Product Communication
Industry:
Pharmaceuticals and Biotech
Offering:
Advocacy Engagement
Challenge
Our client required support preparing for the approval and launch of a medication to treat a rare disease with few existing treatment options. Launch preparation required early and frequent engagement of the vocal patient community to demonstrate the company’s commitment to the disease area and set appropriate expectations for launch.
Approach
Discover
We began by acquainting ourselves with the client team, participating in discussions with leadership to understand their approach to drug development and philosophy around communications and advocacy engagement. Additionally, we got to know the patient and advocate community to understand the patient journey, unmet medical needs and what matters most to them.
We determined that, due to the highly engaged and vocal patient community, the client should prioritize developing strong relationships with advocacy stakeholders through regular, authentic engagement. We recommended that all regulatory milestone announcements include direct updates to advocates, with the opportunity for two-way dialogue.
Develop
- We developed sets of communications assets to announce each milestone to the media and on-boarded independent KOL spokespersons to provide context about the treatment’s value to people living with this rare disease.
- We developed tools for the client to use when engaging the patient advocacy community, telling the story of the drug’s development, the approval process itself, and anticipated benefits.
Activate
- We publicized announcements of Phase 3 clinical trial and regulatory approval/launch milestones. These efforts included press release distribution, media pitching, coordinating media interviews, and monitoring for media coverage. We also worked with the client to respond to tough questions regarding the drug’s pricing in the US market.
Results
Media outreach resulted in high-profile media hits (e.g., Forbes, Bloomberg, Reuters) as well as hits in priority healthcare-focused media outlets such as STAT News, Endpoints, Fierce Biotech, BioCentury, and The Pink Sheet. Coverage was also secured in trade publications dedicated to the disease area and rare disease-related drug development.
