WellPoint & Alavert

Executive Summary

WellPoint Health Networks this month will mail three $10-off coupons for Wyeth's orally disintegrating loratadine to 438,000 members who received a prescription for a second-generation antihistamine within the past six months. Program marks WellPoint's first broad-scale couponing effort, although firm notes it has "dabbled" with coupons for OTC H2 antagonists in the past. WellPoint, which petitioned FDA to switch second-generation antihistamines OTC, says it approached Schering, Wyeth, McNeil about a cooperative marketing program for OTC loratadine and will split the couponing campaign's costs with Wyeth. In approving Alavert Dec. 23, FDA directed Wyeth to submit introductory promotional materials (1"The Tan Sheet" Dec. 23, 2002, p. 5). FDA says it also asked Schering to submit promotional materials for OTC Claritin; however, the request was made more informally and was not stated in the approval letters...