Ignorance is often said to be bliss — but in the case of lupus, it can lead to complications like renal failure. That’s why Aurinia Pharma is urging patients with the disease to monitor their kidney health, a sometimes uneasy and unpleasant process, to help them avoid one major problem down the road.

The campaign, which kicks off today, seeks to encourage people living with lupus to get checked for signs and symptoms of a complication known as lupus nephritis, a type of kidney disease often caused by the autoimmune disease. 

Systemic lupus erythematosus affects 1.5 million Americans, mostly women. About 60% of them will develop the kidney complication, statistics show. But with no visible symptoms, lupus nephritis can creep up — and the damage done to the renal system is irreversible, necessitating either dialysis or a kidney transplant.

“A lot of times, by the time the patient gets to the doctor’s office, that progression has already occurred. So getting there early and often is really important,” said Bianca Jay, senior director of marketing at Aurinia. 

During the pandemic, there’s been a rise in the rate of appointment cancellations and no-shows among lupus patients, Jay added.

“Even though we’re moving out of the pandemic, those rates still aren’t back up to pre-pandemic level,” she said. 

That got her team thinking about how best to help people prioritize their kidney health. The campaign’s primary goal involves reaching those already diagnosed with the complication and urging them to visit a doctor for routine testing in order to get ahead of further progression. Early detection can help those not yet diagnosed to avoid the disease wreaking havoc in the first place.

The Aurinia team sought to convey empathy. That approach grew out of an understanding, Jay said, that “managing lupus nephritis can feel like a full-time job. The blood tests are a lot; the peeing in a cup is a lot; going to the doctor is a lot when you’re managing everything else in your life.”

The campaign talks to patients in a way that frames this understanding in the context of what could happen if patients forgo their doctor visits. Consider how the campaign’s microsite plays on the idea that good health sometimes involves tradeoffs: “Peeing in a cup sucks. But kidney failure is way worse.” Another: “Doctor appointments can be a lot. But they’re better than dialysis.”

That frank tone of voice, Jay said, “helps get people with lupus nephritis to stop and think about what it means when they’re missing those doctor’s appointments.” 

She said the strategy scored well among patients in market research. As it turns out, it’s doing well in the field, too. With the help of agency of record Klick Health, Aurinia did a soft launch at advocacy walks last month. Aurinia’s outdoor advertising at the walks included signage on porta-potties and a QR code.

“We were at live events with a table top that had campaign messaging and imagery,” Jay reported. “People with lupus nephritis stopped by, looked at the campaign and said, ‘Yes, living with this disease sucks. I want to talk to my doctor.’”

On the social media front, where the lupus community is very active, the campaign employs a Facebook page and will soon have an Instagram presence. Digital display ads debuted over the weekend, linking back to the website. 

More event and live engagements are planned, including efforts aimed specifically at spreading awareness among communities of color, who are disproportionately impacted by lupus nephritis. People of African American and Asian descent are four times more likely to get the complication as white people. In Hispainics and Native Americans, it’s twice as common. 

As far as what’s next creatively, Jay said the brand will continue to release further iterations of the “uncomfortable” campaign in display and Facebook ads.

“You’ll start to see some ads with an arm in a tourniquet, knowing that the blood work can also be an uncomfortable moment. Or someone’s legs dangling on a table or an empty table, suggesting the idea that even getting to the doctor is a lot,” she said.

Aurinia markets Lupkynis, which was approved last year. It’s the first FDA-approved oral therapy dedicated to the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis, as well as Aurinia’s first commercial product. 
In July the drugmaker hired UCB Pharma veteran Scott Habig, as chief commercial officer. Habig replaced Max Colao, who led the formation of the company’s commercial team and the Lupkynis launch.