Contributor: Allison Thrower

New York City is not what many would consider “jogger friendly.” Besides maneuvering through bumbling tourists and 1.5 million residents in Manhattan alone, the city’s gridded streets and heavy traffic prevent an uninterrupted workout in any direction. But, if you’re looking to stretch your legs following a day-long Managed Markets Seminar, here are some of the best jogging routes the city has to offer:

Central Park
In addition to the obvious tourist appeal, Central Park is also home to NYC’s most popular jogging paths. Although there are several routes within the park, the longest distance is 6.1 miles and features flat to hilly terrain. Most runners gravitate towards the 1.6-mile loop encircling the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, which allows for an unobstructed view of the city skyline and an opportunity for bird watching (N.B. only run counter clockwise around the reservoir or suffer the wrath of every jogger you pass). The city shuts down traffic access around the park at certain times during the day, so try to schedule your run on weekdays from 10am-3pm, 7-10pm or anytime on the weekend.
Distance: 6.1 miles

Hudson River Park Way
The Hudson River Park Way makes up a portion of the 32-mile-long Manhattan Waterfront Greenway that circles the island. With the cool river breezes, wide foot path and city panoramas, this route is one of NYC’s most pleasant. Although you can pick up the trail anywhere along the Greenway, the Hudson River portion stretches from Harlem to Ground Zero. It’s accessible from several locations in the city, so the best recommendation is take a there-and-back loop based on your whereabouts. The park and its piers have plenty of other activities for non-runners, including batting cages, bike/boat rentals, a number of athletic courts and outdoor movies. For a map and more information on the entire Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, click here.
Distance: 8.5 miles

Manhattan-Brooklyn Bridge Loop
If you’re looking for a continuous jog, undeterred by sightseers, whizzing subway cars and occasional construction, this path is probably not for you. But, for unparalleled views of the Brooklyn Bridge, East River and Lower Manhattan, there’s hardly a better track in the city. Starting from New York City Hall in Manhattan, the first half of the run is a steady incline for the better part of the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s all downhill when you cross over the Manhattan Bridge on your return trip; make sure you take the southern walkway for better views and no cyclists. The bridge ends in Chinatown, where you have the option to complete the loop back to City Hall via Canal and Centre St.
Distance: 3.9 miles

Prospect Park
If you happen to find yourself in Brooklyn, take your workout to Prospect Park in the heart of the borough. Designed by the same group who planned Central Park, Prospect Park is a comparatively quiet wooded retreat, with natural ponds and plenty of grassy space for almost any outdoor activity. You can run the perimeter of the park or take to the vast network of inner trails; just watch your footfalls – horses travel some of these paths, too. Like Central Park, traffic is closed off during certain times of the day, so plan accordingly.
Distance: 3.4 miles

Visit New York on October 13 to test out these jogging routes and attend the Decision Resources Group Seminar on Managed Markets.

Contributor: Allison Thrower

Whether planning a Fall mini-vacation or extending your stay after the Oncology Seminar, Boston, MA is a one-stop destination for history, sports, cuisine and culture. But, now that you’re planning your weekend get-away, where do you go while in town? And, when it comes to this city’s overabundance of things to do and see, how do you narrow down it all down for a three-day stay? To help with your planning, here’s this resident Bostonian’s take on the city’s must-see attractions:

The Freedom Trail
Almost every major historic landmark in the city is located along Boston’s Freedom Trail. Starting at Boston Common, the trail winds throughout the downtown area, up to the Italian North End and finishes at Bunker Hill in Charlestown, passing 16 historic monuments along the way. If you don’t feel like hiking the 2.5 mile-long trail in its entirety, a Boston Duck Tour provides the most comprehensive and entertaining guided tour of all the monuments and other key sites.

Newbury Street
It wouldn’t be a vacation without a little retail therapy, and there’s no shopping district in Boston more therapeutic than Newbury Street. Lined with upscale boutiques and chic cafes, Newbury is a favorite for Boston’s white-collar crowd. So, even if the luxury clothing is out of your price range, the restaurant patios along the sidewalk provide an unobstructed view for good people watching. One block over, you’ll find more shopping on Boylston St. and in the Prudential Center and Copley Place malls.

North End
You’ll swing through this neighborhood when you visit the Paul Revere house and Old North Church on your Freedom Trail tour. Definitely take the opportunity to dine in one of the many authentic Italian restaurants, such as the original Regina’s Pizzeria or the renowned Giacomo’s Ristorante. Mike’s Pastry Shop is the preferred after-dinner stop of locals and tourists alike. Although the lines are perpetually out the door, the ricotta cannolis are well worth the wait.

Harvard Square
Harvard Square is home to innumerable restaurants, book stores, clothing boutiques and street performers. If you’ve already emptied your pockets on Newbury Street, then take a short (free) walk around the Harvard University campus. Ivy-covered red brick buildings surround the seemingly isolated grassy quadrants – a pleasant escape from the bustle and traffic in the square.

