由
Vivus
公司开发的
Qsymia
作为十多年内首次被美国
FDA
批准的减肥药销售状况并不乐观,为此
Vivus
除了增加常规渠道的销售力量,还推出了协助减肥的手机
app
。
据路透社报导,研究人员发现当超重或者肥胖人员收到手机
app
的监督时,可以实现正常减肥项目以外的额外
8
磅的减肥效果。所以
Vivus
公司正要求旗下的
150
名销售人员向
2
万
5
千名医生推销
Qsymia
的同时,也介绍这款新的
app
希望此举能够促进药物的销售。具体来说,这款手机
app
能让使用者记录每天的饮食,并收到定期的关于减肥的指导。
英文报道:
Vivushopesweight-lossappwillfattenupQsymiasales
Weight-lossappshavebecomepopular,sowhynotaweight-lossappforaweight-lossdrug?QsymiamakerVivusfiguresitisworthatry.
Thecompany($VVUS),whichhasfoundtheuptakeslowonitshighlyvaunteddrug,lastweeklaunchedamobileversionoftheweight-losssupporttoolsalreadyonitswebsite,MedicalMarketing&Mediareports.Theapp,whichworksonAndroidandAppleproducts,hasadiary,souserscannoteeverythingtheyeatandgetinformationalemailsrolledoutperiodicallytogivethemideasonhowtoloseweightoverayear'stime.
RobJanosky,seniordirector,commercialdevelopmentatVivus,toldMM&Mthatits150salesrepsareexplainingthetechnologytothe25,000U.S.doctorsthattheytarget.Hesaidseveralthousandusershadsignedupforthedigitaltools,explaining,"There'snomagicbulletforweightloss."
Arecentstudysuggestedthatusingappsforweightlosscanhelp,though.AccordingtoReuters,researchersfoundthatoverweightandobeseadultslostanaverageofmorethan8poundswhentheygotcoachingfromamobiledeviceinadditiontoagroupweight-lossprogram."Thenumberonemechanismthroughwhichpeopleloseweightisself-monitoring,justwatchingwhatyoueatandkeepingarecordofit,"Dr.GouthamRao,oneoftheresearchers,toldthenewsservice."I'mactuallyveryoptimisticthatpeoplewhoaremotivated,whocancouplethetechnologywithin-personcounselingandmanagementaregoingtobeverysuccessful."
Vivus'managementisgettingsomeheattobesuccessfulthemselves.Theyhavebeencriticizedbyinvestorswhothinktherolloutandsaleshavebeenlacklusterforthefirstweight-lossdrugapprovedbytheFDAinmorethan10years.Companyexecshavesaidtheyaretakingtimetogetbuy-infromdoctorsandpatients.Vivushasattemptedafreetrialoftheproduct,butJefferiesanalystThomasWeicalledthat"anonstarter,"MM&Mpointsout.
Someanalystshavebeenadamantthatwhatthecompanyreallyneedsisapartnerwiththemarketingmuscletopushthedrugharder.Initslastearningsreport,Vivusreportedawideningfourth-quarterlossof$56.7million,whichitpeggedtohighermarketingcosts.