Sermo, Inc. Introduces New Sponsorship Product for Pharma, Biotech and Life Sciences

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sermo, Inc. (www.sermo.com), the largest online physician network in the United States, today announced the launch of Sermo Sponsorship, a portfolio of offerings that provides new opportunities for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences companies to engage physicians and educate them on new products and programs. Sermo Sponsorship is available on both web and mobile platforms, where physicians across 68 specialties discuss top issues in healthcare and consult each other on clinical cases in order to provide the highest quality care to their patients.

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Companies can use Sermo Sponsorship to drive awareness of drugs or devices or communicate new clinical and indication data.  The Sermo network facilitates discussion and peer influence, creating a multiplier effect that reinforces key takeaways and increases the number of physicians exposed to the new information.

"Whether companies are launching new treatments or sharing new data from clinical trials, Sermo Sponsorship enables them to reach, engage and influence the treatment decisions of their target specialists," said Jon Michaeli, Vice President of Marketing at Sermo. "Industry research shows that peer influence has the greatest impact on clinical decisions. Sermo's social platform makes it easy for physicians to share new industry developments with their colleagues."

According to the Manhattan Research study, Taking the Pulse® v11.0, released in May 2011, information physicians receive from colleague consults has the greatest influence on their clinical decisions, and healthcare provider portal sites have the broadest reach amongst online physicians. The study also shows that of the 24% of physicians already using online communities or social networks, 84% have visited Sermo in the last three months, more than three times the next largest competitor.

Sermo Sponsorship was designed to maximize the use of already-approved materials, making rollout of educational materials and resources for physicians simple, quick and cost effective. Sermo Sponsorship also allows targeting by specialty, ensuring relevancy and maximizing physician interest and engagement.

In addition to the Client Post product already available on Sermo, which allows companies to spark discussion directly with physicians, new sponsorship opportunities include:

• Brand Pages – leverage existing materials to create a dedicated branded presence on Sermo consisting of useful educational tools and resources
• Targeted Spotlights – direct the physicians you care about to Brand Pages using announcements interspersed throughout Sermo website
• Mobile messaging – instantly alert and inform specialists about brand, product and company developments
• Exclusivity – target specialists with your message on an exclusive basis for two- to four-week periods

"The Sermo Sponsorship product helped drive awareness of a major new oncology drug during the period immediately following the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting," said Rich Westelman, Senior Vice President of Sales at Sermo.  "By choosing Sermo's online community, the brand brought its important new message to key influencers, during the most active, receptive time of the year."

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest online physician community in the United States, with over 120,000 physicians spanning 68 specialties.  All Sermo members are verified and credentialed physicians who collaborate on cases and exchange observations to improve patient care, discuss drugs and devices, and share information on new therapies and innovations. Sermo also provides a way to target and engage physicians by providing access to its community for clients that need fast, actionable insights into treatments, medications and devices.  For more information on Sermo Promotion visit www.sermo.com.

SOURCE Sermo