PharmaVOICE

A blog for issues, insights, and thought leadership in the life sciences.

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This topic was covered in great detail in the October issue of PharmaVOICE magazine. The Man, The Molecule, The Market: Untangling Alzheiner's Mystery

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5 Reasons to Attend Webinar on Healthcare Influencers

Five "Pure Gold" Reasons

Here are 5 key reasons you should attend our complimentary webinar on Dec 12, 2012.

1.     Improve your pharma brand strategy

2.     Learn how to identify the key influencers

3.     Uncover the ways they influence the market

4.     Understand their effects on adherence and market share

5.     See how you can influence the influencers

The Power of Influence:

Connecting Healthcare Influencers to Pharma Brand Strategy

Wednesday – December 12, 2012 / 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT – No cost to attend Please take 3 minutes to register now to secure your spot. Or, learn more about the event before you register.

Can’t attend? Register now to receive access to the OnDemand archive shortly after the event.

Regards, Dan Limbach Producer, PharmaVOICE Webcast Network

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5 Key Reasons to Attend Free Webinar on Proactive Customer Communications

Must-see event for marketers

Here are 5 key reasons you should attend our complimentary webinar on Dec 5, 2012.

1.     Learn how to reduce cost center costs and increase profits per customer

2.     See the most important metrics used to measure success

3.     Understand what a well-designed customer experience strategy looks like

4.     Become better informed about how cloud-based technologies deliver superior results

5.     View actual business cases of proactive customer communications

Proactive Customer Communications: Best Practices for Outbound Pharma Engagements Wednesday — December 5, 2012 / 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm EDT — No cost to attend Please take 3 minutes to register now to secure your spot. Or, learn more about the event before you register. Even if you can't attend the live event, all registered will receive access to the OnDemand archive shortly after the event. This event will be hosted by yours truly. Hope to see you online on December 5. Dan Limbach Producer, PharmaVOICE Webcast Network

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Big Developments in Alzheimer's Research

Promising New Advances in Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

Alzheimer's Disease is one of the most costly diseases to our society, and one of the most difficult to understand and treat. There is no cure for AD, but there is hope for the future. It is believed that this degenerative disease may be slowed if detected early and treated properly. New global clinical trials are advancing this effort. If successful, the results could be beyond measure. Please watch this very informative video about some of the latest efforts in treating Alzheimer's Disease. New Era In Alzheimer's - The Time for Tau is Now This topic was also covered in great detail in the October issue of Pharmavoice Magazine. The Man, The Molecule, The Market: Untangling Alzheimer's Mystery

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What Brands Think When They Think About Social Media

Most people think most brands are social-media-savvy - nope

Fast Company Magazine takes brands to task in their September issue. Many of them have no clue how to use social media to engage their communities. Fast Company magazine points out how unsophisticated many brands are about social media. It's seemingly everywhere and nowhere depending on the brand. The New Digital Divide. So if your brand doesn't seem to be on top of social media, take heart. You are not alone. It's not too late to get started. But please, get started.

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Are Your Buzzwords Out of Control? See the BS Detector at Work

Don't be this guy

I'll bet if you took just 60 seconds, you could think of at least 20 business buzzwords you see on a daily basis. Oftentimes, a buzzword is originally coined in a book, speech, article, or advertisement, and it portrays a concept efficiently and succinctly. Then it get used by a broader base. Then it gets overused. Finally, it is used so widely and in so broad a context that it has almost no distinct meaning at all. It becomes a crutch for marketers, strategists, and communicators.

Buzzwords are the comfort food of business communications. People nod their heads when they hear these words, and feel good because they are familiar with the terms. They make everyone feel smarter, but it is all an illusion. Messages without substance. This is lazy communicating on both sides.

Before we start thinking out of the box to establish synergies that empower stakeholders and invoke paradigm shifts, please take a minute to enjoy this cloud-based, best-in-class video. At the end of the day, you'll thank me.

