Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc fka ARIA

[jochenVt]

IMS data is pretty detailed, not just scripts, but geographies, specialty of doctors prescribing, pharmacies distributing, health insurer, etc.
There was a big discussion in Germany where IMS also operates about patient privacy. It was eluded by some that the data is sufficient to pinpoint single patients (if the desease is rare enough), but certainly doctor's offices.
By blocking this data Ariad can
- keep competitors from aggressively advertising (or otherwise enticing) to doctors or insurers that favor Iclusiq
- keep information about rollout (locations targeted first, etc) from competition; important now that sales team is so small
- make it more difficult for people looking for dirt (the 'analyst' making calls to doctors) or competitors running their own Iclusiq AE analyses
- make it more difficult for competition to understand drug combinations used (blood thinners, stations, etc) along with Iclusiq
Etc

I think blocking the data is valid and meaningful.