Pharma responds to critics with new drug ads

Amid the drug pricing flak and public backlash at pharma companies, the industry is responding with a new advertising campaign.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) launched a several-million-dollar advertising campaign that uses the themes of “hope,” “courage,” “solvable,” and “achievable.” This campaign builds on the organization’s From Hope to Cures campaign, which was launched in January 2014.

“In addition to sharing real stories from patients and researchers, the campaign highlights data and information on fighting diseases, clinical trials and the economic contributions of the biopharmaceutical industry,” Holly Campbell, PhRMA spokesperson tells Managed Healthcare Executive. 

The ads will be featured in print, radio, digital and social channels throughout the year.

“As with previous years, advertisements and promotion will run on a variety of platforms in Washington, D.C., and select states,” Campbell says. These states have not yet been identified.

As part of the campaign, real stories from people such as Rhys, a 5-year-old with diabetes and celiac disease, Jamie who is fighting a rare blood cancer and Jen, a researcher, who wakes up every day working to find new treatments and cures for patients are featured.

The campaign also highlights data and information on fighting diseases, clinical trials and the economic contributions of the biopharmaceutical industry.

“Industry is ramping up to counteract-counter-detail?-efforts to limit the ability of pharmaceutical companies to raise prices,” says Managed Healthcare Executive Editor Advisor Joel V. Brill MD, chief medical officer, Predictive Health. “With the decrease in physician reimbursement, it’s easy for critics to point a finger at pharmaceuticals as the cause of rising healthcare costs and patient financial responsibility, especially in the Medicare population where the companies can’t defray the beneficiary’s financial responsibility.”

Brill advises that pharma should also “look at innovative ways to partner with provider groups, such as episodes of care, to demonstrate the clinical benefit and overall cost savings with medications.”