There’s no speed limit on Boehringer Ingelheim’s efforts to spread liver health awareness. The company is hitting the track with race car driver Will Rodgers and his foundation to drive liver health advocacy around three NASCAR races this year.
Boehringer’s team up with Rodgers and the Will Rodgers Liver Health Foundation sees the driver in the No. 53 Chevrolet for the Big Machine Racing team in three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) events this fall. Along with the “Driving Good Health” themed car, which is splashed in the Will Rodgers foundation colors, the campaign includes fan-zone activations and free liver screenings at the events.
So far, the “Driving Good Health” program has posted up at NOAPS races at the Phoenix Raceway and the Talladega Superspeedway in October, with the Homestead-Miami Speedway event still to come on Nov. 6 through Nov. 8. There, those who stop by the “Driving Good Health” space can get non-invasive FibroScan liver assessments on site, provided by Echosens. Echosens’ FibroScan devices are the “gold standard” in quickly assesing liver fibrosis and steatosis.
At the activation spot, Rodgers also shares with visitors his own experience with liver disease. The race car driver was diagnosed with the progressive liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis at age three, and now uses “every lap to help people take care of their livers,” the foundation’s website explains.
Boehringer joined forces with Rodgers to raise awareness about metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which affects more than 13 million people in the U.S., and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the less severe form of MASH. Announced during October’s Liver Health Awareness month, the program jumps on NASCAR’s national reach to give a wider platform to liver health education.
MASH, a fatty liver disease, is a serious health concern that “often goes undiagnosed, and many people don’t realize they are at risk,” SVP of Boehringer’s obesity and liver health franchise Sylvia Shubert told Fierce.
“Through this collaboration, we have an opportunity to help people better understand liver health, learn more about the risk factors for MASH and encourage them to have informed conversations with their healthcare providers,” Shubert added. “By bringing education directly to communities through initiatives such as Driving Good Health, we hope to empower more people to take proactive steps toward understanding and managing their liver health and seek appropriate evaluation earlier to have the greatest impact on long-term health outcomes.”
The in-person activations at the races are meant to “meet people where they are,” Shubert said.
Boehringer’s MASH awareness efforts are largely folded into its focus on metabolic diseases as it emphasizes the connection between liver health and overall metabolic health. The company explains the link in its “See Obesity, Think Liver” push, which shines a light on the liver’s role in obesity through educational material and spotlight visualizations encouraging clinicians to “see obesity differently" and include liver health assessments in obesity care.
The company doesn’t yet have any approved MASH or obesity products, but its Zealand Pharma-partnered dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist survodutide holds an FDA breakthrough therapy designation in MASH and moderate or advanced fibrosis. The ongoing phase 3 program for the prospect is “set to redefine the treatment landscape,” head of human pharma Shashank Deshpande has said.
As of now, the treatment landscape for MASH includes Novo’s Wegovy and Madrigal Pharmaceuticals’ Rezdiffra. Rezdiffra became the first FDA-approved product for MASH in 2024 and just crossed the $1 billion annual sales threshold this quarter, while Wegovy tacked on a MASH nod as its third indication last year. Madrigal has raised awareness for its treatment in an eye-catching educational tour featuring a giant inflatable liver that housed liver disease education within the 20-foot-tall organ.
Meanwhile, Boehringer’s NASCAR marketing track is becoming a popular one for pharma awareness campaigns. AbbVie recently inked a multiyear deal with the McLaren Formula 1 team and launched its “Race to Innovate” campaign, which raises awareness of immune-mediated diseases and donates to global charities based on points McLaren earns. Last year, AstraZeneca and Zero Prostate Cancer sponsored NASCAR race cars at a pair of Memorial Day races, while Vanda Pharmaceuticals sponsored an IndyCar this summer to promote its motion sickness pill Nereus.