A new patient advocacy campaign called “Make Your Mark” (http://makeyourmarkcampaign.com) was launched April 14 on behalf of Merz Pharmaceuticals, maker of orphan drug Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA), a botulinum toxin type A free from accessory proteins. The online effort features the testimonials of national spokespeople – including 2010 Mrs. North Carolina, Dawn Brinkley, and opera singer, writer and actress, Hallie Neill – as well as the personal experiences of people living with cervical dystonia or blepharospasm.
Though the drug has been used abroad since 2005, Xeomin was approved in the US in 2010 for the treatment of adults with cervical dystonia to decrease the severity of abnormal head position and neck pain, and to treat abnormal spasms of the eyelids (blepharospasm) in adults who have had prior treatment with onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox). Administered as an injectible, Xeomin works to decrease muscle activity, which allows muscles to function more normally for patients diagnosed with either of these conditions.
The web-based campaign was developed by New York agency Medical Dynamics (the public relations AOR), in close partnership with Merz Pharmaceuticals, according to the company’s director of marketing, Robert Yanez. This campaign will continue into 2012 and is one of “several initiatives designed to raise awareness of cervical dystonia and blepharospasm and encourage patient dialogue” by Merz Pharmaceuticals, says Yanez.
Also on the site are advocacy videos, treatment resources, and soon-to-come will be results of the “Make Your Mark” survey; conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Merz Pharmaceuticals, between February 17 and March 7, 2011, among 500 U.S. adults ages 18 and up, who have been diagnosed with cervical dystonia (250 respondents) or blepharospasm (250 respondents). The unweighted data will be disclosed in order to reveal facts about living with these conditions, and find ways to supplement available education and support services. (Both cervical dystonia and blepharospasm are considered rare conditions, yet the lack of detailed clinical criteria for diagnosing these afflictions oft leads to them being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed altogether.)
On the overall objective of the campaign, Yanez explains, “With the help of patient advocates, ‘Make Your Mark’ celebrates the inspirational stories of people living with blepharospasm or cervical dystonia, also known as spasmodic torticollis, and aims to raise awareness of these often debilitating conditions.”
