Bayer is turning to the alphabet to explain the benefits of its new chronic disease drug, Kerendia, in its first TV ad.
Launched this week, the German pharma’s 60-second commercial goes through some of the letters of the alphabet to spell out how diabetes can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and how its drug can help.
“A is for awareness,” the narrator says, specifically that Type 2 diabetes can progress to damage the kidneys and lead to the need for dialysis. “B is for belief, that there might be more that you can do” to help stop this, and K (we skip a few letters) is for Kerendia and kidneys, while “R is for reducing the risk.”
Kerendia, which nabbed EU backing in February and FDA approval last July, is specifically for Type 2 diabetes patients with CKD. Bayer previously predicted it could reach over $1 billion in peak annual sales.
The pharma is going for a clear, no-nonsense approach with the ad. The new ad has a simple, almost childlike tune accompanying the video, which consists of people in vivid hues going about their daily lives in a happy, uninterrupted way.
The drug competes with AstraZeneca's Farxiga, which was first approved all the way back in 2014 to lower blood sugar levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes. CKD was added to Farxiga's label last year, shoring up its near $3 billion in annual sales.
AZ also launched its first TV ad for the new CKD indication back in February, which focused on patients “being in the crosshairs” of the disease if they have diabetes or high blood pressure.