Zeneca's US Ambitions Reviewed

UK drugmaker Zeneca is reported to be ready to make a "deal involving investment of up to $300 million" to set up health care links in the USA, likely "within four months," by Daniel Green writing in the Financial Times. His report was based on comments made to him by Zeneca's chief executive David Barnes.

However, a spokesman for the company told the Marketletter that there are no specific plans. He said Zeneca believes opportunities will arise as the health care sector develops, especially in the USA, and against this backdrop, disease management is one of several options being considered; Zeneca has already set up Stuart Disease Management as a first step. He added that successful disease management companies must generate or have access to patient outcomes data, and SDM has started working on such programs with health maintenance organizations. The approach taken by Pfizer in setting up a $100 million disease management program with ValueHealth (Marketletters passim) is a more likely strategy for Zeneca than any "mega deal."