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Supreme Court Upheld the ACA. What Do You Do Now? Attend Webinar

The ACA has broad-reaching ramifications for health care

I've been working very hard on our next webinar. The topic is about how the ACA will affect health care from a pharma/biotech company perspective. It features some exciting new research findings about how physicians, payers, and pharmaceutical companies will have to adjust to the new system. It also details some interesting and valuable patient perceptions you can't get anywhere else. There is no cost to attend. Building Winning Strategies in an ACA World: Your Guide to Success in a Value-Driven Market Date and Time: September 20, 2012 11:00am EST, 4:00pm GMT (60 minutes) Please take 3 minutes to register for this webinar. http://bit.ly/WGwebinar It's informative. It's interactive. You and your peers will participate in live polls and can even submit questions to the panelists for the Q & A session. I'll be your moderator. The webinar is designed to explain:

How the ACA may impact cost-containment pressures, payer accountability and market conditioning

What US marketers can learn from EU experiences to help them adapt successfully to ACA

How the development and communication of clinical and economic value messages are changing, with the shift toward evidence-based medicine and comparative effectiveness research

Why determining value drivers as early as possible in the clinical and commercial development process is critical for any brand

This educational webinar is easily accessed via the Internet. If you cannot attend the live event, but want to access the OnDemand version, please register now, so that you receive the OnDemand access information via email after the event. Learn more and register at http://bit.ly/WGwebinar I hope to see you online on September 20!

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The Anti-Paper Pusher - A PharmaVOICE 100 Spotlight

Sheila Rocchio of PHT

By Taren Grom, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, PharmaVOICE Sheila Rocchio doesn’t just know ePRO, she lives ePRO. She has been an industry standard bearer for moving electronic patient reported outcomes from its infancy more than a decade ago to the forefront of clinical trial efficiency. Ms. Rocchio’s mission has been to get biopharma companies to abolish paper and embrace ePRO to collect the voice of the patient directly and without distortion. Today, the FDA and EMA strongly suggest using ePRO for clinical research to collect patient data, in large part to Rocchio’s passion and advocacy. Rocchio is a highly sought after speaker and thought leader on the topic, and colleagues and customers alike give her credit for guiding regulators to advocate for and sponsors to adopt ePRO technology. Not only does she believe ePRO is the right way to go from a business perspective as VP of marketing at PHT Corp., a leader in the space, but that’s the right thing to do from a patient perspective. Sheila believes that the biggest challenge in the industry today is moving to a model where therapies are truly cost-effective to develop and to reimburse. She says with a global population that will soon reach 9 billion, there have to be ways for the industry and governments to collaborate in mutually beneficial ways to develop and deliver effective medicines to all of the people who need them. Sheila is all about delivering on that goal. She is bringing ePRO to the next level by introducing a wide range of ePRO modalities from handheld eDiaries, to the Web, to the first ePRO smartphone app. Smart, driven, talented, passionate are just a few of the adjectives that colleagues use to describe this dynamic game changer. She is committed to continuing to develop products that PHT can bring forth to help researchers keep patient-driven eData at the center of clinical research and expand into disease management to help truly improve health outcomes. She credits her boss, Phil Lee, and her CEO, Steve Raymond, the founder and Chief Scientific and Quality Officer, and former boss Linda Beneze with providing mentorship and guidance throughout her career, as well as her eldest sister. In turn, Sheila is devoted to paying it forward and considers mentoring one of the most enjoyable things about her job. She works closely with members on her team to discuss long- and short-term career goals to figure out how together they can achieve those goals in ways that are great for the individual and the company. She draws inspiration from her family, particularly her three young children, and her husband, whom she says helps her find the funny side of things. She also draws a great deal of inspiration from PHT’s clients, who she says are working on innovative new therapies that have the ability to dramatically improve health and treat disease. Rocchio says their dedication and passion for their work inspires her to work harder and help PHT deliver even better products that help the research process. Learn more about Sheila through her PharmaVOICE 100 feature in the latest issue of PharmaVOICE. To learn more about PHT Corp., visit www.phtcorp.com. Check out the other 99 PharmaVOICE 100 honorees at www.pharmavoice.com.

