I can't wait to leave this company either!!! Everyone thinks we have a major accomplishment with the commercial! That still doesn't negate the fact that Florastor is old and is being used less than other probiotics on the market! The commercial is 5 years too late! The reason why 99.9999% of the employees are still with Biocodex is because they can't find jobs anywhere else! Honestly...I do feel doomed. That's why I get up around 10am, see about 2 offices, go shopping and report a full day's work. I throw away most of my samples and literature. I guess it's back to being the head fry cook at the local diner in my town! At least I will have more dignity there than I do here! Suck ass managers...suck ass company!
Biocodex Flop!
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I can't wait to leave this company either!!! Everyone thinks we have a major accomplishment with the commercial! That still doesn't negate the fact that Florastor is old and is being used less than other probiotics on the market! The commercial is 5 years too late! The reason why 99.9999% of the employees are still with Biocodex is because they can't find jobs anywhere else! Honestly...I do feel doomed. That's why I get up around 10am, see about 2 offices, go shopping and report a full day's work. I throw away most of my samples and literature. I guess it's back to being the head fry cook at the local diner in my town! At least I will have more dignity there than I do here! Suck ass managers...suck ass company!
You all would be amazed at the level of ignorance that goes on behind the scenes. Just because you have a specific title does not mean you can effectively run a company. Think about that. I know two or three reps here who I would vote to run this company. Care to know who they are?
From time to time I visit the web board for Biocodex on Cafe Pharma to see how bad the company is doing. I understand that Mark fired Paula and now has Sherry Lee & Grace at headquarters sucking his & Dan's dick daily. Great job Mark give someone that majored in fire science the job of HR Manager and personal assistant since the doors for this company has been a revolving door one for last 8 years. I thank God everyday for getting me away from this company and helping me land a real job with a real pharmaceutical company. Watching Mark and Dan's fake leadership skills was too much to witnesses. I hope everyone is focused on putting Biocodex USA out of business. The world would be a better place!!!
Michael Newby...only you would post something like this. Good riddance.
There are multiply ex-sales consultants and ex-sales managers that hate the lies they were told while working for this half ass company. Multiple ones have written remarks on café pharma and 95% of the remarks on this site are true!!! The home office in San Bruno knows this and perhaps that’s why they don’t want their current employees on LinkedIn or Monster.com. Stop being mad and tell the current sales consultants the truth. Biocodex has no future!! Where is the prescription product? Oh that’s right Florastor is a uncover drug! Laughable!!!
Good point! Ok...the last remark was not Mr. Newby, it was I who wrote it! I'm an ex-home office staff that was was fed up with the poor management from Dan Harper and the stab you in the back mentality of Mark Rohman. The entire management staff at this piss-ass company sucks.
Serious question here...What is the base salary and bonus structure at Biocodex? Would this be a good job to take to use as a "stepping stone" so to speak? Thanks in advance for any honest replies! 
Serious question here...What is the base salary and bonus structure at Biocodex? Would this be a good job to take to use as a "stepping stone" so to speak? Thanks in advance for any honest replies!
Yeah...it would be a good "stepping stone" if you wanted to step in some SHIT!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!! Mangers cheat on their reports and reps are paid hush money not to tell.
This company would be more profitable if they got rid of all the sales reps and stop with the stupid national sales meetings and district meetings. What a waste of money. Doctors only want a free lunch and don't endorse Florastor. They tell their patients to buy Culturelle or other probiotics that are FDA approved. We are all out of stupid messages to tell our doctors. I feel lame even dropping off samples. My offices don't even use them anymore. Florastor is overpriced for people to buy in this economy.
Us seasoned reps in the company will always find a message to tell our doctors. Thats why we are "senior" reps. We think outside the box. Be more optimistic and you will be more creative. Continue with you pessimism and you will soon be looking for another job.
F#*k you "senior" reps!! None of you all deserve that anyway. You all are a bunch of kiss ass prima donnas who don't know shit about your own damn product!
This company is screwed. Management knows it but none of them have anywhere to go! Like someone said earlier, this is a leper's colony for managers and reps who were ostracized from real pharmaceutical companies. For managers and reps who started in the industry with Biocodex, you are doomed. The majority of you will never be able to work for a real pharma company due to your remedial selling skills and lack of comprehension for any scientific knowledge. I hate that i even accepted a job from this company. I hate that I even have to put the name "Biocodex" on my resume. I even hate using the letters "B", "I", "O", "C", "O", "D", "E", "X"!!!!
