Shire Pharmaceuticals is hitting “the road” as part of a newunbranded education campaign for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC),complete with live events in 10 cities.
Shire developed the “On the Road Again” campaign as aresponse to results of its series of company-sponsored surveys completed in2007 illustrating the challenges that exist for UC patients: communication gapswith doctors, medication compliance and other life disruptions. About 700,000people in the US are afflicted with UC.
“The ‘On the Road Again’ program is intended to empowerpeople with UC across the country and provide them with the knowledge and toolsnecessary to better manage their disease and regain control of their lives,”explained Mike Yasick, SVP and gastrointestinal global business unit leader atShire.
The campaign will feature live education event tour stopsthis spring in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, Miami,Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Long Island, NY. Each event willinclude a dietician, a gastroenterologist, a social worker or healthpsychologist, and an online health information professional. These experts willdiscuss UC and role of diet, treatment options and building an online UCcommunity, Shire said.
Shire currently markets UC treatments Lialda (mesalamine)and Pentasa (mesalamine).
Shire has also launchedwww.RoadtoUCLearning.com, an online tour companion that features the “On theRoad Again” event schedule, speaker bios, and registration and conditioninformation.
From the April 01, 2008 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
