YourTimeForChange?

It's a classic marketing challenge. You've got a good product, but it's just like all the others. You weren't the first into the market, so you don't have brand name recognition. What do you do?

There are lots of prescription drugs for depression. It's one of the miracles of pharmacology. First, there was Prozac. But, of course, there couldn't be just one drug -- all the drug companies had to have one, to get a piece of the depression market. Wyeth wasn't the first on the market. And Lilly, the Prozac company, beat them to the "new-improved" space with Cymbalta, touted to be the first drug that replaces norepinephrine, as well as serotonin. So, now, what does Wyeth do to elbow into this mature market with their me-too Cymbalta-type drug, Effexor XR?

Well, they found a way. See, a particular drug doesn't always work for every patient. Doctors often have to try several with a patient before something clicks. So, Wyeth has just rolled out a TV-Internet campaign, suggesting that if you're taking an antidepressant and still have depression symptoms, it may be "Your time for a change." The TV spots mention no drug. The pitch is to talk to your doctor, and/or go see YourTimeForChange.com. The site doesn't mention a drug name either, just gives you information, offers you a checklist of symptoms, and talking points to use with your doctor. Subtle, no? Wyeth's name is on the TV spots and the site. Nothing illegal here. Oh, they do have another site, or at least a domain name, TheChangeYouDeserve.com, in a Google search ad, which takes you to the Effexor XR site.

You might call this the Ricochet School of Marketing -- finding work-arounds for a heavily regulated advertising marketplace. Wyeth is spending millions to, like, drop a few hints. As a public service? No, folks. Something tells me a depressed person already under a doctor's care would know to go back if she's not feeling better. Remembering that most meds take six or more weeks to kick in, right? And, of course, don't docs who prescribe powerful medicines know to tell you all these things? Ignore drug ads, folks. Things have gotten all out of balance. Focus on getting the most attention from your doctor.

GENES, ANTIDEPRESSANTS, AND THE HARD SELL.

How does your doctor decide which antidepressant to prescribe? Has yours ever ordered a genetic screening before writing a 'script? Mine didn't.

A Korean study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the condition of particular genes in seriously depressed patients apparently determined which antidepressants were effective in those patients. There was good reason to do this study. According to the study, 30% to 40% of initial depression treatment choices fail. If you want to wade through a little technical language, here's the University of Pennsylvania's MedPage report on the study -- I think it's readable, though it's meant for docs.

So, what'll it be? Cymbalta? Zoloft? Prozac? Celexa? Is your doc deciding based on who's selling her the hardest? Are you pushing for the one whose commercial music captivates you?

We could, I suppose, muscle our legislators to drain the FDA-Pharma multibillion-dollar drug marketing swamp. We could pressure our doctors to wake up and smell the hype, and be a little less quick with the prescription pad. But, in the short run, and the long, for that matter, the enemy is us. Wise up. Just say no to drug ads.

CYMBALTA MUSIC: IS IT SCHUMANN?

The drama continues. I don't have an accurate count of the Internet searchers who've wondered what the music is on the Cymbalta TV commercial, but it's a lot. Several commenters to my posts on the subject have suggested that the theme was heard in "Sophie's Choice," the movie, but until now, nobody has identified an actual piece of classical music by name. This week, an anonymous commenter has suggested it's a rearrangement of Robert Schumann's "Kinderszenen [Scenes from Childhood] Op. 15 No. 1 that was played in "Sophie's Choice" by Nathan while sitting on the piano bench with Sophie." Well, it could be. I went here and listened, and it sure sounds like the "composer" of the TV music created something that sounds very much like Schumann's piano piece. There are other places to listen. Just Google "Schumann" and the title above. Unless there's another very similar piece of music out there, I think we've solved the riddle. Just remember why I started posting about this...music and other attention-getting devices have nothing whatever to do with which medicine is right for you.

LINK: Other dehype posts on Cymbalta.

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