Pradaxa is progress but conduct a search for Pradaxa on Google and right on top in the paid search are two ads for law firms recruiting patients to sue fBoehringer Ingelheim because of side effects. Considering that almost 90% of people looking for health information via a search engine you would think that BI would at least try and address the issue but like most pharma companies they are ignoring this damaging online advertising.

In the past year, the use of infographics has exploded. In fact, there are entire websites and search engines devoted to them. If you aren’t sure what I mean by the term “infographic,” I’m referring to graphically interesting representations of data. Ideally, infographics (short for information graphics) present complex information in an easy-to-understand visual format. If you’d like to learn more, here’s a post on the history of infographics.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) agreed to pay $1.6 billion and plead guilty to violating a federal drug law to resolve allegations that the company improperly promoted antiseizure drug Depakote for unauthorized uses.

Companies in heavily regulated industries, such as financial services and pharmaceuticals, are looking for safer social-media options. While the promise of real-time engagement with customers is appealing, social presents regulatory challenges. Ad agencies must arm themselves with the proper information to help clients find the right balance between the creative use of social platforms and the security and controls required to meet complex compliance demands.

Handbook developed by PM Live focusing on how pharmaceutical companies are utilizing digital technologies for a range of purposes.