PM360 Magazine Announces Winners Of 2018 Trailblazer Awards

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PM360, a leading health marketing industry trade magazine, recognized the best innovators in the pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and biotech industries with their 10^th annual Trailblazer Awards Gala on Thursday, September 14, 2018. The honors, bestowed at a gala banquet at Gotham Hall in Manhattan, are given to outstanding companies, marketers, brand managers, and cutting-edge initiatives.

Emmy-award winning actress, comedian, and writer Judy Gold once again served as the emcee of the evening, keeping the attendees at the sold-out Gotham Hall entertained while PM360 handed out 49 total awards. Following the presentation of the awards, attendees took to the dance floor to let loose until the clock struck midnight.

"Every year we are thrilled to not only recognize the incredible accomplishments of those in this industry, but to also offer all of these hard-working individuals a celebration worthy of their achievements," says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. "These marketers and companies have found exciting and innovative new ways to help healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers improve how they communicate with each other and treat and diagnose diseases in order to improve patient outcomes."

As always, the awards honor work from over the past year based on different criteria for each major category including Company of Year (innovation, talent development, and social responsibility), Brand Champions (innovation, leadership, communication, analytical, and organizational skills), and Initiatives (content, format, success in reaching targeted audience, and overall quality). Additionally, the Marketer of the Year award singles out the individual who best exemplifies the most insightful, forward-thinking, and transformative marketing ideas, and actions in the industry, while the Marketing Team award recognizes the group who best met those qualifications. The entries are judged and winners selected by the PM360 Editorial Advisory Board, a cross section of experts from across the industry.

New this year, PM360 established the Vanguard Award to recognize an industry pioneer who developed a new service, strategy, product, or technology that greatly impacted the industry. This award was given to MediSolutions Chairman Joshua Lapsker, who invented the concept of advertising inside the prescription pad 35 years ago. Today, every third script written is on one of the company's branded prescription pads.

PM360 honored another industry veteran, Sander Flaum, Principal of Flaum Navigators, with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. Sander began his career in the industry at Lederle Laboratories, which merged into Wyeth and then Pfizer. He would go on to become Chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG Becker (now Havas Life) before launching Flaum Navigators in 2004, where he continues to encourage and coach his clients to embrace disruptive innovation in marketing, sales, and leadership. Sander has innovated such blockbuster drugs as Plavix, Flomax, Ativan, BuSpar, and Mobic and is known for several innovative strategies including creating the first persistency program, the first patient guarantee program, the first indigent patient program, and the first "War Games" program.    

"Sander has made his mark in this industry as a business leader, marketing and sales effectiveness coach, motivational speaker, and best-selling author of four leadership books including his recent book for rising stars, Boost Your Career," adds Stashower. "He has helped countless individuals to excel in their careers and become great leaders in their own right, and he continues to push companies to think differently and change how they operate." 

Some of the night's other big winners included AbbVie as this year's Pharmaceutical or Biotech Company of the Year Gold Winner, while Astellas took home Silver in the same category. The Medical Device/Diagnostics Company of the Year Gold Winner was Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, and DePuy Synthes was named the Silver Winner. Additionally, LEO Pharma was named the Specialty Pharma Company of the Year with Salix Pharmaceuticals being named the Silver Winner in the category.

This year's Marketer of the Year is Kendra Fanara, Director of Marketing, Cross Platform and Patient Marketing, Johnson & Johnson. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk's Patient Marketing & Digital Health Innovation Team was named the Marketing Team of the Year, along with their agency partners Verint Systems Inc. and HyperPointe.

PM360 will publish profiles of this year's Trailblazer winners in its October issue.

This year's PM360 Trailblazer winners include:

PM360's LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT
Sander Flaum, Principal, Flaum Navigators

PM360's VANGUARD AWARD RECIPIENT
Joshua Lapsker, Chairman, MediSolutions

MARKETER OF THE YEAR
Kendra Fanara, Director of Marketing, Cross Platform and Patient Marketing, Johnson & Johnson

MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
Patient Marketing & Digital Health Innovation (Novo Nordisk, Agency Partners: Verint Systems Inc., HyperPointe)

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: PHARMACEUTICAL/BIOTECH: SILVER WINNER
Astellas Pharma US, Inc. 

