Incyte is going all out with the fresh new license for its dermatology cream Opzelura as it plots a major marketing push.
Just three weeks ago the JAK inhibitor became the first FDA-approved treatment for repigmentation in vitiligo patients, a condition that destroys pigment cells and causes patches of white skin.
But despite only just winning that green light, Incyte is already punching the gas to get its marketing vehicle up to full speed.
The company right now is focusing on getting the word out and "providing best-in-class support,” said Incyte’s general manager of North America, Barry Flannelly, during its second-quarter earnings call.
The plan is to “build awareness” and “activate patients living with vitiligo” through a new presence on social media, and in print as well as TV—though the latter will come later.
“We are also partnering with advocacy groups where there has been an enormous amount of excitement for Opzelura in vitiligo,” Flannelly said.
The drug is the first repigmentation therapy for vitiligo patients. That’s good for its market prospects. But it also means that Incyte, as with any first-to-market product, will need to take time explaining its benefits and encouraging doctors and patients to try it.
Because of this, the marketing drive “will begin with physicians” and that Incyte “will provide tools to help ensure patients have successful treatment experience,” Flannelly said.
Incyte also plans to release a new vitiligo app, along with other tools designed to help patients track their treatment and response. The app will also provide appointment reminders, which Flannelly hopes will help patients stay on the drug and get their refills on time.
The FDA first cleared the topical treatment last September in eczema, but that launch trajectory is slowing down, Incyte said.
The “unexpected slowdown,” as Flannelly described it on the call, happened as the shift from free to paid Opzelura caused a delay in filling those scripts.
In the second quarter, Opzelura reeled in $16.6 million in net sales, only slightly better than the $12.8 million it got in the first quarter. But Flannelly was upbeat on its prospects in eczema, saying the problem is now fixed and Incyte expects significant sales from Opzelura starting from the third quarter.
He was also optimistic about its new market. “We see this launch in vitiligo as one of the largest opportunities for our franchise,” he said. “We are starting with a very good label, and we have heard from patients and advocacy groups around the country, there is a large established medical need. This, together with the momentum from the launch in [eczema], will support a very successful launch.”