Click on the links below to jump to the case studies:

CV Therapeutics

Project Name: Pan-European Chronic Angina Faculty
Date: 2004 - 2008
Client: CV Therapeutics

A faculty comprising 33 top tier cardiologists from five key European markets, including five past or current Presidents of national cardiac societies and four past Presidents of the European Society of Cardiology, was created.  The aim was to develop external clinical experts who would help create anticipation amongst their peers for the launch of CVT’s first drug, Ranexa, a treatment for chronic angina and to raise the profile of CV Therapeutics in Europe. 

Ten faculty meetings were held over four pre-launch years and the outcomes provided invaluable advice on the direction of the licence submission, on-going trials required and the commercialisation of Ranexa.  In addition to this advice, almost two-thirds of the Faculty members spoke at CVT-sponsored symposia at key cardiology congresses, authored three peer-reviewed papers and, prior to launch, Ranexa was named in the new ESC chronic angina guidelines.  

This activity created a highly supportive environment into which Ranexa was successfully launched.  This project was a finalist in the Best Opinion Leader / Advocacy Development category in the 2006 Communiqué Awards.

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International Herpes Alliance

Project name: International Herpes Alliance
Date: 2001-2007
Client Name: GlaxoSmithKline

Herpes is a taboo subject and difficult to address with a traditional public awareness programme. Disparate advocacy groups around the world were running with their own messages and it was felt that only a concerted and co-ordinated global public awareness campaign involving all patient advocacy groups would be likely to have an impact.

A dedicated international patient group called the International Herpes Alliance (IHA) was established and run by independent board comprising patient advocates, specialist nurses, dermatology and venereology experts.  This virtual alliance created a conduit for all IHA educational offerings: website www.herpesalliance.org; patient leaflets, news, views, Ask the Nurse-Counsellor, links, a down-loadable herpes transmission animation for patients and shared experiences.

In addition, an annual focus for education and awareness activities was generated by working with other global patient advocacy groups: International Herpes Week.  International Herpes Week now attracts worldwide participation from a majority of patient advocacy groups; the print and on-line coverage from IHW regularly reaches over 10 million people worldwide.  Each IHW, the IHA website hits rise by over 50% (more than 52,643 visits).

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See Breathlessness – Think PAH

Project name: See Breathless – Think PAH
Date: 2008
Client Name: Actelion Ltd

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a life-limiting disease with no cure; it is largely under-recognised, misdiagnosed and under-treated. The key differentiating symptom, which would allow earlier diagnosis, is breathlessness, which is similar to other respiratory conditions such as COPD and asthma. As a result patients are not being identified or referred early enough in the PAH disease pathway. Time is lost and overall survival is often severely reduced.

To address this situation we developed a global, professional awareness campaign ‘See breathless – think PAH’, the first of its kind in this disease area, containing a raft of educational materials including a website (www.pah-info.com), booth materials, slide kits and posters / leaflets. All resources for the campaign were created online so that they could support both HCPs specializing in this disease and Actelion affiliates wishing to tailor-make awareness campaigns relevant to their customers.

The global campaign was welcomed and implemented by Actelion affiliates around the world.  60% of affiliates took up at least one campaign element within three months of launch; Greece implemented the campaign in its entirety and saw an overwhelming increase in the number of new patients treated.  Finally, within three months of launch pah-info.com had nearly 8,500 views, 199 users registering for updates and held a Google website ranking of 5/10 – this matches many well known global brands (e.g. Shell and Burger King).

Visit the Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension websiteExternal Link

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Valtrex

Project name: Publication announcement for Valtrex
Date: 2004v
Client Name: GlaxoSmithKline

A new Valtrex study in the New England Journal of Medicine (January 2004) demonstrated that with consistent use of Valtrex, the risk of genital herpes transmission can be cut by almost half (48%).  This was a landmark study, which previewed at ICAAC as an abstract and provided potential for a new “transmission” licence indication. 

A number of media activities took place to raise awareness of both the new data and the publication, starting with a core global media release issued via international newswires from ICAAC on the new data and interview opportunities with media-trained study investigators for global affiliates. 

Following this announcement and in advance of the full publication, we worked closely with the International Herpes Alliance (IHA), using the hook of International Herpes Week and the theme “New Option for Protecting your Partner” to promote awareness of the issue of transmission in herpes.  Tactics included development of a campaign leaflet, poster and press materials, which were issued via international newswires and distributed locally by national GSK companies and 50 patient support groups worldwide via the International Herpes Alliance.  More than 20 GSK affiliate countries participated in the campaign; 70 journalists registered on virtual media centre of the IHA website and global press coverage reached an estimated 50 million worldwide.

Finally, at full publication in NEJM, a core press release was specifically developed to enable GSK affiliates to report on the paper and/or to coincide with a new licence indication.  200 pieces of media coverage were generated reaching an estimated 50 million people worldwide, across 12 countries and all contained key messages on the new transmission data for Valtrex.

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Zavesca

Project name: Journey to Diagnosis
Dates: Spring 2010 - Ongoing
Client Name: Actelion

Niemann-Pick Type C (NP-C) is a rare genetic, progressive neurological disease that affects one in 120,000 people, with no cure. It has variable symptoms, which are not specific only to this disease and can appear in different forms at different stages in a lifetime, from birth through to adulthood. Once diagnosed, the prognosis is often very poor and deterioration rapid. There are however treatments that can relieve symptoms and in 2009 the first treatment specifically for NP-C was launched by Actelion.

The aim of this global campaign was to help gain recognition of the symptoms of NP-C amongst the various healthcare specialists who may come into contact with a patient, as well as amongst families and carers who may be aware of symptoms, but have not received a diagnosis.

The campaign was based around the experiences of families, so information could be sympathetically shared.  A qualitative survey was run to elicit rich insights into the real-life experiences of families, out of which a series of reports were written and tailored to each audience.  Global distribution of the reports was achieved as a supplement to the European Neurological Review and a slide set accompanied the report for peer-to-peer education.

The patient report was launched as a pilot to NP-C patients and families with a workshop at their annual meeting. A wider disease awareness campaign is currently being planned with the International patient organization.

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