Pharma company seeks biotech sales prowess

Scios Nova Inc.'s 75-person sales force lured MacNeil Pharmaceutical into a joint promotional deal in the U.S. for Haldol Decanoate, a psychiatric drug used to treat schizophrenia.

Richard Casey, chairman and CEO at SCIO, said "MacNeil actually approached us. They noted our success in marketing SmithKline's psychiatric products and believed the market would respond to our personal selling approach." SCIO sells four psychiatric drugs that are manufactured by SmithKline Beecham: Thorazine, Stelazine, Eskalith and Parnate. In 1992, the products generated net sales of $44 million...