The Cello Health Award for Launch Excellence

Summary of work

With little innovation in the last 10 years, prostate cancer patients and physicians were crying out for novel treatments to improve survival in late-stage disease. Xtandi, a highly effective and well-tolerated therapy, fulfilled this unmet need and was an exciting new option. However, Janssen’s abiraterone achieved marketing approval two years earlier and claimed the much sort-after ‘first-to-market’ opportunity. With similar clinical research results the challenge was on to identify a meaningful difference from which to establish the Xtandi brand. 

Extensive research uncovered the key difference was the mechanism of action. However, if an emotional proposition was to be considered clinicians needed to be re-educated about the disease mechanism, then given an emotional reason to appreciate why Xtandi was the better choice vs abiraterone. 

A two-streamed strategic approach was devised to tackle ingrained physician opinions and to prepare Xtandi’s launch. Both strategies were developed into consistently executed campaigns across a breadth of carefully selected channels, and success ensued. Sales far out-stretched expectations, proving XTANDI to be a strong brand and a fierce contender for the treatment of late-stage prostate cancer.

Judges comments

This is an outstanding campaign building on clinician insights that was so well executed, with good results. We loved the excellent patient engagement materials.