SDI Reports: Sanofi-aventis U.S. Joins Ranks of Merck and GlaxoSmithKline as Three Companies Most Respected by Pediatricians, According to SDI Pharmaceutical Company Image Study

Sanofi-aventis U.S. was named the third-most respected pharmaceutical company by pediatricians who participated in SDI’s Pharmaceutical Company Image 2009, a comprehensive analysis of pharmaceutical company and industry image as perceived by key healthcare professionals.

The company significantly improved from its sixth-place ranking in 2008. Merck and GlaxoSmithKline were ranked first and second overall, respectively, according to pediatricians in both years’ studies.

“It is noteworthy that pediatricians’ opinions of sanofi-aventis U.S. were elevated so much in the course of one year,” said Heather Alba, SDI Senior Product Manager. “Pediatricians may have been responding to sanofi-aventis’ increased detailing efforts and events geared toward them in the past year.”

Sanofi-aventis U.S. was named a top company by 134 pediatricians in 2009, compared to 92 in 2008. Merck was named by 293 pediatricians and GlaxoSmithKline by 210. When physicians were asked why sanofi-aventis was one of the companies they held in highest esteem, almost 40% of respondents mentioned sanofi-aventis’ vaccines or immunization support.

Sanofi-aventis U.S.’ detailing efforts and communications aimed at pediatricians increased 45% in the 12 months ending April 2009, compared to the 12 prior months, according to SDI’s Personal Selling Audit/Hospital Personal Selling Audit. During these details, pediatricians were most likely to hear about sanofi-aventis’ relatively new DTaP/IPV/HIBa vaccine Pentacel or the nasal allergy treatment Xyzal.

Sanofi-aventis U.S.-sponsored meetings and events for pediatricians increased almost 72% in the same time period, according to another SDI service, the Physician Meeting & Event Audit. Almost half of these events promoted Pentacel or Xyzal.

SDI’s Company Image 2009 surveyed nearly 10,000 participants in March and April 2009 from a number of key healthcare audiences, including physicians from 29 specialties, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, medical directors, and pharmacy executives, as well as consumers, regarding their opinions of the pharmaceutical industry and industry trends.

The 2009 version represents the 10th edition of this landmark study that enables market researchers and brand management to:

• Evaluate a company's overall image relative to market success and increases in prescribing.
• Validate corporate initiatives to promote overall company image.
• Understand the importance of company attributes among key customer groups.
• Identify whether direct-to-consumer advertising drives consumer perceptions of pharmaceutical manufacturers.

About SDI

Since 1982, SDI has been delivering innovative healthcare data products and analytic services to the pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, medical device, financial services, and consumer packaged goods industries. SDI is the leading provider of de-identified patient-level data analytics and offers a broad array of solutions and insights across the continuum of care. These include custom and syndicated patient-level data studies; localized disease and treatment surveillance and projection; market research audits; healthcare profiles; comprehensive managed care offerings; clinical trial optimization; direct-to-patient pharmacy programs; marketing effectiveness; sales targeting and compensation products; data integration, warehousing, and mining; list services; and direct marketing services. Its current roster includes the top 50 pharmaceutical/biotech companies. For more information, visit www.sdihealth.com or call 610.834.0800.