Jonexa (hylastan) is a bacterially fermented product derived from hyaluronan that is indicated for the treatment of pain associated with OA of the knee and administered in one or two injections. Genzyme expects to launch Jonexa in select European Union markets and Hong Kong in 2010 because they believe opportunity exists in those markets for a lower cost, more convenient OA treatment option than locally available multiple injection products.

For more information about recent drug approvals or pharmaceutical branding, please contact Vince Budd at vbudd@addisonwhitney.com

Clinical Data, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLDA), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vilazodone HCl tablets, to be marketed under the brand name Viibryd™, for the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Viibryd is a new molecular entity and the first and only selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 5HT1A receptor partial agonist. Clinical Data plans to make Viibryd available in U.S. pharmacies in the second quarter of this year.

“It is also the first drug that the Company has developed, and to have received marketing approval from the FDA on its first review is a significant milestone for Clinical Data.”

“When treating MDD, our goal is to offer treatment options that meet the individual needs of each patient,” said Stephen M. Stahl, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego. “Viibryd is an important new treatment option with proven efficacy and a demonstrated safety profile.”

The mechanism of the antidepressant effect of Viibryd is not fully understood but is thought to be related to its enhancement of serotonergic activity in the central nervous system (CNS) through selective inhibition of serotonin reuptake. Viibryd is also a partial agonist at serotonergic 5HT1A receptors; however, the net result of this action on serotonergic transmission and its role in Viibryd’s antidepressant effect are unknown.

For more information about recent drug approvals or pharmaceutical branding, please contact Vince Budd at vbudd@addisonwhitney.com

On the heels of the new logo debut last week, Starbucks announced a new drink size for its iced beverages on Sunday. “Trenta” will be a 31oz size specifically for iced coffee, iced tea and iced tea lemonade drinks in the United States (read: Venti is still the largest you coffee addicts can get for your java fix).

In case you need a refresher, here’s the lineup of current Starbucks sizes:

Four sizes for hot beverages:
* Short (8oz)
* Tall (12oz)
* Grande (16oz)
* Venti (20oz)

Four sizes for cold beverages:
* Tall (12oz)
* Grande (16oz)
* Venti (24oz)
* Trenta (31 oz)

(Notice that the actual ounces are different between the Venti size in hot and cold beverages.)

So with discrepancies in size continuities across product lines, it’s a lesson in creating a strong brand strategy from the onset.

Customers have long questioned Starbucks’ naming strategy when it comes to their beverage sizes. It’s a challenge to retrain a population so familiar with “Small, Medium and Large.” Even I have to remind myself that it’s a TALL, not a SMALL, when ordering, but it’s also a very distinctive strategy that mimicked the brand experience they were evoking.

From a continuity perspective though, I’m not sure it makes the most sense.

Dictionary.com posed a nice question on this as well: if the names were created to relate to the actual product size, why not simply use the actual size? Studying the etymology of Starbucks size names, you’ll find that Grande is Italian for “large,” Venti is Italian for “twenty,” and Trenta means “thirty.” Tall lacks the panache of the other size names, but it’s still a part of their nomenclature. Venti translates nicely for a 20oz hot beverage, but not exactly for the cold beverages at 24oz, unless it means “twenty-ish.”

What do you think? Is Starbucks doing its customers a disservice by not having a more “mainstream” naming strategy? Or is that too, just a part of the brand experience?

Caffeine addicts across the world are in uproar over Starbucks’ announcement this week that its logo would be changing to celebrate its 40th anniversary in March and the company’s larger focus.

On Starbucks’ site you can read comments from people upset over the change and even suggesting alternative designs. Interestingly, Starbucks partners (also known as employees) are posting positive comments and are expressing excitement for the change. Commenter Simplycatlin, a partner, says “You guys love the experience not the name and not the green lady…” Bingo.

A brand is so much more than a logo. (Repeat this phrase five times.) It’s about the emotional experience people have with your brand; the unique place your brand holds in people’s hearts and minds.

Maybe all the uproar is not really about the logo, it’s about the fear that people’s favorite brand may be changing and moving away from coffee and its delicious pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Maybe Starbucks brand fans are worried that this “third place” they’ve come to love escaping to could change. Of course, maybe they really just don’t like the new logo.

What do you think – is it the logo or is it more than that causing the controversy?

Please note: This blog entry was not biased in any way by my long-time respect for their brand and my adoration for Howard Schultz, who I affectionately refer to as Howard, like I’ve known him for years.