Harpoon Brewery
Harpoon may be the lesser-known Boston brew house, but this brewery tour trumps the relatively uninspired Samuel Adams tour any day. Only $5 per person, the tour starts with a free sampling glass and a 45-minute walk-through of the brewery, including beer samples throughout the various brewing stages. At the end, the guides lead you to the tasting room for a half hour-long sampling of any of their products on tap, often featuring beer that’s not available on the market. Be sure to grab a 24 oz. growler of your favorite draft before you leave.

Museum of Fine Arts
Boston’s MFA rivals some of New York’s museums with its expansive collection, special weekend events and rotating exhibitions. This Fall, highlights include an exhibit comparing Monet’s Rouen cathedral paintings with Roy Lichtenstein’s Pop-art style derivatives (till Sept. 25) and the MFA’s most recent expansion, the Art of the Americas Wing, which houses over 5,000 American works in chronological order from pre-history to the 1970s.

If you’d like to see Boston beyond these suggestions, my best advice is to put on your sneakers and hit the pavement. There’s a reason Boston is nicknamed the Walking City, as its deep-rooted history and culture are best explored on foot. To kick off your weekend retreat, join us on Thursday, September 22 for the Competitive Landscape Seminar Series on Oncology.

Contributor: Matthew Killeen, Ph.D.

The anticoagulant market will undergo a sustained period of significant growth over the next 10 years as a series of new oral agents, with vastly superior clinical profiles to warfarin, launch for lucrative indications, such as stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (SPAF) and venous thromboembolism treatment. The race for dominance in the SPAF market is already underway; dabigatran became the first of a wave of new agents to launch for this indication in October 2010 and rivaroxaban is poised for launch later this year. Although the positive results from Phase III trials of dabigatran and rivaroxaban for SPAF have already established high barriers to entry to this indication, apixaban’s astounding performance in its pivotal ARISTOTLE trial have secured its ability to effectively compete in this arena.

ARISTOTLE, a double-blind Phase III trial of apixaban versus warfarin showed, unequivocally, that apixaban has several major advantages over warfarin that set it apart from rivals. The trial’s primary efficacy end point, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism, occurred in 212 patients given apixaban compared to 265 assigned to warfarin (P=0.01). Additionally, the rate of death from any cause was significantly lower in the apixaban arm of the study (603 vs. 669 warfarin-treated patients; P=0.047). While both dabigatran’s and rivaroxaban’s mortality data trended towards statistical significance, thus far only apixaban can claim a clear mortality benefit over warfarin. With regards to safety, apixaban’s data were equally impressive; rates of major bleeding were significantly lower with apixaban, relative to warfarin (major bleeding was documented in 327 vs. 462 patients, respectively; P<0.001)

How do the data from the ARISTOTLE study align with the clinical expectations for new oral anticoagulants for SPAF? A 2011 study by Decision Resources surveyed U.S. cardiologists to develop physician-built target product profiles based on a major drug development opportunity: an anticoagulant with a lower rate of major bleeding than warfarin (1). Our results showed that, at a price point similar to that of dabigatran, physicians would expect major improvements over warfarin’s efficacy in addition to less major bleeding. Based on the results from ARISTOTLE, apixaban is the only oral anticoagulant to satisfy the vast majority of these clinical expectations.

Given apixaban’s powerful Phase III data, how will the SPAF landscape evolve and how will the fortunes of dabigatran and rivaroxaban be impacted? In a forthcoming study, Decision Resources surveyed over 120 U.S. cardiologists and pharmacy directors to gauge perceptions towards Phase III data of the new oral anticoagulants and to determine potential prescribing trends and formulary placement for these agents (2). Our study showed that, by 2012, apixaban’s superior stroke prevention efficacy and significantly lower rates of major bleeding compared to warfarin would fuel its uptake and profoundly impact the use of dabigatran and rivaroxaban. Additionally, our payer research indicated that this clinical profile would result in the most favorable tier placement on formularies of all of the new oral anticoagulants.

With the combined results from the ARISTOTLE and AVERROES trials, apixaban represents an important step-change in therapeutic options for AF patients. We believe that these powerful data will enable apixaban to surpass dabigatran and rivaroxaban to emerge as the sales-leading new oral anticoagulant for SPAF following its launch in 2012.

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(1) Atrial Fibrillation: Opportunity Exists for New Antiarrhythmics That Reduce Mortality and Can Be Used in Patients With Heart Failure. DecisionBase, Decision Resources, 2011.

(2) Pradaxa, Xarelto, and Apixban for Atrial Fibrillation: How Have Phase III Data Informed Physicians and Payer Perceptions of These New Anticoagulants? A Survey of Non-Interventional Cardiologists and Managed Care Organization Pharmacy Directors. Physician & Payer Forum, Decision Resources, September 2011.