Highly Commended
Remaining Relevant in MS
With support from: VCCP Health
Summary of work
Despite achieving record-breaking sales in 2014, the writing was on the wall for the COPAXONE® 20mg Daily formulation. For 13 years it had helped reduce the rate of relapses for MS patients. But despite herculean efforts of the teams across Europe in 2013-2014 to weather the influx of oral first line treatments everyone from the patients, to neurologists and analysts, were looking past COPAXONE®. The market was moving on, injectables were ‘out’, the convenience of oral treatments was ‘in’.
This is the story of the unlikely success in rejuvenating the COPAXONE® Family (20mg Daily and 40mg 3x weekly formulations). The launch of COPAXONE®’s new 3x weekly formulation is a classic case study in marketing. Truly understanding your challenges and customers. Setting clear objectives. Working seamlessly across all functions and all markets to against all odds ‘bend the curve’. The trickiest part with launching an extension of a successful brand is to know how to stand out, without losing what has made you great as a brand.
When facing down a formidable challenge, sometimes the bravest thing is to simply understand your strengths and weaknesses and know how hold your nerve.
Judges’ comments
This was a comprehensive line extension programme that successfully increased prescriber awareness of a new regimen. They faced a tough pan-European challenge and responded with a programme that has been a great success.