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Mission: Innovation - A PharmaVOICE 100 Spotlight

                                            Mario Martinez II

By Taren Grom, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, PharmaVOICE Mario Martinez II is an entrepreneur on a mission. Capitalizing on an early passion for technology, Mario’s quick learning style and creative approach to solving complex problems quickly parlayed into an IT career. After a supporting role at Cornet International, he joined Eisai in a sales technology management position. He says working at Eisai, which was a pharmaceutical startup in the United States at the time, was an incredible experience and he counts working on the Alzheimer’s therapy Aricept particularly poignant as later the devastating disease became personal, affecting a member of his family. Mario believes that the benefits that can be delivered to patients and families by the industry and knowing he and those who work to make a difference to millions of lives is an incredible value that is hard to get in other industries. Mario says he was fortunate to work around great leaders and observe them in action as they built Eisai from a start-up to a full-fledged pharmaceutical company in the United States. And he counts Lonnel Coates, executive VP, and president, Americas region, Eisai, and president and CEO, Eisai Inc., as a key mentor during that time. Mario say Coates provided him with guidance on his career and personal growth. After moving up the ranks at Eisai, Mario went on to a management role in sales technology at Medicis. After three years, he knew he was ready to pursue the passion he felt at Eisai and marry this with his expertise in technology. The result was founding 360 Vantage in 2006 at the age of 30. His mission is elegant: pursue innovation. This young entrepreneur has had remarkable success in just afew short years: in addition to his first client, Medicis, he has added more eight more life-sciences clients, 30 employees, a development center in India, and a healthy margin that most CEOs would envy. Martinez is positioning the company to push the limits of existing sales and marketing technology to design fast, accurate, and easy-to-use applications that can be accessed from anywhere, from the latest devices. Mario saw a growing need for business transformation and end-user adoption within the industry, and successfully predicted the emergence of cloud computing. Since then, the company has become a pioneer in the development of custom CRM and marketing apps developed on Salesforce.com and Force.com platforms, with some of the industry’s first offerings for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Mario is more than just a visionary, he is also committed to his community and to giving back to those less fortunate. Mario has earned a place on the 2012 PharmaVOICE 100 and is inspiring his employees, clients, and colleagues to stretch beyond what they think is possible. Learn more about Mario through his PharmaVOICE 100 feature in the latest issue of PharmaVOICE. To learn more about 360 Vantage, visit www.360vantage.com. Check out the other 99 PharmaVOICE 100 honorees at www.pharmavoice.com.

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When Disciplines Collide: A PharmaVOICE 100 Spotlight

Dr. Chris Tobias

By Taren Grom, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, PharmaVOICE There are very few in the life-sciences industry who can claim to have credible authority in multiple and cross-functional disciplines. Dr. Chris Tobias, Executive VP and Chief Scientific Officer, Director of Business Development at Dudnyk, is one of those few. Chris brings a unique perspective to the challenges that not only specialty brands and companies face but the complexity of communicating in a new world. No doubt his unique academic background, including a Ph.D. In neuroscience, an MS degree in physiology, and a BS in medical technology helps to frame his outlook in finding new ways to communicate with physicians. Colleagues say Chris' perspective is invaluable when meeting with clients, participating in pitches, or expanding the agency's footprint in new markets. Chris has been goal-oriented throughout his life — from his days as a hall-of-fame high school scholar athlete and top Division I NCAA gymnastics competitor — to his current role at Dudnyk. Chris says being the business development leader for Dudnyk from 2007 to 2010, a time period in which Inc. magazine listed the agency as among the 5000 fastest-growing, privately held companies in the US, has been a true career highlight. He draws inspiration from many areas of his life. His grandfather, Ken Loomis, a WWII veteran who was married to his grandmother for 65 years, was the milk man for their small town of Ashtabula, Ohio. Chris says his grandfather worked incredibly hard to provide for his children/grandchildren, and he is the kindest, most honest, and most honorable man he has ever known. The good doctor Tobias also counts himself lucky to have had the good fortune while as a doctoral student to have had the late Dr. Judah Folkman — the father of tumor angiogenesis research — as an advisor/mentor. During Dr. Folkman's review of some of Chris' thesis research, he asked where Tobias planned to submit the specific research for publication. Chris mentioned the name of a modest but respectable journal, which would give what he believed his best chance for publication. Chris recalls that Dr. Folkman looked at him and said, “Aim high. You never know what will happen unless you try.” Those words have stuck with him ever since. He looks to pay forward the good advice he received by mentoring students in biomedical science. He believes many doctoral students are unaware of the numerous opportunities available to people in their field, and he helps them review their opportunities and network with colleagues if they are interested in leaving the laboratory. Chris' commitment to combining scientific insights with innovative and solid marketing as well as doing the right thing for his agency, his colleagues, and the next generation of aspiring scientists are just a few of the reasons that Chris Tobias has earned a spot on the 2012 PharmaVOICE 100 list. Learn more about Chris through his PharmaVOICE 100 feature in the latest issue of PharmaVOICE. To learn more about Dudnyk, visit www.dudnyk.com. To learn more about the other 99 PharmaVOICE 100 honorees, please visit www.pharmavoice.com.

