Eli Lilly is having a Total Recall moment, using cutting-edge technology to bring real, undocumented memories to life as it looks to boost awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
There’s no dystopian 2084 trip to Mars here, however, but rather a trip around modern day Europe via Lilly’s “Memory Radio Station.” Starting at the Palexpo in Geneva—and launched in conjunction with the start of European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress—the Memory Radio Station will take the show on the road across larger cities in northern Europe.
At the core of this is “Synthetic Memories,” an initiative to combine art, tech, generative AI and reminiscence therapy to “give visual form to personal memories, including those that were never photographed or have begun to fade, helping people reconnect with the moments that shape their identity,” according to a 26 June statement.
This is how it works: People can enter the Memory Radio Booth and share their stories. These can then become prompts that are fed into AI to generate images, which visitors can work on to help shore up. They are then added to a “living archive” that will be built up as the booth makes its way across Europe.
The idea is to create personal connections to memories—and understand how difficult it can be when they start to wane, as they do with Alzheimer’s.
“Memory is deeply personal, but Alzheimer's disease is a shared challenge that touches millions of families across Europe,” said Stéphane Epelbaum, Vice President, Medical IBU Neuroscience at Lilly.
“With The Memory Radio Station campaign, we want to meet people where they are: in public squares, in conversation, in the songs and stories that shape their lives. Our hope is that by discussing memory openly, we encourage more people to take early changes seriously. Noticing and acting early can make a meaningful difference for individuals and the people who love them.”
Lilly currently markets Kisunla for Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. and Europe, with the drug generating $124 million in the first quarter.
This being Europe, however, Lilly cannot directly talk about its Alzheimer’s products as DTC advertising is banned. This sees it use the classic trope of a more general awareness and educational campaign focused on a disease area, rather than a direct product.
Kisunla has endured a slow sales trajectory since its FDA approval in 2024. Putting those quarterly sales into context, over the same period its new diabetes and obesity drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, took in $8.6 billion and $4.1 billion, respectively.
It’s had a tougher road in Europe where drug reviewers at the European Medicines Agency initially rejected Kisunla, highlighting the risk of a serious side effect known as ARIA. European regulators later reevaluated Kisunla’s case and signed it off for approval last fall.
Besides safety profiles that need to be carefully assessed, limitations with cumbersome diagnostic methods have also hindered the rollout of anti-amyloid drugs, including Kisunla. The FDA has approved a blood-based test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s, but analysts figure its potential positive impact on treatment uptake will take time.
In Europe, Lilly remains in the early launch phase. This radio road trip will, the company hopes, help boost awareness and, in turn, create more an uptick in diagnoses of AD.