Who wants to work for a company where they favor certin reps, bonus those select reps on sales they had nothing to do with, cheat other districts out of bonuses, elevate reps to senior status just to keep them quite and continue to supress the advancement of others who really deserve it?
Who wants to work for a company where a certain manager can cheat on their sales numbers only to cheat other districts out of their bonuses and not be called to the floor on it by his superior?
Who wants to work for a company where the leader has no real skills in building a pharma company?
I've been here for awhile now and have seen the demise of this company. Just because you bring in new faces, does not mean you are prospering.
Really look at this company and ask yourself these questions:
1) Do we have a strong pipeline?
2) Are any of our products endorsed by any MCOs?
3) Is this company prudent in spending?
4) Do we continue to waste money on needless sales meetings and management retreats year after year?
5) Can you advance in this company on merit alone?
6) Are we being trained properly?
7) Is Biocodex respected in the industry?
8) Why do we get the reject managers from the industry?
9) If Florator is the "#1 probiotic" why are doctors NOT using it more?
10) Do we really promote Florastor effectively?
Who wants to work for a company where a certain manager can cheat on their sales numbers only to cheat other districts out of their bonuses and not be called to the floor on it by his superior?
Who wants to work for a company where the leader has no real skills in building a pharma company?
I've been here for awhile now and have seen the demise of this company. Just because you bring in new faces, does not mean you are prospering.
Really look at this company and ask yourself these questions:
1) Do we have a strong pipeline?
2) Are any of our products endorsed by any MCOs?
3) Is this company prudent in spending?
4) Do we continue to waste money on needless sales meetings and management retreats year after year?
5) Can you advance in this company on merit alone?
6) Are we being trained properly?
7) Is Biocodex respected in the industry?
8) Why do we get the reject managers from the industry?
9) If Florator is the "#1 probiotic" why are doctors NOT using it more?
10) Do we really promote Florastor effectively?
This company is such a joke. I am embarrassed to say I am a pharmaceutical rep. When I tell people what I sell, they laugh and say " That's not a pharmaceutical! What else do you sell? " I think the salesforce like to say they are pharma reps because they feel smart and people will respect them. Doctors laugh at us when we walk in their offices. They don't understand why Biocodex even needs a rep. It's overpriced and now they recommend the probiotics that have yeast and bacteria and are 1/2 the price. Florastor is done. I have been to many cvs stores that don't even stock it anymore. If you can get a job with this company, go for it. You get a new camry, laptop, phone, etc and you only have to work 3 hours a day max. You should get a second job though so you actually make an average income. A Biocodex paycheck alone will pay for your utilities and that's about it. I couldn't afford rent on this income alone. Most people who work for Biocodex have second jobs but Dan is too stupid to know. I can't wait to leave this lame company.
FDA Approves Optimer's DIFICID™ (fidaxomicin) Tablets For The Treatment Of Patients With Clostridium Difficile-Associated Diarrhea (CDAD)
28 June 2011
Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTR) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's antibacterial drug DIFICID™ (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in adults 18 years of age and older. CDAD is a significant medical problem in hospitals and long-term care facilities, and is beginning to emerge in the community among people previously at low risk for the disease. In the largest Phase 3 clinical studies ever conducted in CDAD, DIFICID had clinical response rates at the end of treatment that were non-inferior to oral vancomycin. DIFICID was superior to vancomycin in sustaining clinical response through 25 days beyond the end of treatment. DIFICID is the only FDA-approved antibacterial drug proven to be superior to vancomycin in sustained clinical response for CDAD.
"The FDA approval of DIFICID is the culmination of Optimer's efforts to develop an innovative therapy for the treatment of CDAD," said Pedro Lichtinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Optimer. "The clinical development program for DIFICID was designed to address one of the greatest challenges in managing CDAD, disease recurrence. We are proud to provide the medical community and patients with an effective treatment proven to produce sustained clinical response in CDAD, and are now moving into the commercialization stage where we will partner with physicians and health systems to ensure that DIFICID reaches patients in urgent need of an important new treatment option. The recognition in our label of the DIFICID superiority in sustained clinical response will allow the Optimer and Cubist field force to educate the medical community about the advantage DIFICID can offer to appropriate CDAD patients."
"The incidence and severity of CDAD has increased dramatically in the U.S. in the past decade and is continuing to rise each year," said Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President. "DIFICID is an important new first-line treatment option for patients who may be most at-risk of disease recurrence, for whom producing a sustained clinical response is critical. Patients who are elderly, those exposed to concomitant antibiotics and patients whose immune systems have been compromised are at increased risk, and the majority of patients who will experience a disease recurrence after their first episode of CDAD do so within the first few weeks after treatment." Important Safety Information
DIFICID should not be used for systemic infections. Only use DIFICID for infection proven or strongly suspected to be caused by C. difficile.
