Takeda ran newspaper ads urging readers to switch to its Actos from rival Avandia after the GlaxoSmithKline drug was hit with FDA marketing restrictions due to safety concerns. The ad, which ran for two weeks in Septmeber and October, bore the headline: “Are you taking Avandia and considering a change?”
The campaign, by AbelsonTaylor and Ketchum, ran in 90 markets and 121 papers, advising patients to “Ask if Actos is right for you” and proffering a 1-800 number and free 30-day trial.
Amid worries about heart risks, FDA decided to keep the drug on the market but with additional restrictions.
An Actos print campaign earlier this year stuck to the science, leveraging Actos’ safety profile and stressing that Avandia’s safety issues are not a class effect.
From the November 01, 2010 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
