Novartis and Genentech released a pair of new TV commercials for allergy and asthma drug Xolair (omalizumab) as part of a direct-to-consumer (DTC) nationwide campaign called “Accidents Happen.”
The campaign, which launched August 19, aims at increasing awareness about Xolair as a treatment option for people with food allergies, which represents a significant proportion of the population, who have long faced a lack of effective therapies.
The campaign includes two TV commercials that debuted on August 19.
In the Xolair TV commercial titled “Caregiver,” two children are shown sitting together at lunch with their lunch boxes. The voiceover describes that while one child enjoys a peanut-filled meal, the other’s lunch features sunflower butter, thoughtfully packed by a parent to manage their son’s food allergy. The ad highlights that despite the care parents take in handling their children’s allergies, accidental exposure can happen.
It encourages viewers to consider Xolair to help reduce allergic reactions from accidental consumption.
Related: Asthma Drug Xolair Wins FDA Approval as First Treatment for Multiple Food Allergies
In the second 60-second ad titled “Patient,” two friends are shown sitting at a restaurant as the voiceover describes how one friend can order whatever she wants from the menu while the other has food allergies. “You do your best to avoid food allergens, but accidents can still happen,” explains the voiceover. The commercial then describes how Xolair can significantly reduce allergic reactions from accidental food exposures and that it focuses on the source of food allergy reactions.
According to data from iSpot.tv, Xolair’s total ad spend was $3.6 million from August 20 to August 26, putting it in the number 11 spot of TV advertisers by expenditure that week.
The commercials targeted various programming, including the likes of Friends, Gunsmoke and Family Feud, as well as early college football and preseason NFL games.
The campaign is expected to gain momentum in the fall with a comprehensive marketing plan timed to coincide with the return of primetime TV shows and live sports after the summer break, said Vas Ratnathicam, senior marketing director of Respiratory at Genentech, in an interview.
She also explained that the campaign will leverage all available channels to reach patients, with a focus on digital spaces where patients are most active. Extensive patient and caregiver research was conducted to develop the campaign, according to Ratnathicam.
“Accidents Happen” was created to highlight the universal moments of discomfort experienced by patients living with allergies or their caregivers, such as birthday parties, sending kids back to school or eating at restaurants.
Ratnathicam said it was critical to ensure the campaign reflected the lived experiences of people with food allergies and highlighted the fact that accidents happen.
While Xolair has been on the market since 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted expanded approval to Xolair in February for reducing food allergy reactions for patients one year of age and older with immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies. The Food Allergy Research and Resource Program reports that IgE-mediated food allergies affect approximately 3.5 to 4 percent of the population.
It is estimated that in 2024, 3.4 million children and 13.6 million adults in the US have been diagnosed with IgE-mediated food allergies. Over 40 percent of children and more than half of adults with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction at least once, according to Genentech.
IgE-mediated food allergies encompass 160 different foods, with peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy and tree nuts being the most common allergens.
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