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Who Do You Know in the 2012 PharmaVOICE 100?

click on cover for a larger image

Today we unveiled our PharmaVOICE 100 for 2012. It's one of our most popular issues every year. Big thanks to all who sent in nominations, and a hearty congratulations to all who are in the 2012 PharmaVOICE 100. I always enjoy my small role in bringing it to our readers every year. Our entire staff has a hand in it. Now it's your turn to enjoy the fruit of our labor of love. This year's exemplary group is full of extraordinary leaders, innovators, game changers, researchers, scientists, clinical experts, technologists, creatives, patient advocates, and mentors. We dug deep to learn about their aspirations, successes, and life lessons, with a bunch of fun stuff added to the biographical mix. The print issue is arriving in the mail this week, but you don't have to wait. Check out the Digital Edition now and see how many of your friends, colleagues, peers, and associates made the 2012 list. We promise you'll enjoy reading about this group of 100 exceptional people. http://www.pharmavoice.com/content/digitaledition.html?pg=1

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The Affordable Care Act - an Election Lightning Rod

By Denise Myshko, Managing Editor, PharmaVOICE

The major reforms contained in the Affordable Care Act are not scheduled to take effect until 2014, but the legislation faces legal and political challenges. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard appeals related to the legislation, and the court’s ruling is expected late June.

At issue is the individual mandate, which would require everyone to have health insurance either through an employer or through a state-based insurance exchange. During three days of arguments, critics argued the individual mandate was unconstitutional.

Studies from several experts — Center for American Progress (CAP), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Lewin Group, and the RAND Corp. — have examined the impact of severing the individual mandate but retaining the market reforms of the Accountable Care Act. They all find that doing so would result in a dramatic rise in the insured population and increase health insurance premiums compared with health reform with a mandate.

The trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has posted a chart comparing these experts’ predications here:

http://www.ahipcoverage.com/2012/03/23/the-link-the-impact-of-aca-market-reforms-without-a-mandate/

Whatever the court’s verdict, healthcare reform will be a key issue in the November presidential and congressional elections. Experts say even if parts of the healthcare reform law are overturned, the momentum for change in healthcare will continue. (Download the PDF article: Healthcare and the Political Landscape)

States are continuing to work to create health insurance exchanges, which become effective January 2014. Starting in 2014, if an employer doesn’t offer insurance, individuals will be able to buy it directly in an Affordable Insurance Exchange, a new transparent and competitive insurance marketplace where individuals and small businesses can buy affordable and qualified health benefit plans.

Stay tuned as the court’s decision unfolds.

Visit www.americanhealth2012.com for an expanded look at the intersection of healthcare and politics.