The most common adverse reactions are nausea (11%), vomiting (7%), abdominal pain (6%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (4%), anemia (2%) and neutropenia (2%).
Addressing an Important Medical Need
CDAD is associated with a bacterial infection in the lining of the gut that can cause severe diarrhea, inflammation of the colon and in some cases death. Current estimates suggest CDAD may affect more than 700,000 people in the U.S. each year, though the incidence may be higher as many cases are believed to be undiagnosed, untreated, and underreported. A recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that there may be as many as 3 million cases of CDAD annually in the United States. In recent years, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) has surpassed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the leading cause of healthcare-acquired infections in community hospitals.
CDAD is noted for the significant number of patients who experience disease recurrence, or the reappearance of CDAD symptoms following initial antibiotic treatment. Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who initially respond to current treatments for CDAD experience a clinical recurrence following completion of antibiotic treatment. In patients who have experienced two or more prior episodes of CDAD, the risk of further recurrence increases to as much as 50-65%.
The disease adds significant costs and burden to the U.S. healthcare system. It is estimated that medical treatment and hospital stays associated with CDAD cost the U.S. healthcare system as much as $3.8 billion every year. In a recent survey of the incidence and severity of CDAD in U.S. hospitals, CDAD patients had lengths of hospital stay that were nearly three times longer than average and mortality rates more than four times higher than the average hospitalized patient.
"DIFICID is an important addition for the treatment of patients with CDAD," said Dr. Kathleen Mullane, D.O., Associate Professor of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, at the University of Chicago. "CDAD is a serious illness that can be incredibly disruptive to patients' lives, sometimes causing as many as 20 or more episodes of diarrhea a day which in certain patients can result in significant dehydration."
About the Phase 3 Clinical Studies
The approval of DIFICID was based on results from two randomized, multi-center, double-blinded trials. A non-inferiority design was utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of DIFICID (200 mg orally twice daily for 10 days) compared to vancomycin (125 mg orally four times daily for 10 days) in adults with CDAD. The studies enrolled a total of 1,164 adults with confirmed CDAD.
The primary objective of both studies was to show that a 10-day course of DIFICID was as effective as oral vancomycin in achieving a clinical response at the end of therapy. An additional efficacy endpoint was sustained clinical response, defined as clinical response at the end of treatment and survival without proven or suspected CDAD recurrence through 25 days beyond the end of treatment.
In the first trial, conducted in North America, 88% of patients who received DIFICID experienced a clinical response at the end of therapy (n=289) compared to 86% of vancomycin-treated patients (n=307) [95% CI]. Results for clinical response at the end of therapy were consistent in the second trial, which was conducted in North America and Europe; 88% clinical response rate in DIFICID-treated patients (n=253) compared to an 87% response rate in vancomycin-treated patients (n=256) [95% CI]. Sustained clinical response 25 days after the end of treatment was 70% for DIFICID-treated patients in the first trial and 72% for DIFICID-treated patients in the second trial [95% CI], compared to 57% in both trials for vancomycin-treated patients [95% CI].
Source: Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc - A Real Pharmaceutical Company
28 June 2011
Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTR) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's antibacterial drug DIFICID™ (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in adults 18 years of age and older. CDAD is a significant medical problem in hospitals and long-term care facilities, and is beginning to emerge in the community among people previously at low risk for the disease. In the largest Phase 3 clinical studies ever conducted in CDAD, DIFICID had clinical response rates at the end of treatment that were non-inferior to oral vancomycin. DIFICID was superior to vancomycin in sustaining clinical response through 25 days beyond the end of treatment. DIFICID is the only FDA-approved antibacterial drug proven to be superior to vancomycin in sustained clinical response for CDAD.
"The FDA approval of DIFICID is the culmination of Optimer's efforts to develop an innovative therapy for the treatment of CDAD," said Pedro Lichtinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Optimer. "The clinical development program for DIFICID was designed to address one of the greatest challenges in managing CDAD, disease recurrence. We are proud to provide the medical community and patients with an effective treatment proven to produce sustained clinical response in CDAD, and are now moving into the commercialization stage where we will partner with physicians and health systems to ensure that DIFICID reaches patients in urgent need of an important new treatment option. The recognition in our label of the DIFICID superiority in sustained clinical response will allow the Optimer and Cubist field force to educate the medical community about the advantage DIFICID can offer to appropriate CDAD patients."
