IVB's Top Ten Posts of 2009

Happy New Year, dear readers. We know that you know that we know that you love lists, so we got you one to ring in 2010.

Lists are fun! And so here's a list of our most read blog posts from 2009. What set your hearts aflutter? Drug approvals and launches, Clerks parodies, and the demise of the pharmaceutical sales rep. Oh, and a little thing called our DEAL OF THE YEAR competition. Have a look as we count 'em down, Late-Show style.

And if you haven't voted in this year's DOTY competition, the polls are open until the end of today, Monday January 4. Get thee to the ballot box!

10. Novo Confident of Victoza Victory at FDA in May. (March 5.) The odds might appear to be stacked against it, but Novo Nordisk sounds remarkably confident that GLP-1 analog liraglutide (Victoza) will get approval from FDA by the end of May.

9. Pfizer Deceives While GSK Shines. (June 12.) Pfizer has apparently held back clinical trial data for its anti-depressant reboxetine (known in Germany as Edronax) from IQWiG, Germany's drug-benefit assessment agency, leading the agency to declare "no proof of benefit" in its preliminary report.

8. FDA Commissioner Update: Announcement Timing Provides Clues. (February 2.) Comments out of the White House that an announcement is imminent on President Obama’s choice for FDA commissioner indicate the pick is someone who has already been thoroughly vetted.

7. The Effient Launch: Cracking the Door to Primary Care Marketing. (July 31.) So will personalized medicine be the death of primary care? Maybe not. Maybe just the opposite.

6. Are More Rent-A-Reps On the Way? (January 21.) That's what Deutsche Bank analyst Barbara Ryan suggests in an investor note after digesting the news that Pfizer is cutting about 2,400 sales reps, or roughly one-third of its sales force, as part of its ongoing downsizing.

5. FDA Commish to Employees: Keep Quiet or Else! (March 16.) Frank Torti, the acting FDA commissioner, has an important message for all agency employees--you won't make a peep if you know what's good for you.

4. What's Wrong with Pharma? One Answer from JP Morgan (January 14.) Sunday night we attended what we now think of as the kickoff to the JP Morgan meeting, the extraordinary concentration of biotech/pharma movers and shakers which is the MPM Capital dinner at San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

3. Imagining Lunch with Dick Clark (March 10.) Merck Cafeteria Clerk: Oh, uh, hi Mr. Clark. OK let’s see, diet coke, turkey sandwich, kettle chips, ooh those are good. Have you tried the angry chili flavor? That’ll be $12.35, sir. Dick Clark: Just hold on a second there [sends blackberry message to general counsel] ... Hi. No i prefer the unsalted. Better for the ticker. Anyway ... [checks blackberry] ... OK, see, I’d like to structure this transaction so that my lunch buys me.

2. Don't Come Knockin' On My Door (February 13.) The pharma industry doesn’t need more stats to tell it that knocking on doors doesn’t work any more, but some new figures blast that cold reality. (A comprehensive review of what needs fixing in pharma's commercial model is in the December IN VIVO. Our take on Merck's stab at reinvigorating its commercial presence is here.)

1. And the Nominees for IN VIVO Blog's Deal of the Year Are ... (December 22, 2008.) It's time to have your say, IN VIVO Blog readers! Our poll for the Deal of the Year is now live. Please vote. Get your friends and colleagues and families to vote. Tell strangers to vote too, if you like.