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Put Some Sizzle in Pharma Sales - New White Paper

Seize the Moment: Tele-Sales Solutions Delivering Impact and Flexibility Download white paper now

This white paper illustrates how tele-sales solutions provide valuable interactions and develop relationships with healthcare providers and their offices in customized ways that meet their individual needs. Companion podcast also available for immediate listening - Insights from the Field: Tele-Sales Solutions Build Relationships between the Brand and HCPs

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Who are your Hunger Games Social Media Tributes?

In "The Hunger Games," each of the 12 Districts chooses one boy and one girl (Tributes) by lottery to battle to the death with children from the other districts. The world is watching. The stakes are high. Is this how you select the people you trust with your company's social media efforts? It's all too common for companies to give lip service to the importance of social media, and pass on the duties to an intern or junior marketing person. Then when the company doesn't see the results they'd hoped for, they brush off social media as a fad or a waste of time, not worthy of their efforts compared to more traditional marketing channels. Unlike the post-apocolyptic nation of Panem, you can choose anyone you want to spearhead your social media activities. Best you choose wisely. It's perfectly fine to tap into the youth of your organization. Chances are, they are already fluent in many social media tools from personal use. Just don't let the youngster fly solo. It's a disservice to the junior staffer and to the company. Social media is here to stay, so you may as well maximize your opportunities. While many of your competitors may also be slow to build an effective social networking infrastructure, some of them have already moved forward with gusto. Don't be left in their dust. Team a young, hungry, tech-savvy staffer with an experienced marketing pro who knows a lot about your market, your prospects, your clients, your brand, and your value proposition, and you'll have the foundation for a quality social networking team in no time. Next time you think about dumping your social networking activities on an intern or recently-hired graduate, think about adding some grey hair into the mix, and you'll see much better results. May the odds be ever in your favor.

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Where's the "Angry Birds" for Pharma?

If you aren't familiar with Angry Birds, you have successfully avoided one of the biggest crazes in game apps. But if you're like everyone else, you've either played it, or you at least know people who have played it. The most recent version, Angry Birds Space surpassed 10 million downloads in its first 3 days, on top of 700 million total downloads for the franchise to date. That's an impressive adoption rate any way you measure it. The Life Sciences industry has been quite active creating hundreds of apps for HCPs, sales reps, and adult patients. You can see a fairly comprehensive list on Pocket.MD, organized by sponsor company, category, condition, and device. The apps run the gamut from HCP reference apps to monitoring and disease management apps. Lots of diagnostics, personal logs, and calculator apps. My cursory search for game apps in this space came up wanting. No blockbuster "Angry Birds" for pharma yet, but that doesn't mean a good game app doesn't exist. It may just not have exploded onto the scene yet. Please leave a comment if you know of a healthcare game app that has hit the big time. I'll continue searching, and I'm hoping you can help. I believe there is a huge underserved niche just waiting to be filled. Here's what I'm hoping to discover, or see emerge in 2012. Imagine an app that was as fun as Angry Birds, sponsored by a pharma company. I envision a game app for serious children's diseases, such as Leukemia or Juvenile Diabetes. The app would allow the child (and parents, siblings, & friends) to better understand the basics of the disease, and how it is treated. The game would work best if it is not a literal interpretation of the disease and treatment. No medical-grade illustrations of blood cells needed. Imagine a herioc adventure, where the player battles the enemy (Leukemia cells). Certain aspects of the disease and treatment may be embedded into the game mechanics and design, such as a cartoony Luko Beast (the enemy), a Super Amazing Keemo Attack lauched from a steampunk-themed catapult, and a Totally Rad Ray blasted from a Star-Warsian gizmo. (Five minutes of noodling is in no way going to produce a great concept, so don't put too much stock into these specific examples). The levels in the game could mirror the stages of treatment, from diagnosis (finding the enemy), to initial treatment (attacking the enemy), to maintenance (keeping the enemy from returning).