"The incidence and severity of CDAD has increased dramatically in the U.S. in the past decade and is continuing to rise each year," said Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President. "DIFICID is an important new first-line treatment option for patients who may be most at-risk of disease recurrence, for whom producing a sustained clinical response is critical. Patients who are elderly, those exposed to concomitant antibiotics and patients whose immune systems have been compromised are at increased risk, and the majority of patients who will experience a disease recurrence after their first episode of CDAD do so within the first few weeks after treatment." Important Safety Information
DIFICID should not be used for systemic infections. Only use DIFICID for infection proven or strongly suspected to be caused by C. difficile.
The most common adverse reactions are nausea (11%), vomiting (7%), abdominal pain (6%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (4%), anemia (2%) and neutropenia (2%).
Addressing an Important Medical Need
CDAD is associated with a bacterial infection in the lining of the gut that can cause severe diarrhea, inflammation of the colon and in some cases death. Current estimates suggest CDAD may affect more than 700,000 people in the U.S. each year, though the incidence may be higher as many cases are believed to be undiagnosed, untreated, and underreported. A recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that there may be as many as 3 million cases of CDAD annually in the United States. In recent years, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) has surpassed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the leading cause of healthcare-acquired infections in community hospitals.
CDAD is noted for the significant number of patients who experience disease recurrence, or the reappearance of CDAD symptoms following initial antibiotic treatment. Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who initially respond to current treatments for CDAD experience a clinical recurrence following completion of antibiotic treatment. In patients who have experienced two or more prior episodes of CDAD, the risk of further recurrence increases to as much as 50-65%.
The disease adds significant costs and burden to the U.S. healthcare system. It is estimated that medical treatment and hospital stays associated with CDAD cost the U.S. healthcare system as much as $3.8 billion every year. In a recent survey of the incidence and severity of CDAD in U.S. hospitals, CDAD patients had lengths of hospital stay that were nearly three times longer than average and mortality rates more than four times higher than the average hospitalized patient.
"DIFICID is an important addition for the treatment of patients with CDAD," said Dr. Kathleen Mullane, D.O., Associate Professor of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, at the University of Chicago. "CDAD is a serious illness that can be incredibly disruptive to patients' lives, sometimes causing as many as 20 or more episodes of diarrhea a day which in certain patients can result in significant dehydration."
About the Phase 3 Clinical Studies
The approval of DIFICID was based on results from two randomized, multi-center, double-blinded trials. A non-inferiority design was utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of DIFICID (200 mg orally twice daily for 10 days) compared to vancomycin (125 mg orally four times daily for 10 days) in adults with CDAD. The studies enrolled a total of 1,164 adults with confirmed CDAD.
The primary objective of both studies was to show that a 10-day course of DIFICID was as effective as oral vancomycin in achieving a clinical response at the end of therapy. An additional efficacy endpoint was sustained clinical response, defined as clinical response at the end of treatment and survival without proven or suspected CDAD recurrence through 25 days beyond the end of treatment.
In the first trial, conducted in North America, 88% of patients who received DIFICID experienced a clinical response at the end of therapy (n=289) compared to 86% of vancomycin-treated patients (n=307) [95% CI]. Results for clinical response at the end of therapy were consistent in the second trial, which was conducted in North America and Europe; 88% clinical response rate in DIFICID-treated patients (n=253) compared to an 87% response rate in vancomycin-treated patients (n=256) [95% CI]. Sustained clinical response 25 days after the end of treatment was 70% for DIFICID-treated patients in the first trial and 72% for DIFICID-treated patients in the second trial [95% CI], compared to 57% in both trials for vancomycin-treated patients [95% CI].
Source: Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc - A Real Pharmaceutical Company
Kemin launches a new probiotic supplement for human health
Kemin launches a new probiotic supplement for human health
Anaban™ is a unique probiotic that helps maintain optimal gut health
HERENTALS, Belgium – February 10, 2011 – Kemin launched its new probiotic food supplement, Anaban™, today in several European countries following approval from Belgian regulatory authorities. Anaban is available in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg and Austria, with regulatory approvals in additional countries expected later this year.
Anaban is a novel, natural Bacillus subtilis probiotic in an easy-to-swallow capsule that maintains optimal gut health by stimulating the body's good micro-organisms, producing natural substances that impair bad micro-organisms, and building the immune system. The active ingredient is Bacillus subtilis PB6, a highly-stable, spore-forming organism.
