Double Helix Consulting Enhances its Strategic Product Commercialization Services with Appointment of Michael Rizzo as Vice President

NEW YORK, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Double Helix Consulting US, a division of London-based Double Helix Development Group, today announced the appointment of Michael Rizzo to the position of Vice President. Rizzo joins a multidisciplinary team of highly experienced strategic pricing, reimbursement and market access consultants with extensive experience across the healthcare industry, which provides product commercialization services to firms in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. DHC US provides services spanning the product lifecycle, including the following:

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091110/NY08977 )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090330/NY91277LOGO )

• Market opportunity assessment and entry strategy
• New product planning
• Product value message development and testing
• Stakeholder influence mapping and engagement strategy
• Managed markets strategy
• Pricing and reimbursement research and planning
• Mock formulary committee and reimbursement negotiation simulation
• Health technology assessment and comparative effectiveness research preparation
• Post-launch market access surveillance and lifecycle management
  

Drew Baker, President of Double Helix Consulting US, commented, "Mike complements our international market access, pricing and reimbursement capabilities through his vast experience in planning and implementing product development and launch strategies for the US market. His intimate knowledge of managed care market structure, formulary management, contracting strategies, and marketing communications strengthens Double Helix's ability to meet our clients' commercial objectives in the increasingly cost-conscious and value-driven US market."

Chief Executive Officer of Double Helix Development Group, Dr. Wayne Phillips, added, "Double Helix Consulting offers a premier set of services to assist our clients in optimizing product commercialization by enhancing market access through a truly global team of professionals with deep experience from industry, consulting, academia and healthcare authorities. As an example, we have assisted many of our clients with anticipating and generating the evidence needed to elucidate to payers the clinical and economic value associated with new medical technologies. Mike's experience in product planning and launch strategy bolsters our expanding capabilities."

Rizzo joins Double Helix Consulting from Campbell Alliance's managed markets practice where he led client engagements in stakeholder and access risk assessment, value proposition development and messaging, pricing and contracting strategy, product positioning, pull-through, and training. He brings extensive experience in assessing the impact of payers, physicians, patients, and intermediaries on pricing, access, and reimbursement for small molecule and specialty products in the US market. Rizzo's therapeutic expertise is broad including oncology, neurosciences, inflammatory disease, cardiometabolic disease, infectious disease, and women's health. He also worked with Charles River Associates' pharmaceuticals practice, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), the Lombardi Cancer Research Center at Georgetown University, and The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR). He holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary, a Master's of Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a BS in Biology from James Madison University.

    Contact:
    Andrew M. Baker
    President
    Double Helix Consulting US
    295 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor
    New York, NY 10017
    [T] 1.646.652.8506  [E] dbaker@dhelixc.com
    www.doublehelixdevelopment.com

Copyright © 2009 Double Helix Development US, Inc.

SOURCE Double Helix Consulting