The Ogilvy Healthworld Award for Excellence in Corporate Communications

Summary of work

Liver cirrhosis is considered an irreversible condition. When Gilead published the results of the largest ever histological study in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), conventional wisdom was turned on its head as it showed that its antiviral drug Viread could reverse cirrhosis in the majority of patients.

The perceived irreversibility of cirrhosis made people sceptical about the study findings. Physicians also had little understanding of histological methodology making it difficult for them to interpret the data and determine the clinical significance of the study. There was an obvious need to educate/upskill the internal sales and marketing teams so they could engage physicians with confidence about a new way of approaching CHB. 

As scientific storytellers we knew it was essential to translate trial data to the real world of CHB management. To do this we developed a scientific narrative and messaging platform, guided by market research, which was delivered by an integrated (offline and online) communication strategy for internal education to spark belief in the science, and set out the promise of reversal of cirrhosis in hepatitis.

Our approach is now the cornerstone of global and country medical/marketing plans and we have changed the story about the natural history of CHB.

Judges comments

Using a basic, yet well-executed, storytelling approach this made great use of new insights to support the brand. Very strong tactics and a clear process for achieving objectives against a challenging task.