Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 2015?

Discussion in 'Otsuka' started by Anonymous, Jan 15, 2013 at 11:01 AM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest


  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    The depot will get prescribed in a limited manner. Definitely not to the level that Otsuka thinks. The reason you would come here is if you buy into their 20 year plan with their pipeline and collaborating companies pipeline. They have a plan and so now you have to decide if they will be able execute that plan. Of course there will be road bumps ahead like there always are, but at least they have a plan and have shared it with everyone.
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    better question is why are you looking if you have this "dream job and dream boss?"
    regardless disregard the previous idiots comment about 20 year plan.
    The depot will do well, the oral does 4billion plus a year and psychs are very comfortable with the molecule and clean profile. Janssens 2 injectables do over a billion a year! Everyone needs to stop thinking of successful drugs as billion dollar products- those days are GONE- everything is more specialized and costs/payers are constantly under pressure so if you bring a product to market and make 250M year one etc etc then all is well- that is as long as you dont have 1000 people selling it and those days too are long gone.
    Do your homework dude and check it out- there are other products this company will launch in the next 2-3 years, maybe 2 products! Not many companies saying that!
    It's a good gig with good people and solid leadership- there's always corporate BS to deal with but no running from that and I find it to be far less then I have ever experienced in my near 20 years in the industry. Good luck
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    It's a pipe dream if you think the Depot has a chance to do $250 mill year one etc etc etc
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    Very true. Short answer to accepting a job here is for the pay check. If you can see through the incompetent mgrs, the micro mgmt and all the other useless BS, maybe just maybe you can last a little while before you burn out.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    Thanks for your post except for one point. You are making up your own quote when you say "dream job" and "dream boss." I never said that. I just said that I had a good job and a boss that I like. Nothing more, nothing less. When one is contacted by a recruiter, there is nothing wrong with checking out another opportunity, even if you are relatively happy in your current job.

    So tell me this, which future pipeline product has the potential to make up for the complete loss of Abilify tablets in 2015? That is a huge hit to take for a company basically dependent on one product.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    There are many different CNS compunds in the pipeline. Otsuka is going to heavily rely on the "son of Abilify" to be transformed into another blockbuster product. There definitely are not drugs coming to launch that will make up the $5billion they will lose upon patent expiration but they will do their best to replace it.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    So as a new hire, what should expect with the company culture here?
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    The culture is what you mentally want it to be. If you are ok with doing tons of dinner programs and brining in Pharm D's to lunches that is one aspect. The metrics, which all companies have is a total game to play. The reps in urban cities can easily get 8.5 calls per day. Rural reps much harder to do. You must place heavy emphasis on your Q3-Q5 doctors and you get dinged if you dont hit a call percentage. Even if your numbers are at 100 percent to goal. Those are just some of the metric BS. But again all pharma companies do that! Managers like any company vary, some go by the book, others are realists and let you do your thing for the most part in the field. Otsuka likes to say they are different. But in reality with so many upper management types brought in from other Big Pharma companies they are kidding themselves. They are big on the new technology, thus the Ipad, I phones etc. And as previous posters have said have a bunch of new compounds that are in various phase trialsl

    I guess if you can put up with the metrics and get a decent manager this is a ok company to go to. First year you get 20 days off, year 2, 24 by year 3, 26.
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    The problem is that if you lose $4B a couple of $250M drugs doesn't support all the reps, the marketing budget including DTC, and other bottom line expenses. Their primary plan is to get "son" of Abilify to eventually replace the $4B. If that doesn't happen, its lay-off time.
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    the lay-off discussion is just stupid- granted for the individual who is external and looking let me shed some light. We had BMS co-promoting Abilify and that relationship has ended with Otsuka buying out the remainder of that contract. There were over 500 people selling Abilify from BMS. Otsuka went ahead and hired 230 people to continue to support Abilify for the next few years- thats half of what BMS had so the downsizing has happened and BMS was the brunt of that- now we did go ahead and hired a number of good BMS folks for obvious reason. In 2 years it is likely the depot and abilify teams will come together in new territories with both products in the bag all the while launching a new product at around the same time. Hopefully this gives you some insight into the how/why we are going about the business and managing head count.
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    Save the garb pal. Translation is this place is a recipe for disaster.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    Let me see if I follow your logic. You are saying that cutting the sales force in half will absorb the cost of future loss of revenue? That works if the cost of these reps are equal to the amount of lost revenue. However, 500 reps bringing in $4.5B for Abilify and 230 reps bringing in $500M for depot and son of Abilify is not a winning formula. Cutting 270 reps does not absorb the lost of $4B in revenue.

    You look at most companies who lose a MAJOR product to generic and lay-offs soon follow. I know that Otsuka is "different". Perhaps they are OK with making less money.

    The bottom line is no one can predict whether lay offs will happen or not. But anyone who simply says a discussion about lay-offs is stupid is either stupid themselves, in denial, naive, drinking too much kool-aid, or outright lying.
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    This company is mass chaos. Hiring way too many people. We are all tripping over each other. Both teams coming together in 2015? There are currently 4 reps and a nurse in each territory. Was told that this company is different. Don't let them fool you, it is big pharma micro-management. Just another small company touting that they are different. Doesn't feel much different that any of the other big Pharma Companies that I have worked for.
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    well said. lots of talking the talk but i don`t see any walking the walk. within next 12 months this place will be just as toxic as pfizer or bms.
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    Of course it will be. Lots of Pfizer and BMS people are here. Why would anyone think that this place wpuld turn out any differently?
     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    Spot on post. The Depot teams are getting frustrated and some are taking it out on the tab reps, who are already calling on accounts that the Depot reps need to see as well. While the tab team is desperate for samples, the higher ups gave boxes and boxes of the higher does of Abilify to the Depot group. Most of them never sample or use them? It is a total cluster F... or will be very soon.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    I keep hearing about the culture being different, yet nobody can describe how it's different. Seems like my old days at Pfizer and I left there because it got so bad.
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    The difference is that these guys think they are different. Which is actually worse.

    You have managers in the field and home office who have been with BMS or Pfizer for years. When you're at big pharma for years, that's all you know. It's what you revert back to.

    So when you come here, you think you're lean, innovative, and different but you end up reverting back to what you know. The result? A bunch of arrogant people who think they are creating something new, but lack the awareness that they are just doing the same thing. That's fine if you have the same resources as big pharma. If you don't its a recipe for disaster.
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Re: Serious question: Why would I want to join Otsuka if Abilify goes generic in 201

    The culture is not in the least bit different. They say they are not big pharma, and they are. The bonus structure for a highly competitive sales organization with many generics, is subpar.

    Micromanagement, trackers, constant tests, programs, 8.5 calls a day plus, many primary care targets that don't write atypicals, etc.