Types of Interactions with Healthcare Professionals
Healthcare professionals are our valued partners in helping to develop and bring
new medicines to market that address the unmet medical needs of patients. Below,
learn about the different ways in which we interact with healthcare professionals.
Peer-to-Peer Educational Speaker Programs
Cephalon contracts with select healthcare professionals to conduct speaker programs
that inform and educate their peers about the benefits, risks, and appropriate uses
of our products, as well as the latest scientific advances in related therapeutic
areas. We select these individuals based on their high level of clinical expertise
and experience and their standing within the medical community. We do not select
speakers based on prescribing activity, nor do we place any expectations on future
use of our products.
Cephalon-sponsored speaker program presentations are consistent with laws, regulations,
guidelines, and FDA-approved product labeling, and all speakers receive extensive
training on delivering appropriate programs. In accordance with fair market value
guidelines, speakers are paid fees for delivering such programs to their peers,
and may receive fees for participating in training sessions. Where appropriate,
speakers are reimbursed for reasonable travel-related expenses related to conducting
these programs. In accordance with the PhRMA Code, Cephalon caps the total amount
of fees paid to individual healthcare professionals in connection with conducting
Company-sponsored speaker programs.
Modest meals may be provided to program attendees in conjunction with such programs,
which are in accordance with the PhRMA Code. Meal costs are allocated to healthcare
professionals who attend programs, and are reported as Educational Meals. Attendees
are not paid fees to attend speaker programs.
Advisory and Consulting Services
Healthcare professionals play a vital role in helping us identify and better understand
unmet medical needs. We contract with them to advise us on how they are working
with their patients and other healthcare professionals to manage disease and how
we might develop our medications to respond to any unmet needs they have identified.
With the help of these healthcare professionals, the products we offer today may
help patients in unseen ways in the future.
We only contract with healthcare professionals when there is a legitimate business
need that they can address and are uniquely qualified to satisfy. We do not select
advisors or consultants based on prescribing activity, nor do we place any expectations
on future use of our products. We always pay fair market value for the services
they provide. Where appropriate, advisors and consultants are reimbursed for reasonable
travel-related expenses related to providing such services.
Clinical Research
Cephalon is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that is committed to innovation.
We employ our own researchers, and we often enter into relationships with healthcare
professionals, hospitals, universities, and contract research organizations to perform
clinical trials and other sponsored research. We act with the utmost integrity in
our research and our activities always follow good clinical and laboratory practices
as required by law and regulation.
Learn more about our clinical trials.
Cephalon-Sponsored Studies
Any program or activity for which Cephalon takes the responsibility for the initiation,
management, data analysis, and/or financing.
Investigator-Sponsored Studies
Investigator-sponsored studies (ISSs) are independent, investigator-initiated studies
in which the principal investigator (PI) serves as both sponsor and investigator.
ISSs are usually small in scale and are conducted to generates scientific hypotheses.
ISSs complement Company-sponsored development programs by exploring strategic areas
of research interest and furthering the scientific understanding of our products.
Travel-Related Expenses
When conducting services on behalf of Cephalon, such as conducting peer-to-peer
educational programs or performing advisory or consulting services, healthcare professionals
may incur travel-related expenses, e.g., transportation and meals. Cephalon directly
pays for or reimburses healthcare professionals for such expenses, provided they
are reasonable and are directly related to the services being provided.
Cephalon does not pay for or reimburse expenses related to recreation, entertainment,
or any expenses related to a spouse or guest who may accompany a healthcare professional
while traveling.
Educational Meals
Cephalon provides modest meals to healthcare professionals, so that we can provide
them with information relevant to our products or disease states so that they make
independent and informed judgments about whether it is appropriate to prescribe
our products. Meals are never given to healthcare professionals in an attempt to
reward prescribing habits or to influence a healthcare professional's objectivity.
All meals provided by Cephalon to healthcare professionals are in accordance with
the PhRMA Code.
In light of the fact that healthcare professionals often have hectic schedules that
require them to balance patient care and other responsibilities, our representatives
present scientific or educational information during meal times. On such occasions,
we permit our representatives to provide a modest meal to healthcare professionals
and staff who attend the presentations, as long as it is deemed conducive to the
exchange of information, and does not present any entertainment or recreational
benefits to healthcare professionals.
Meals may also be provided in conjunction with Company-sponsored peer-to-peer educational
speaker programs in which a contracted healthcare professional provides medical
or scientific information to a group of other healthcare professionals on behalf
of Cephalon.
Educational Items
Cephalon occasionally provides items to healthcare professionals that are educational
in nature and enhance patient care or advance health education. These items are
designed for the education of healthcare professionals or patients, such as medical
text books or clinical treatment guidelines. Such educational items are deemed appropriate
only if they are not of substantial financial value and do not offer value to healthcare
professionals outside their professional duties. All items provided by Cephalon
to healthcare professionals are in accordance with the PhRMA Code.
View Q&A regarding our relationship with healthcare professionals.