| Recently, Oprah Winfrey came under fire | | | | applications, such as Tweetscan and Twist, that allow |
| from Newsweek magazine in an article ironically | | | | companies to monitor and analyze what people are |
| titled "Live Your Best Life Ever!" Authors Weston | | | | tweeting about specific topics. “Think of how |
| Kosova and Pat Wingert took on the one of the | | | | useful that is in a crisis situation,” wrote Mark |
| most powerful people in media by saying that | | | | Senak of Fleishman-Hillard in his EyeOnFDA blog. |
| Winfrey, on her show and through her ever growing | | | | “You can monitor what people are saying about |
| online social network, often promotes unproven | | | | your crisis, discern the messaging, develop your own |
| health "cures" to her throngs of fans. | | | | response document and send it out directly to those |
| Doctors and readers reacted in droves, many | | | | who have been talking about it via Twitter.” |
| agreeing with the authors' stance on Winfrey's | | | | Life science companies are watching for signals from |
| championing of misinformation. While | | | | the Food and Drug Administration on how the use of |
| the Newsweek story was certainly in the spotlight, | | | | social media might be regulated. The FDA, which |
| it proves that everyone needs to be exceedingly | | | | carefully monitors the pharmaceutical industry in its |
| careful in the medical advice they give through the | | | | messaging to consumers, recently admonished a |
| media, whether something as powerful as The Oprah | | | | pharmaceutical company for posting a video on |
| Winfrey Show or as small as a Twitter feed. | | | | YouTube. The regulators took exception to certain |
| While most businesses are racing to explore how to | | | | claims made in the video as well as important |
| leverage the social media phenomenon to their | | | | information that the FDA said was left out. The |
| advantage -- Facebook pages, RSS feeds, YouTube | | | | use of YouTube as a communications vehicle, |
| and even Twitter are increasingly in the marketing | | | | however, was not addressed – a fact that was |
| and PR mix for consumer-facing companies -- biotech | | | | duly noted and widely reported by bloggers. "It's not |
| firms have been slow to test the social media | | | | the medium, it's the message," Dr. Jean Ah Kang of |
| waters. The regulatory environment and risk aversion | | | | the FDA's Division for Drug Marketing, Advertising |
| are legitimate concerns. But many close to the | | | | and Communications, told Senak in a recent interview. |
| industry believe that biotech, among the most | | | | Pharmaceutical companies are well aware that |
| technology-oriented of all industries, needs to be | | | | direct-to-consumer advertising is likely to be under |
| more aggressive in its approach. | | | | review by the Obama Administration as part of the |
| “Social networks hold tremendous promise and | | | | broader health care reform initiative. While new |
| opportunity for biotech companies to enhance their | | | | guidelines may be created, it’s likely that |
| consumer marketing,” said Mouli Cohen, Ecast | | | | “the message, not the medium” will continue |
| and Voltage Capital founder, who heads a venture | | | | to be the overarching policy, and social media |
| firm that invests in biotech startups. “The | | | | won’t specifically be restricted. |
| Internet is the primary way consumers search for | | | | “The Obama administration is extremely Internet |
| and find information on health issues and treatment | | | | savvy and its ability to harness social media played a |
| options, but how reliable are the sources of all that | | | | big role in the election, so I expect them to have an |
| information? Social media is a logical extension of a | | | | informed and sophisticated position in terms of how |
| company's online presence, and one that provides | | | | they regulate the use of social media by |
| new opportunities to engage consumers and make | | | | business,” said Cohen. |
| sure the information they receive about drugs or | | | | Be that as it may, most pundits expect biotech and |
| medical devices is accurate.” | | | | pharma companies to continue to proceed with |
| Pushing information out to consumers is only one | | | | caution. Cohen, however, thinks they should forge |
| facet of the power of social networks. Social | | | | ahead. “There is too much upside and |
| networks are about making connections, and life | | | | opportunity that social media offers. The challenge |
| science companies can harness blogs and networks | | | | is to utilize social media in the way it’s meant to |
| like Facebook to facilitate interactions among | | | | be used – as an engagement tool that facilitates |
| consumers who share common health conditions and | | | | two-way communication and adds real value for |
| concerns. | | | | consumers. The companies that harness the power |
| The ability to monitor what consumers are saying is | | | | of social media will gain a competitive advantage and |
| equally valuable. Twitter has spawned a host of online | | | | enhance their reputations in the process. |