Many probiotics on the market today cannot withstand the harsh environment of the stomach and its digestive acids. As a result, these probiotics are dead by the time they arrive in the gut or are severely reduced in numbers. Anaban withstands the harsh environment of the stomach, allowing numerous active spores to arrive in the gut where they rapidly colonize and immediately begin doing their work.
Probiotics have become increasingly important as busy lifestyles, increased stress and poor eating habits have led to decreased gastrointestinal health. They are a natural solution for people who suffer from sensitive digestion, frequently feel bloated or experience loose or irregular stools. Probiotics may also be used by individuals taking antibiotics or who may have a change of environment. Although prescription drugs are effective in treating gastrointestinal symptoms, they can only be used for a few days at a time and do not replenish overall gut health. Probiotics work to continually restore the vital balance of micro-organisms and serve as reinforcements when natural, beneficial micro-organisms become weakened or depleted.
Anaban can be taken regularly to maintain a healthy gut, or on occasion to reestablish good bacteria levels in a time of disruption. One capsule per day for adults and children over 3 years of age is recommended to maintain gut health. Anaban can be purchased in the approved countries by visiting www.Anaban.com.
Kemin® – Inspired Molecular Solutions™
Founded in 1961, Kemin Industries (www.kemin.com) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary of providing “inspired molecular solutions” specifically developed to provide nutrition and health benefits for humans and animals. Kemin manufactures and distributes approximately 500 specialty ingredients worldwide to the feed and food industries as well as to the health, nutrition and beauty markets. Kemin ingredients positively impact more than 1.3 billion people a day.
A global, privately-held corporation headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa (USA), Kemin has experienced double-digit growth in the last several years. The company has more than 1,200 employees and operates in 60 countries with manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.
Kemin launches a new probiotic supplement for human health
Anaban™ is a unique probiotic that helps maintain optimal gut health
HERENTALS, Belgium – February 10, 2011 – Kemin launched its new probiotic food supplement, Anaban™, today in several European countries following approval from Belgian regulatory authorities. Anaban is available in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg and Austria, with regulatory approvals in additional countries expected later this year.
Anaban is a novel, natural Bacillus subtilis probiotic in an easy-to-swallow capsule that maintains optimal gut health by stimulating the body's good micro-organisms, producing natural substances that impair bad micro-organisms, and building the immune system. The active ingredient is Bacillus subtilis PB6, a highly-stable, spore-forming organism.
Many probiotics on the market today cannot withstand the harsh environment of the stomach and its digestive acids. As a result, these probiotics are dead by the time they arrive in the gut or are severely reduced in numbers. Anaban withstands the harsh environment of the stomach, allowing numerous active spores to arrive in the gut where they rapidly colonize and immediately begin doing their work.
Probiotics have become increasingly important as busy lifestyles, increased stress and poor eating habits have led to decreased gastrointestinal health. They are a natural solution for people who suffer from sensitive digestion, frequently feel bloated or experience loose or irregular stools. Probiotics may also be used by individuals taking antibiotics or who may have a change of environment. Although prescription drugs are effective in treating gastrointestinal symptoms, they can only be used for a few days at a time and do not replenish overall gut health. Probiotics work to continually restore the vital balance of micro-organisms and serve as reinforcements when natural, beneficial micro-organisms become weakened or depleted.
Anaban can be taken regularly to maintain a healthy gut, or on occasion to reestablish good bacteria levels in a time of disruption. One capsule per day for adults and children over 3 years of age is recommended to maintain gut health. Anaban can be purchased in the approved countries by visiting www.Anaban.com.
Kemin® – Inspired Molecular Solutions™
Founded in 1961, Kemin Industries (www.kemin.com) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary of providing “inspired molecular solutions” specifically developed to provide nutrition and health benefits for humans and animals. Kemin manufactures and distributes approximately 500 specialty ingredients worldwide to the feed and food industries as well as to the health, nutrition and beauty markets. Kemin ingredients positively impact more than 1.3 billion people a day.
A global, privately-held corporation headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa (USA), Kemin has experienced double-digit growth in the last several years. The company has more than 1,200 employees and operates in 60 countries with manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.
Biocodex USA is a company for rejected pharma managers ans reps who were either fired for inappropriate behavior from real pharma jobs, (DUIs, sexual harassment, stealing, etc.) or remedial sales people who can not get a real pharma job. We made senior reps out of people who know nothing about our product or know how to sell. Look at our leader, a reject. Give me a month and I'm out.