A year after kicking off a star-studded campaign to highlight the stories of real patients with atopic dermatitis, Incyte has expanded it to represent even more patients—including a very recognizable face in the world of skin health.
The “Moments of Clarity” campaign now features Sandra Lee, M.D., the celebrity dermatologist better known as Dr. Pimple Popper, among other new patient additions to the initiative. In videos on the campaign’s website, Lee and other patients discuss their experiences with atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, and how they found relief with Incyte’s Opzelura, a cream formulation of Incyte’s selective JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib.
In her video, Lee says her eczema began when she was a baby and stuck around as she grew up, with some of her worst flare-ups occurring due to the stress and new environment of medical school. She describes how she learned how to manage the condition and its triggers via trial and error over the years, and suggests that having eczema “has helped me to relate to my patients better, because I think it increases my compassion and my ability to connect with them if I’m going through the same things that they’re going through.”
She goes on to explain how Opzelura works and share that, for her, it “works pretty quickly” to treat symptoms like itchiness and redness, before encouraging viewers with eczema to talk to their own doctors about the medication.
“While many people know me as a dermatologist from my TV show, most probably don’t know that I live with eczema and have struggled with symptoms like persistent itch and skin inflammation throughout my life,” she said in a company release last week. “I partnered with Incyte on their Moments of Clarity program to share my story and to empower others to seek out a treatment that is right for them.”
In another new addition to the Moments of Clarity campaign, a sonographer and mother named Emily discusses her own journey with atopic dermatitis, from watching her mother and grandmother struggle with the condition to finally seeking out treatment in Opzelura to set an example for her own children.
“We are proud to elevate the patient voice and share the real, lived experience with Opzelura as part of our commitment to patients and to providing a treatment that can help address some of the most burdensome symptoms of AD,” Matteo Trotta, general manager of U.S. dermatology at Incyte, said in the release. “Our hope is that the Moments of Clarity program helps those living with eczema connect with others and inspires them to have conversations with their doctor.”
The testimonials from Emily and Dr. Pimple Popper join several others, including that of actor and singer Mandy Moore, who helped kick off the campaign last year by opening up about her own experiences with eczema—though the “This Is Us” star doesn’t use Opzelura herself.
Though Opzelura closed out 2023 on a strong note, sales sank below analyst expectations in the first quarter of this year, before rebounding in Q2. For the period, Opzelura raked in net product revenues of $122 million, representing year-over-year growth of more than 50%.