Pharma responds to critics with new drug ads
PhRMA ad campaign features new patient and researcher stories.
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.”
David Calabrese of OptumRx Talks New Role, Market Insulin Prices and Other Topics 'On His Mind'
April 13th 2023In this month’s episode of the "What's On Your Mind podcast," Peter Wehrwein, managing editor of MHE connects with the now Chief Clinical Officer of OptumRx Integrated Pharmacies, David Calabrese. In this conversation, David touches on his transition in January as OptumRx’s former chief pharmacy officer and market president of health plans and PBMs to his new role as Chief Clinical Officer where he now focuses more on things such as specialty pharmacy to home delivery — with an overall goal of creating whole-patient care. Throughout the conversation, Calabrese also touched on the market’s hot topic of insulin prices and behavioral health services within the OptumRx community, among other topics.
Listen
Upended: Can PBM Transparency Succeed?
March 6th 2024Simmering tensions in the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry have turned into fault lines. The PBMs challenging the "big three" have formed a trade association. Purchaser coalitions want change. The head of the industry's trade group says inherent marketplace friction has spilled over into political friction.
Read More
Briana Contreras, editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Nancy Lurker, CEO and president of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals. Nancy shared a bit about EyePoint and how the organization’s innovative therapies are addressing patient needs through eye care, and most importantly, she addressed C-Suite positions like the CEO role. Nancy shared advice for those seeking to reach the CEO level, especially toward women in healthcare and other roles, and what it takes to run a biopharma company.
Listen
The deliberate disconnection of Change Healthcare to ring fence a cyberattack entered its seventh day today. Prescribers are finding ways to get pharmacy claims processed, and UnitedHealth Group says disruption to the dispensing of prescriptions has been minimal. But independent pharmacies want more information and protection from financial consequences from pharmacy benefit managers.
Read More
