NEW YORK (May 2, 2006) – New drugs that create even small amounts of online discussion among consumers before they're approved by federal regulators often enjoy greater awareness and online "buzz" after they have been released to the market, according to an analysis by Nielsen BuzzMetrics.

By tracking pre-and post-approval buzz of four new drugs, Nielsen BuzzMetrics' Healthcare Practice found that new drug therapies that generated even small amounts of pre-approval buzz enjoyed a comparatively large and sustained increase in discussion among relevant communities once the drugs were approved for use among the general population.

In the cases examined, this phenomenon held true for drugs whose therapeutic value is not considered a great improvement over existing drugs for the same illnesses.

"Brands that achieve preliminary buzz in relevant online communities tend to achieve greater momentum once the drug is approved," said Lydia Worthington, Vice President of Client Services and Healthcare Practice Leader for Nielsen BuzzMetrics, and chief author of the study.  "While there are many factors that ultimately influence overall buzz and engagement, pharmaceutical marketers would be wise to consider investing in pre-launch initiatives that get patients talking and consequently primed for post-approval launch and marketing activities."

Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the global measurement standard for consumer-generated media, helps companies promote and protect their brands by analyzing word-of-mouth behavior in online consumer discussions, boards, forums, Usenet newsgroups, review sites, blogs and other data sources.

"However, early buzz is not a risk-free proposition," Worthington said. "Even small amounts of negative buzz or consumer concern can travel quickly across the Internet, where they can influence the marketplace and regulators, in some cases leading to drug-approval delays and requests for more testing."

Methodology:
For this study, Nielsen BuzzMetrics collected, measured and analyzed thousands of word-of-mouth discussions in online patient communities about four drugs. Discussions were monitored for six months before FDA approval and four months afterward. The drugs were Abraxane and Tarceva, both cancer-fighting drugs; Tysabri, for treating multiple sclerosis (voluntarily suspended from the market in October 2005 to undergo further study), and Byetta, a drug that controls blood sugar levels.

Key Findings:

• Abraxane, a promising breast cancer drug with fewer side effects than existing treatments, captured less than 2% of online buzz for one month before approval and rose to only 4% of online discussion four months after approval.
• By comparison, Tarceva, a second- or third-tier lung cancer treatment for patients in whom chemotherapy has not worked, captured sustained 2% discussion levels for six months leading up to approval and jumped to 16% levels of online awareness in the four months after approval.
• Discussion about Byetta was less than 1% in the pre-approval phase and rose to only 4% of all online discussion three months after approval.
• Discussion about Tysabri, a promising MS drug, jumped from 4% six months before approval to nearly 15% immediately before approval, and was on its way to 20% discussion levels post-approval before it was pulled from the market.

Worthington pointed out that buzz about the promising drugs Abraxane and Byetta was overshadowed by simultaneously occurring online discussions about competing treatments.

May 9 webinar examines CGM issues
Worthington will lead a one-hour Nielsen BuzzMetrics webinar titled "Health Care on the Internet: Trends, Topics, Tipping Points," about consumer-generated media and its impact on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries at 4 p.m. EST May 9. Register here. She also discusses health-pharmaceutical topics at the Pharmometer blog.

 The report can be downloaded at the Nielsen BuzzMetrics Web site.

 

Press Contact: Sandra Parrelli; Sandra.Parrelli@nielsen.com; 646-654-7772

Sales Inquiries: sales@buzzmetrics.com; 1.877.999.7335

About Nielsen Online:

Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, delivers comprehensive, independent measurement and analysis of online audiences, advertising, video, consumer-generated media, word of mouth, commerce and consumer behavior, and includes products previously marketed under the Nielsen//NetRatings and Nielsen BuzzMetrics brands. With high quality, technology-driven products and services, Nielsen Online enables clients to make informed business decisions regarding their Internet, digital and marketing strategies. For more information, please visit www.nielsen-online.com.

About The Nielsen Company:

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.