentionally receive double doses when Tylenol is combined with cough and cold products that contain acetaminophen among the active ingredients. Be vigilant of acetaminophen that is "hidden" in prescription and over-the-counter medications.Adele C. Oliva, a partner at Quaker, said Scherl and Jaensch were well positioned to refocus and revive the company and its lead product."I thought raising money and buying the assets out of bankruptcy had to be harder than running it," she said. "When you cross the finish line, you sort of don't remember what it was like when you weren't running."7. The Epsom Salts Comeback4. Safe HandlingSo instead of joining Zestra Labs, the pair started pondering a different idea: buy the company. In May 2008, they began seriously exploring the possibility, which became more tantalizing a month later, when Zestra declared bankruptcy. The pair partnered with Quaker Bio Ventures, a Pennsylvaniabased venture capital firm, and lined up a bid of $2.5 million.1. Tylenol Recall 2010* curcumin, 400 mgHow widespread is the problem? Dubbed the "hidden epidemic," abuse of prescription and OTC medications knows no geographic boundaries. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services study Nonmedicai Use of Pain Relievers in Substate Regions: 2004 to 2006 revealed abuse rates of between 2.48 and 7.92 percent in all 50 states. Surprisingly, the data indicated that community size has little beating on the statistics. Abuse rates in certain swaths of America's Heartland were as high or higher than those of New York City and Los Angeles. In contrast, the District of Columbia boasted one of the nation's lowest percentages of abusers.Community feedback from September 25 has been so positive that jurisdictions are considering future events. Sheriff Kelly, for one, reports that Clark County is already considering a second take-back day for spring 20 1 1 . In early October, Congress cleared legislation that will allow the DEA to create a framework for a permanent solution for prescription drug disposal. Until permanent regulations are in place, the DEA will continue to sponsor take-back programs.

E-mail to: jkaltwasser@njbiz.com




Author: Kaltwasser, Jared


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