Leading pharma analytics company and MCS client Qforma (www.qforma.com) was featured this week in NJBIZ, in a section called “Making It,” which profiles how different NJ businesses are handling the economic downturn’s challenges and opportunities.  Al Reicheg, Qforma’s Chief Commercial Officer, was interviewed and photographed for the full-page article, which appeared in yesterday’s issue of NJBIZ. The article explores the colorful history, unique services and recent success of this company, which has offices in Princeton and SantaFe. Check out this week’s issue to read the full article, which NJBIZ subscribers can also access online by clicking here: http://www.njbiz.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83689:targeted-marketing-keeps-firms-on-track&catid=135:other-news&Itemid=2

In June 2010, MCS conducted media relations activities for client MannKind Corporation at the American Diabetes Association’s 70th Scientific Sessions, where Phase III data were being presented for MannKind’s lead investigational product, AFREZZA™ – a novel, ultra rapid acting insulin being developed for adult patients with diabetes that is currently under regulatory review by the FDA.

MCS’ mission was to seize the spotlight from other significant ADA news, including major, controversial clinical trials, to help build awareness of AFREZZA within the diabetes community. To ensure that AFREZZA was one of the meeting’s top newsmakers, MCS leveraged the 12 AFREZZA abstracts that were being presented at ADA, one of which included an abstract highlighted in The Lancet, the world’s leading medical journal, and presented during a special ADA symposium. Highlighting AFREZZA’s unique attributes and the latest clinical findings, MCS developed press materials and conducted remote and onsite media relations to secure 10 interviews for MannKind executives and positive coverage in dozens of top mainstream, trade and social media outlets, including FOX News, Medscape Medical News, XM Radio and the blog Diabetes Mine, reaching an audience of over 400 million to date.

For the 8^th consecutive year, MCS is proudly providing PR support to Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW) on behalf of our client Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA), a national nonprofit group dedicated to the prevention, early detection and research of head and neck cancers.  The HNCA is sponsoring the 13^th annual OHANCAW nationwide April 12-18, 2010.

In addition to its primary mission of promoting awareness of head and neck cancer and providing free cancer screenings and other activities the HNCA is this year endeavoring to educate the public on a newly emerging risk factor associated with these cancers.  Citing the now well-established link between oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cancers of the tongue, throat and tonsils, the HNCA has expanded its list of at-risk populations for these cancers to include sexually active adults who engage in common sexual behaviors, such as open-mouth kissing and oral sex. Tobacco and alcohol use continue to be major risk factors for cancers of the oral cavity, head and neck.

More than 140 sites nationwide will offer free oral, head and neck cancer screenings to the public during OHANCAW 2010.  More information about head and neck cancer, OHANCAW, the free screenings and other activities can be found at www.OHANCAW.com.

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MCS conducted media relations for MannKind Corporation at the American Diabetes Association’s 69th Scientific Sessions in June 2009, where Phase III data was being presented for MannKind’s lead investigational product, AFRESA® – a novel, ultra-rapid-acting insulin for patients with diabetes.

MCS’ challenge was to seize the spotlight from other significant ADA news, including major, controversial clinical trials, in an effort to help build awareness of AFRESA within the diabetes community. To ensure that MannKind was one of the meeting’s top newsmakers, MCS maximized the opportunity afforded by the 11 AFRESA abstracts that were accepted for ADA. Highlighting AFRESA’s novel attributes, MCS developed press materials and conducted media relations to secure eight interviews for MannKind executives and positive coverage in dozens of top mainstream, trade and social media outlets, including CNBC, Review of Endocrinology and the blog Diabetes Mine.

In May 2009, MCS helped its client Qforma, an advanced analytics and predictive modeling company, launch a database called Most Influential Doctors (MID), presented by USA TODAY, the nation’s number-one newspaper. MID is a first-of-its-kind online database that directs consumers to the top 3 to 5 physicians for treating chronic conditions in virtually every U.S. region. These physicians are objectively identified through advanced data analysis as the community medical leaders whom other health providers seek out for insight on new therapies and medical approaches. The goal of MID is to empower consumers to make more informed decisions about their healthcare. MCS’ goal was to extend MID and Qforma messaging to consumer and trade audiences, nationally and locally. MCS employed numerous tactics that resulted in widespread coverage, reaching an audience of over 6.4 million, plus the 4 billion daily visitors to the 188 media web sites where the Qforma/MID press release was posted. Starting with a front-page story in USA Today, coverage included top trade publications such as Medical Marketing & Media, and also dozens of local outlets such as The Arizona Republic that profiled the MIDs in their communities, giving grassroots momentum to this initiative.