Thomson Scientific Publishes 'Who Is Making The Biggest Splash?'

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 15 Nov 2007 - 6:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information solutions to the worldwide research and business communities, announced the availability of the July-September issue of "Who is Making the Biggest Splash?"

In this quarterly review of the scientific literature on drugs and therapies, Thomson Scientific has assessed the quantity and quality of the materials published by pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and other non-commercial bodies in the last three months to identify which organization has made the biggest splash. The report provides an objective assessment of how this volume of research is being received within the clinical community and to give expert measured insight into organizations that helped to shape professional opinions.

Third Quarter Findings

Novartis maintained its top position for the second quarter in a row. Researchers affiliated with the firm issued 96 abstracts or scientific posters between July and September 2007, an increase on the 82 articles identified in the previous quarter. The company continues to perform well, with a solid Thomson Source Score of 75.

"Our data shows that clinicians are avid consumers of medical literature that can provide them with information about the benefits and problems associated with specific disease treatments. And it's clear that the Big Pharma companies dominating our leader-board are getting their message across," said Larry Liberti, VP, General Manager, Thomson Pharmaceutical Services. "Through using innovative mapping services such as Thomson Message Mapping System(SM), pharmaceutical companies build stronger communication programs and make the most of their publications budget."

Other key findings include:

-- Although Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca have swapped their second and third positions, this quarter's top five companies were all in the top five
for the previous quarter.

-- Big Pharma features prominently, representing all entries except for the US National Institutes of Health and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, a growing biotechnology company.

-- Only one company, Janssen-Cilag (85%), exceeded a Thomson Source Score of 80%. -- The top eight entries are among the world's leading pharmaceutical companies.

-- The US National Institutes of Mental Health and Abbott Laboratories both dropped off the leader board this quarter, to be replaced by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Daiichi Sankyo

As a general assessment parameter, Thomson Source Scores of 80% or greater represent well-written articles based on solid science. While several companies approach this value (GlaxoSmithKline and Bristol-Myers Squibb with average values of 78%), Janssen-Cilag was the only organization among the top-15 that exceeded the 80% mark this quarter.

Findings are based on information compiled by the Thomson Message Mapping System(SM) which provides data to the pharmaceutical industry in real-time, evaluating specific drugs and therapies against competitors as new studies are being published. By applying proprietary algorithms to assess both the quantity and quality of scientific literature on drugs and therapies from the point of view of the practicing clinician, the Thomson Message Mapping System(SM) helps pharmaceutical companies measure the overall impact of published scientific information.

About The Thomson Corporation

The Thomson Corporation is a global leader in providing essential electronic workflow solutions to business and professional customers. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC).

Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson Corporation. Its information solutions assist professionals at every stage of research and development-from discovery to analysis to product development and distribution. Thomson Scientific information solutions can be found at http://www.scientific.thomson.com.