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: PHARMACEUTICAL/BIOTECH: GOLD WINNER
AbbVie

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: MEDICAL DEVICE/DIAGNOSTICS: SILVER WINNER
DePuy Synthes

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: MEDICAL DEVICE/DIAGNOSTICS: GOLD WINNER
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: SPECIALTY PHARMA/BIOTECH: SILVER WINNER
Salix Pharmaceuticals

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: SPECIALTY PHARMA/BIOTECH: GOLD WINNER
LEO Pharma

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: ADVERTISING AGENCY: SILVER WINNER
Calcium

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: ADVERTISING AGENCY: GOLD WINNER
Snow Companies

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: SUPPLIER/VENDOR: SILVER WINNER
Skipta

COMPANY OF THE YEAR: SUPPLIER/VENDOR: GOLD WINNER
PatientPoint

BRAND CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS

Autoimmune: Helen Gray, Medical Director, EMD Serono Research and Development Institute, Inc.
Cardiology: Chuck Hrushka, Executive Director of Marketing, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
Central Nervous System: Edward Banfe, Associate Director, Neurology Marketing, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dermatology: Sandy Sexton, Director, Consumer Marketing, Regeneron Healthcare Solutions
Diabetes/Metabolic Disorders: Stephanie Wenstrup, Marketing Director, Cardiovascular and Metabolics, AstraZeneca
Diversity/Multicultural: Betty Webb, Manager, Patient Marketing & Digital Health Innovation, Novo Nordisk
Gastrointestinal: Kevin Johnston, Director, Sales and Marketing Operations, Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Hematology/Oncology: Jessica Hayes, Director NET Marketing, Novartis
Infectious Disease: Robert Ashton, Senior Director – Marketing and Commercial Operations, Theravance Biopharma
Innovation: Natalie Mancuso, Associate Director, Marketing, Regeneron
Managed Markets: Larry Labagnara, Director, Managed Markets Marketing, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals
Medical Device/Diagnostics: Sarah Foster, Enterprise Website Global Marketing Director, Eli Lilly and Company
Men's Health: Chris Horvath, Director of Marketing, Prostate Cancer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals
Ophthalmology/Optometry: Santos Torres, Jr., Director of Marketing, Bausch + Lomb
Pain/Inflammation: Matteo Trotta, Head of Marketing, Rheumatology PsA, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Rare Diseases: Bonnie Ben-Shmuel, Director, Planning and Innovation, Pfizer Rare Disease
Respiratory: Denise Strauss, Former Vice President, Marketing, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals
Women's Health: Tonya Conklin, Associate Director, Marketing, AbbVie

INITIATIVE WINNERS

APP/DIGITAL SOLUTION OR SUITE
MNG Health Media Hub (MNG Health)

CONSUMER WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE
COOLIEF Website www.mycoolief.com (Halyard Health, AbelsonTaylor)

DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER CAMPAIGN
"Silence Sucks" (Sage Therapeutics, Concentric Health Experience)

DIRECT-TO-PATIENT CAMPAIGN
Clear Path Campaign (AstraZeneca, Patients & Purpose)

HCP EDUCATION
TREMFYA Mixed-Media VR Episodes – LIVE IN MY SKIN (Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Confideo Labs, Xavier Creative House)

INTERACTIVE MARKETING PROGRAM
Ask Sophia Digital Assistant (Novo Nordisk, Verint Systems Inc., HyperPointe)

PATIENT/CONSUMER EDUCATION
ViiV Healthcare Go2Events (ViiV Healthcare, Snow Companies, Havas Tonic)

PERSISTENCE/ADHERENCE PROGRAM
Inspire+ App (Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Atlantis Healthcare, Pixel Light Digital Media)

POINT OF CARE
Mydayis Go Early Program (Shire, Intouch Solutions)

PRODUCT/SERVICE LAUNCH
ZILRETTA "Meet Your Match" (Flexion Therapeutics, Dudnyk)

PROFESSIONAL CAMPAIGN
HyperRAB (300 IU/mL) (Grifols, Elevate Healthcare)

PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE/ONLINE INITIATIVE
RELiZORB (Alcresta, W2O)

SALES AID
HER Interactive Sales Aid (AbbVie, Intouch Solutions)

SELF-PROMOTION
"Make It Matter" (Concentric Health Experience)

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Fractured Truth Campaign (Radius, Patients & Purpose)

UNBRANDED CAMPAIGN
The Wrestler (Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Klick Health)

VIDEO/TV CAMPAIGN
Myrbetriq "Keep On Dancing" (Astellas Pharma US, Pathway, FCB Health, Katalyst and Golin)

About PM360

PM360 is the premier, must-read magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics industries. Published monthly, PM360 is the only journal that focuses on delivering the full spectrum of practical information necessary for product managers and pharmaceutical marketing professionals to succeed in the complex and highly regulated healthcare environment.

The journal's targeted and insightful editorial focuses on issues that directly impact critical decision making, including: Planning and implementation of cutting-edge strategies, trends, the latest technological advances, branding/marketing, advertising/promotion, patient/professional education, sales, market research, PR, and leadership. Additionally, the "360" in the title signifies the span of this critical, how-to info with personal and career insights for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

By providing the full circle of enriching content, PM360 is truly an indispensable tool for busy and productive marketing professionals to stay at the top of their game.

Contact:
Andrew Matthius
PM360
[email protected]

SOURCE PM360