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Just about anyone who has been in the public eye has a story of the media interview that went south. “I talked to that reporter for an hour and all they u

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

sed was a ten-second sound bite!” or, “He said he wanted to ask me about X when that was just a way to get in the door so he could talk about Y.” Chance

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

s are, the reporter came armed with questions and if he really did his homework, knew what answers to expect. You should be just as prepared. Media train

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

ng can’t make the tough questions go away, but it can give you the tools to control the interview. Here are some tips:

• Anticipate the toughest questions

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

and prepare/rehearse your answers in advance. Know going in what YOUR goal is for the interview. Are you releasing new information or reacting to an eve

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

t or story that’s already out there?

• Be able to cover key points in a conversational manner. Don’t memorize. It will sound like it.

• Collect informat

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

ion from the reporter before the interview…

What is the deadline?

What is the story about? What is the hook/interest angle?

How do I fit into the story

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

What do you want? Quote? Statement? Interview?

Who else have you spoken with? What did they say? (This will also give an indication of where the stor

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

y is heading. Are the other interviewees credible?)

What documents do you have have/need? (Does the reporter have a document you haven’t seen? Have the

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

fax or e-mail a copy before the interview.)

When will the story run? How long will it be? (There’s a big difference between a minute-thirty TV news sto

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

ry, and a long, background article in the morning paper.)

• Have a mini-tape recorder handy. Tell the reporter that you’ll be taping the interview, so yo

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

u have a copy of what is said. This lets her know you’re not a rookie.

• Beware of the reporter on a “fishing expedition”. Wide-ranging, vague questions

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

can be tricky and potentially dangerous. Reporters are fond of “What if” scenarios or “Could it happen here?” Clarify what she’s going for. “I think wh

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

at you’re asking is…” It’s O.K. to admit you don’t understand the question or can’t predict the future. If you find the interview veering off-course, br

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

ng it back on track. “You said we’d be talking about X and I’ll be happy to answer your questions about that.”

• Don’t say “off the record” or believe so

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

mething will be “off the record.” There’s no such thing as “off the record.”

• Use simple terminology. If the subject is complicated, and the reporter i

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

not up to speed, provide a simple verbal primer on the topic before the interview begins or give the reporter a handout of key information.

• Practice.

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

Attend media training. See yourself on camera so you know what the audience will see.

The simple strategy of “tell ‘em what you’re gonna to tell ‘em, tell

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

‘em, and then tell ‘em what you told ‘em” is tried and true when it comes to the media interview. That leads to another tip. Know when to stop talking.

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Advice You - Media Training 201: The Reporters Have Done Their Homework. Have You Done Yours?

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