Obviously, you can't expect 10 million downloads (or 700 million) as with Angry Birds. However, knowing that some diseases have millions of sufferers, plus their friends and family, and you can see there are ample populations of people who could benefit from an app that speaks to the level of the young patient. In playing, the child may feel like they have some control over the outcome of their disease in the game (by progressing through levels), and in real life (by taking their medicine and going to all scheduled treatments). The opportunities for collaboration between research organizations (Leukemia Research Foundation), Pharma companies (makers of chemotherapy drugs), and healthcare providers would be substantial. A successful app would not only help subdue the fears of a scared child, it could also improve awareness of the disease, influence acceptance among the patient's peers, and aid in fundraising for research foundations. In order for the initiative to work, the game must be well-designed, engaging, and not a retread of another game. It absolutely cannot be a thinly-veiled marketing piece for a drug brand. The execution of the game itself is paramount. Therefore, an accomplished game app developer (for iOS and Android) would likely have to be brought in. If it costs $150,000 to develop an exceptional game app, with the appropriate partners promoting the app, it could be a huge success for all stakeholders. A few hundred thousand downloads would drive a lot of awareness and understanding across the disease spectrum. What do you think? Is there a place for game apps in healthcare? Have I missed some popular game apps?What are your ideas for a breakthrough mobile game app for Pharma?

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Social Media's 20:1 Rule

Does anyone really trust this guy?

Take a look at your last 20 social media posts - blog posts, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. How many of those were pitching your products or services? I recently read a very interesting post that suggests you should give helpful information freely and without strings 20 times for every "Pitch piece" you post. If you have five posts that are selling something, you should have over 100 informative posts in any given channel. This is not easy. We're busy. We barely have any time to blog or tweet, so how are we going to come up with 20 helpful posts for every one we send out there with an "Ulterior motive?" After all, how can we sell something if we don't promote it? The article reasons that people who are trusted tend to have more influence and are more successful using social media than folks who are always asking for something. Many top bloggers have over 100,000 monthly viewers. Some have millions. You'll see several common traits among the most trusted names in social media.

They post often - usually at least once a day, sometimes much more

Most of their posts are insights, information, and useful tips without a sales pitch attached

They point you to other useful sources of info - they are not afraid to send you away from their channel

You trust the clerk who sends you to another store for the right product. Your needs are ahead of theirs. They may lose a short-term sale, but in the long term, they also win, because you keep coming back to them. It takes work to maintain this ratio, but it can be done. Over the next month, see if you can do it. If it means only posting one pitch piece and 20 informative pieces, so be it. Practices become habits. Giving more often is a good habit to have.

http://michaelhyatt.com/the-20-to-1-rule.html

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Why 2012 could be Spectacular

The new year typically brings about opportunity and reinvention. The 2011 books are closed. It's a fresh start and time to make some hay in 2012. Many leading U.S. economic indicators are hinting that 2012 should be a big up year. Among non-banks in the S&P 500, cash is at an all-time high. Over $2 trillion waiting to go to work. With interest rates so low, companies are incentivised invest it in growth opportunities. For the first time in history, announced stock buybacks in the coming year exceed $1 Trillion. That means the supply of stock will go down, and demand will go up, which would lead to rising stock prices. This is great news for shareholders of all companies buying back stock. I hope health care is a significant part of this trend. Corporate profits are at an all-time high. Sounds hard to believe. Companies have become leaner and more efficient out of necessity. Could this be a harbinger for growth and prosperity? View Chart An up market trend should reactivate investors to get their money into deals ahead of the curve. This could be excellent news for smaller pharma, biotech, and medical device companies. Unemployment is receding, if only slightly. I'll take a positive trend over a negative trend. More folks in the workforce is good for everyone. Finally, consumer spending is at an all-time high. Hard to believe, but the numbers are there. View Chart Am I seeing the glass half full? Maybe. Certainly, there are still problems with the economy. Unemployment is too high. The national debt is skyrocketing. The U.S. import/export ratio is terrible. Near-zero interest rates are not healthy or sustainable, but it's better than double digit interest on loans. Have a spectacular 2012.