Shionogi is stepping up promotion of COVID-19 drug Xocova, working with The Bloc on an omnichannel campaign designed to encourage people to contact their healthcare professional after being exposed to the virus.
In June, the FDA approved Xocova, a protease inhibitor, for the prevention of COVID-19 in people who have been in contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. A phase 3 trial found 2.9% of people contracted COVID-19 when they started a five-day course of Xocova within 72 hours of their contact developing symptoms, compared to 9.0% of their peers who received placebo.
Shionogi moved quickly to start promoting Xocova, kicking off its “Got the Call, Make the Call” campaign in July with a TV ad. Now, with the CDC characterizing COVID-19 activity as elevated and increasing nationally, Shionogi has launched its omnichannel campaign.
As well as running TV ads, Shionogi is using social media, digital, print, online video, digital out-of-home and in-office and pharmacy materials to promote Xocova. The materials all direct people to the Xocova website and push the message that when people get a call saying a recent contact has COVID-19, they should make a call to their healthcare professional to discuss Xocova.
“In healthcare communications, memorability is what helps turn awareness into action,” Pooja Bhavsar, SVP, strategic planner at The Bloc, said in a statement. “Make the Call was designed to be remembered in the moment that matters most—after COVID-19 exposure—using warmth and humor to encourage people to ask a healthcare professional about Xocova.”
Last month, Shionogi outlined (PDF) efforts to promote Xocova in its first-quarter earnings presentation. The company has prioritized investment in digital channels including social media and connected TV “to effectively reach high interest populations.” Using broadcast TV and search engine optimization, Shionogi aims to maximize awareness among older adults.
Shionogi is running the marketing efforts to support a sales force of about 160 people. The company has tasked the reps with targeting regions of the U.S. with a high incidence of COVID-19. Ensuring pharmacy inventory availability and starting payer negotiations were the other items on Shionogi’s to-do list.
Market research suggests patients and physicians are open to the product, with Shionogi quoting data showing that about 69% of people at high risk of severe COVID-19 are interested in Xocova. More than 90% of physicians are willing to prescribe the product. Shionogi reported high levels of interest among individuals living with someone at high risk of severe disease.