Novartis Keeps Top Spot for Managed Care Business Strategy, Scott-Levin Reports

Business Wire, May 14, 2002

Health/Medical Writers

NEWTOWN, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--May 14, 2002

For the second consecutive year, managed care pharmacy executives participating in Scott-Levin's The Strategic Advantage study have given Novartis top honors for its overall managed care business strategy.

Respondents to the spring 2002 study were asked to identify companies with the best and worst managed care business strategies. Rankings were based on net scores.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Rank                          Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   1.                           Novartis
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   2.                           Aventis
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   3.                           Abbott
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   3.                           Merck
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   5.                       GlaxoSmithKline
----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCE:  Scott-Levin, The Strategic Advantage: A Competitive View of
Managed Care Sales Forces, Spring 2002

Novartis finished No. 1 in five of the study's eight assessment categories: business strategy, follow-up, empowerment, contract-approval process and pricing. The remaining three categories were sales representative training, representative turnover and conveying the managed care message to physicians (or pull-through).

In 2001, Novartis took the top spot in two of the eight categories: follow-up and managed care business strategy.

Scott-Levin panelists singled out Novartis for its working relationship with managed care, account managers, knowledge and value-added services.

Aventis, which ranked among the top five in all eight assessment areas, held onto the second-place spot for its managed care business strategy. Panelists praised Aventis for understanding the needs of managed care organizations, willingness to partner and program offerings.

Abbott moved up one spot, to third place, in the business strategy category. Panelists complimented the company for its willingness to partner with managed care organizations, support for appropriate antibiotic use programs and relationships.

The number of companies rated in The Strategic Advantage varied by assessment area and ranged from 21 to 32.

The Strategic Advantage provides in-depth profiles of over 40 of the leading U.S. pharmaceutical companies' managed care and long-term care sales forces. The profiles detail the sizes and structures of these sales teams, training, account and product responsibilities, e-mail usage, and much more. This study also includes image assessment ranking tables.

Scott-Levin provides quarterly company updates to clients of The Strategic Advantage. The study is fully updated each spring.

For more information about The Strategic Advantage or any other Scott-Levin managed care product, please contact Tom Ciampa at tom.ciampa@scottlevin.com or Kim Caccese at kim.caccese@scottlevin.com. Phone: 215/860-0440; fax: 215/860-5477.

About Scott-Levin

Scott-Levin provides consulting services to more than 100 U.S. and international pharmaceutical clients. These services monitor key areas such as product promotion, industry trends, retail pharmacy activity, market performance, managed care and government affairs.

Scott-Levin's market research audits and strategic studies cover detailing, meetings and events, direct-to-consumer advertising, journal advertising, and other media. Taken together, Scott-Levin products can give clients the most accurate possible picture of total pharmaceutical promotion.

Scott-Levin is part of Quintiles Transnational (Nasdaq: QTRN), which helps improve health care worldwide by providing a broad range of professional services, information and partnering solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and health care industries.

Headquartered near Research Triangle Park, N.C., Quintiles is a member of the S&P 500 and Fortune 1000. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.quintiles.com.