Major drugmakers and top agencies alike earned their flowers at the annual Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards gala in Philadelphia, which passed out winning trophies across a total of 20 unique categories.
Each year, the awards are doled out to pharma marketers whose creativity, strategy, impact and innovation hit the mark, with categories spanning the marketing, advertising and PR gambit. During Fierce Pharma Week on Sept. 15, marketers flocked to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for a glitzy night of celebrations for their hard-earned honors, complete with a red carpet and a prosecco-centered cocktail hour.
Out of the 20 awards presented this year, two new categories hit the stage in Point of Care Marketing and Data-Driven Campaign. The award for Data-Driven Campaign, which was sponsored by Doceree, went to Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and Moon Rabbit for “Xdemvy: Finding the Invisible Patient,” a growth-driving Xdemvy project that used a predictive framework to identify patients who hadn’t yet been diagnosed with demodex blepharitis.
Also sponsored by Doceree, the Point of Care Marketing award was given to “Fintepla Video Book” by UCB, OLIXIR New York and Spectrum Science. The interactive video book is aimed at caregivers of children with rare diseases Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome who may feel overwhelmed and offers a educative physical and digital resource, guided by an on-screen guide named Faye who introduces UCB’s Fintepla.
Elsewhere across the winner’s line-up, some of the unique and innovative swings pharma marketers took this year were rewarded in turn. GSK and Chandler Chicco Agency, for one, took home the Pharma TV gold for their sponsored Lifetime original movie, “Pretty Hurts.” The movie was the first pharma-sponsored flick to air on Lifetime and marked an extension of GSK’s Ask2BSure meningitis awareness campaign, featuring a meningitis-centered storyline and a cast of familiar faces such as Haylie Duff.
GSK also went home with the Innovation Challenge win for “The Odds,” an Endelmen Canada-partnered campaign that took a behavioral science approach to education for GSK’s shingles vaccine Shingrix. The spot ran across connected TV, digital, out-of-home, social and retail channels and sought to address the optimism bias often encountered in preventative healthcare by reminding viewers of the jarring 1 in 3 odds of getting shingles, a striking stat compared to the 1 in 334 chances of a skiing injury, as one example points out.
Other big winners, meanwhile, represented shining examples of a familiar, influencer-driven style, such as Novartis and Digitas’ star-studded “Relax Your Tight End” ad. First aired at the Super Bowl LX this Feb., the humorous spot featured a roster of NFL star tight ends including Rob Gronkowski and Tony Gonzalez to promote prostate cancer screenings and remind viewers to “relax, it’s just a blood test.”
“We want to make sure it’s memorable—that they’re going to go and do something with it after they see it,” Novartis U.S. president Victor Bulto told Fierce earlier this year.
For the ad, as well as the associated social media push, “Relax Your Tight End” won Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards for Influencer-Driven Campaign and Social Media for Consumer.
Another repeat winner was argenx, which swept in both the Website for Consumer and Online Video and Film categories for its “CIDP Unscripted” with Avalere Health. "CIDP Unscripted" is an online learning video series that highlights the unpredictability of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) by partnering with renowned improv troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade. The fun yet educational videos present improv tools that patients can harness to build confidence and develop better communications with their doctors and families.
This year’s Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards night again incorporated CineHealth and its 4th Annual International Health and Wellness Film Festival Awards, which gave out its own set of awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
"I am so passionate about this and being able to bring people's stories to life and giving them a platform," Tracey Yaw, festival director of the CineHealth International Health and Wellness Film and Video Festival said in an interview with Fierce.
CineHealth's Lifetime Achievement Award went to television host and health advocate Maria Menounos, who was honored on stage for her bravery in sharing her empowering story of battling two types of cancer and other health issues. Menounos' appearance resulted in a standing ovation from the crowd, which was followed by a teary-eyed speech from the Emmy-award winning journalist.
Then it was time for the agency of the year and the marketer of the year. New York-based independent agency Moon Rabbit hopped onto stage as the top agency of the year, winning over finalists such as the Deerfield Group and /prompt.
Meanwhile, the honor of marketer of the year went to Supernus Pharmaceuticals’ VP of marketing Rebecca Lannan. Lannan was nominated by Burson and was one of three finalists from the pharma side, with others including Ionis’ Tricia reeves and Tarsus’ Jason Alongi.
Read on for the full list of 2026 Fierce Pharma Marketing Award winners.
Best Use of AI:
“Live for What You Love” from Bayer and PulsePoint
Charitable or Philanthropic Campaigns:
“Check, Mate” from Voices of Alzheimer’s and McKinney
Data-Driven Campaign:
“Xdemvy: Finding the Invisible Patient” from Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc and Moon Rabbit
Digital Campaign- Non-Social Media:
“Unbranded pLGG Education: Children’s Book Campaign” from Day One Biopharmaceuticals and Merkley + Partners
Impiricus HCP Impact Award:
“Reinforcing Hope” from Eli Lilly and Company and Area 23
Influencer-Driven Campaign:
“Relax Your Tight End” by Novartis and Digitas Health
Innovation Challenge:
“The Odds “ from GSK and Endelman Canada
Medical Conference or Event Marketing:
“Beneath the Surface” from Novartis and Weber Shandwick
Multicultural Campaign:
“Our Heritage, Our Health” from Merck and Real Chemistry
New Brand Launch:
“Flip the SwitchTM: Dawnzera launch” from Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Area 23
Online Video or Film:
“CIDP Unscripted” from argenx and Avalere Health
Pharma TV:
“Pretty Hurts: Meningitis Awareness Through Entertainment” from GSK and Chandler Chicco Agency
Podcast or Audio:
“Gut Matters: Discoveries and Innovations” from Ardelyx and Belieev Limited
Point of Care Marketing:
“Fintelpta Video Book” from OLIXIR New York, UCB and Spectrum Science
Professional Marketing:
“Champions in Care” from Bristol Myers Squibb and Real Chemistry
Public Relations Campaign:
“Playing with Heart” from Merck and /prompt
Social Media for Consumer:
“Relax Your Tight End” from Novartis and Digitas Health
Website for Consumer:
“CIDP Unscripted” from argenx and Avalere Health
Marketer of the Year:
Rebecca Lannan, VP of Marketing at Supernus Pharmaceuticals nominated by Burson
Agency of the Year:
Moon Rabbit