MGI Pharma’s anti-emetic drug Aloxi has its first ever consumer effort, featuring print ads aimed at women cancer patients.
The ads, by inVentiv agency GSW Worldwide, aim to raise awareness of Aloxi, which is indicated for patients with chemo-induced nausea and vomiting.
Single-page and two-page versions of the ad debuted in the July issues of Prevention and Real Simple, and the ad is also running in Redbook, Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping and Family Circle.
The creative shows woman accompanied by narrative (“I felt a little tired…,” “I felt proud…”) and the line: “But one thing I haven’t felt is nauseous.” The ads target women because nausea and vomiting are particularly common among patients undergoing chemo for breast cancer.
“When you’re going through chemo, how you feel physically and emotionally is at the forefront,” said Marcy Nelson, executive creative director at GSW. “People don’t complain about nausea and vomiting because they think they have to tough it out. The idea here is redefining being strong as not giving in to nausea and vomiting.”
Interactive versions of the creative appear on the product’s Web site, aloxi.com, on which GSW collaborated with Intouch Communications of Overland Park, Kan. Professional advertising is handled by AbelsonTaylor.
Approved in 2003, Aloxi is an injectable 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, or serotonin antagonist. Professional ads emphasize that it is the only drug in its class indicated for both acute and delayed chemo-induced nausea and vomiting with a single IV dose, which lasts five days. The US market for 5-HT3 receptor antagonists—including GSK’s Zofran, Sanofi-Aventis’ Anzemet and Roche’s Kytril— totals around $1 billion.
From the August 01, 2006 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
