One of the biggest names in pharma is rolling out a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) campaign during the biggest night in music.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) launched a DTC campaign for Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) during the Grammy Awards Sunday night.
The one-minute ad supports the Found It campaign for Sotyktu, a treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. It’s a common immune affliction that causes rashes and itchy, dry patches of skin and affects more than 8 million Americans, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Airing before a national audience totaling in the millions during the annual music industry awards show, Found It seeks to educate adults on the oral treatment option for plaque psoriasis through a combination of messaging that highlights body-positivity and incorporates casual humor.
The ad features two people, a man on vacation and a businesswoman gearing up for a conference presentation, who both feel empowered by the clear skin relief offered from Sotyktu. The ad encourages patients to “find what plaque psoriasis has been hiding from you.”
Sotyktu is the latest clinical offering in the plaque psoriasis space. The drug received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in September based on the results of a Phase III trial that showed the once-daily drug had higher efficacy compared to the placebo and rival twice-daily Otezla.
In a press release at the time of the decision, BMS chief medical officer Samit Hirawat, MD called Sotyktu, the first oral plaque psoriasis treatment approved in nearly 10 years, an “extraordinary achievement” that “is a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with this condition.”
Despite airing during the Grammys, the Found It ad comes amid renewed skepticism about the effectiveness of linear TV and connected TV ads for new drugs. A recent study published in JAMA found that almost 70% of new drugs marketed on TV don’t have “high therapeutic value” compared to existing treatments.
Additionally, the ad debuted days after BMS reported a revenue miss in Q4 2022, with revenues down by about $500 million year-over-year. Looking ahead, BMS projects its total revenues will increase by about 2%, with Revlimid driving revenue of $6.5 billion.
