Weight loss drug seller Currax is highlighting the lack of prescription drug use for obesity with a new campaign designed to bolster uptake of its drug Contrave.
The new, branded project, dubbed "One Size Does Not Fit All," is looking to talk up the benefits of meds for obesity as well as to promote a “personalized approach to weight loss” while also emphasizing the role of so-called “emotional eating,” the generic drug maker said in a press release.
Emotional eating impacts around half of those who are medically overweight or suffering from obesity, being defined as eating in response to positive or negative emotions, according to the release. Currax points out directly in the release and as part of its campaign that “Contrave is specifically designed to reduce hunger and control cravings, giving the patient control over their eating habits so they can lose weight and keep it off."
A spokesperson for Currax said that the campaign includes social media, banner ads, paid search, journal ads, waiting room education, as well as a patient–provider discussion guide and works as a branded campaign.
Contrave, first approved in the U.S. in 2014 and then in Europe as Mysimba in 2015, has taken a winding road to get to Currax. Its FDA approval came a full three years after the agency initially rejected the drug amid concerns over heart safety, a common problem for all weight loss therapies.
It was once owned by Orexigen and partnered with Japanese pharma Takeda, which dedicated hundreds of sales reps to selling the drug. But Contrave struggled to bring in revenue, leading the pharma to pull out of the partnership in 2016.
Currax eventually bought the drug in 2019, but its sales trajectory is clearly still not too far off the ground.
The company says that only 2% of individuals who are overweight or obese are being treated with a prescription medicine. It describes Contrave as “the #1 oral weight loss medication brand,” but that 2% means it’s still missing a major proportion of the market. It’s hoping that drilling down into the issues facing patients may help bolster its uptake and awareness.
"Support for weight loss is not being discussed enough by patients and providers," said Ed Cinca, senior vice president for global marketing and strategic alliance management at Currax, in the release. "Addressing unique challenges like emotional eating can help patients get the specific support they need to succeed."
In tandem with the One Size campaign, Currax is also looking to boost education around available treatment options, which it said “empowers patients to discuss their weight management challenges with their doctors" ensuring widespread access to medications.
Currax now also has to compete with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, a new entrant into the obesity market that has picked up momentum where so many others, inclduding Contrave, have struggled.