Sepracor boosts rep ranks for Lunesta

Medical Marketing and Media, Mar 2006 by Iskowitz, Marc

SEPRACOR IS expanding its sales force by 50% in an attempt to hit 2 million details for its insomnia drug Lunesta (eszopiclone), the company said.

The company is adding 450 primary-care reps to deliver 700,000 more details for the drug. Over 1.3 million Lunesta sales calls were delivered last year.

"Share of voice realities" prompted the move, said David Southwell, Sepracor EVP/CFO, during an earnings call.

Lunesta's market share dipped through December after two competing sleep aids were launched: Ambien CR-the controlled-release version of SanofiAventis' Ambien (zolpidem) -and Rozerem (ramelteon) from Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Sepracor's new reps, slated to hit the streets May 1, will raise the size of its primary-care sales force to 1,350. Two existing specialty sales groups bring the firm's total force to 1,850, with a CNS group detailing Lunesta to psychiatrists and sleep specialists while a second calls on specialists for asthma drug Xopenex.

The drug firm spent $186 million on Lunesta DTC from January to November, according to TNS Media Intelligence, while Sanofi-Aventis spent $108 million on Ambien.

Sanofi-Aventis would not discuss plans for its 3,000-strong sales force.

A Takeda spokesman said the firm will push ahead with its effort to educate primary-care doctors and some specialists on Rozerem before advertising to consumers later this year.

-Marc Iskowitz