Main Subject - Internet and Businesses Online

A few years ago, when I first started seeing HTML e-zines in my inbox, I admit I was jealous. They were attractive, attention getting, snazzy. They made my text e-zines look boring.

But my mind

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

fought the idea of upgrading my own. "My readers appreciate my e-zine for its content," I told myself. "They don't need some slick design to get their attention. They just want my information, straig

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

t up. Publishing in HTML won't make a difference."

I was wrong.

Well, I was right that my readers receive my e-zine for its content. After all, that's why they subscribed — for my concise,

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

how-to articles.

But I was mistaken that a better "presentation" wouldn't make a difference.

After much deliberation, I decided to give HTML a whirl. I had my e-zine professionally designed

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

in HTML, featuring my logo, colors, and photo.

And when I sent out my first HTML issue, I was blown away by the responses:

"Thank you! It's so much easier on the eyes."

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

i>"Your e-zine now gets my attention instantly, and makes me want to read it right away."

"This makes such an impact!"

"I get dozens of text e-zines that all look the same, and no

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

yours stands out."

Now, I'm not saying that publishing in HTML is the answer for everyone. But you should definitely consider it. Let's take a closer look...

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

Text Versus HTML: Round One >>

First off, let's all agree that it's ridiculously easy to publish in text. That's a good thing.

If you're just beginning your e-zine and are a bit overwhelmed

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

text is a great place to start. You can then focus on developing great content and publishing on a regular basis, without worrying about HTML design and coding snafus.

Text also gives you compl

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

ete freedom and flexibility — you can add new sections and delete others any time you feel like it, without having to redesign your entire e-zine.

But let's face it: There are hundreds of thousa

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

ds of text e-zines out there that all look the same. I subscribe to 30+ text e-zines, and they all seem to lump together in my e-mail inbox.

The ones that catch my eye and make me read on — they

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

're HTML.

<< Let's Look at the Facts >>

"Okay, okay," you say. "I know HTML e-zines look great. But do they get better results?"

I'll let these statistics answer that q

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

estion:

HTML e-zines are read MORE OFTEN than plain text e-zines.

HTML e-zines have a higher CLICK-THROUGH rate. (That is, people are more likely to click on any lin

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

ks you provide to your site or sales offers.)

HTML e-zines reinforce your BRAND by carrying the same look as your Web site and other marketing materials with your logo, colors, et

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

HTML e-zines allow you to TRACK your readership by showing how many people on your list actually open each e-zine you send.

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

If you Want to Publish in HTML >>

A year or two ago it just wasn't safe to publish in HTML, because the people on your list with older e-mail programs (about 20-30% of your readership) wouldn't

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

e able to read it. These people would only see a bunch of gibberish code.

But now there's a technology that effortlessly jumps this hurdle: multi-part MIME. This protocol automatically displays

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

the HTML version to your readers who can view HTML e-mail, and an automatic text backup to those who can't.

So if you want to make the jump to HTML, make sure any list service or list software y

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

u choose offers multi-part MIME technology. They may just call it "text backup" in their marketing copy.

It's also nice if you can offer your readers a choice in what they want to receive. Why?

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

While I got dozens of compliments and thank-yous after switching to HTML, I also got a few people asking if they could still receive my e-zine in TEXT! Go figure... ;

(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brow

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.mainsubjects.org.ua/article/63675/mainsubjects-Should-You-Upgrade-Your-Ezine-From-Text-to-HTML.html">Should You Upgrade Your E-zine From Text to HTML?</a>

BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.mainsubjects.org.ua/article/63675/mainsubjects-Should-You-Upgrade-Your-Ezine-From-Text-to-HTML.html]Should You Upgrade Your E-zine From Text to HTML?[/url]

Some exhibitors tend to be oblivious of the little things that they should consider during their exhibits. These little things actually help a lot in the success of such exhibits.

Step by step instructions to get up to 2/3rds of the people you meet at a networking event to call you for an appointment.

Choosing a company name may be a simple snap decision. For other companies many hours are spent deliberating over how what the company should be called and what the name conveys about the organisation to its clients. There are several approaches that may be taken when deciding which type of company name to choose.

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