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Unveiling the Agenda for the 25th Annual DTC National Conference in Boston!

December 17, 2024 0

The 25th Annual DTC National Conference is your gateway to discovering the cutting-edge strategies redefining direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing in pharma. Set to take place April 2025 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, this milestone event promises to bring together the brightest minds and trailblazing leaders in the industry. Join us as we tackle the most pressing challenges, reveal actionable solutions, and set the course for the future of patient engagement.

This is your opportunity to gain powerful insights, network with key decision-makers, and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving landscape. Secure your spot today!

Here’s a Sneak Peek at the Powerful Sessions You Won’t Want to Miss:

1. State of the Industry: Insights & Trends Shaping the Future

Kick off the conference with a comprehensive overview of today’s most critical DTC marketing trends, challenges, and innovations – setting the stage for what’s next in pharma marketing.

2. Market Landscape Analysis: Shifts, Influences & Emerging Drivers

Deep dive into the data! Explore DTC spending trends across media types, disease states, and brand categories, while uncovering the key forces shaping consumer engagement and behavior.

3. Mastering Drug Launches & ROI: Strategies for Success

Learn how to maximize the impact of your drug launches with innovative digital tools, patient-centered strategies, and robust ROI frameworks to deliver measurable results.

4. Opportunities vs. Risks: Navigating Today’s Complex Landscape

Discover how to identify growth opportunities while mitigating risks in an increasingly competitive and complex DTC environment. Stay ahead of key challenges and unlock your brand’s full potential.

5. What’s New from OPDP? Insights You Need to Know

Led by a former FDA Director, this session will provide the latest research, updates, and guidance from the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) and their direct implications for DTC campaigns.

6. Case Study: Innovating Patient Activation Through Omnichannel

Learn from real-world examples of how leading brands are revolutionizing patient engagement through seamless, omnichannel strategies that activate, empower, and retain audiences.

7. Case Study: Leveraging Macro & Micro Influencers to Boost Impact

Explore how influencer marketing—both macro and micro—can amplify your reach, elevate brand credibility, and foster trust with patients, creating meaningful connections.

8. AI in DTC: Transforming Strategies & Driving Success

Discover how AI-powered tools are transforming DTC campaigns, from streamlining FDA reviews to enhancing consumer engagement. Learn how to outperform competitors and drive efficiency through technology.

9. Interactive Roundtables: Personalizing DTC to Meet Patients Where They Are

Engage in dynamic, collaborative discussions with industry experts and peers, sharing strategies for delivering personalized, patient-first DTC campaigns that resonate.

10. Specialized Breakout Tracks: Delve Deeper Into What Matters Most

Customize your conference experience with focused breakout sessions tailored to the most pressing topics, emerging trends, and specialized challenges in DTC marketing.

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DTC-In-Perspective by Bob Ehrlich

Weight Loss DTC Will Boom: GLP-1 Drugs Reshape the Market

December 10, 2024 0

The obesity drug market potential is staggering. America is overweight. I am overweight. My friends are overweight. Willpower is obviously not the solution because most of us cannot sustain it. We need to get by with a little help. About 40% of adults in America are obese according to the CDC. Thankfully, we have two currently approved drugs in the GLP-1 category. Wegovy and Zepbound from Novo Nordisk and Lilly, respectively, currently lead the category. Others will follow.

There has never been a category so suitable for DTC advertising. High incidence, easy understanding of the condition, and fast action to see results are the hallmarks of a no brainer DTC drug. A JP Morgan analyst predicted the GLP-1 obesity market will grow to $71 billion by 2032. There are about 110 million Americans who could benefit from using obesity drugs. Currently only about 6% are using them according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Wegovy has been blasting its availability over the past year. We have all seen the great march of people down the street DTC ad. The power of “we”. Lilly’s Zepbound started DTC advertising mid-November. Supply issues made advertising unnecessary until capacity issues were resolved. Production has been recently expanded according to Lilly.

Lilly has set up its direct distribution system to consumers to offer that alternative to regular channels of retail pharmacies. They are ready to promote demand growth.

You can count on several new competitors in the next few years as the great gold rush for this market is making drug makers salivate. Lilly and Novo Nordisk know their premium priced drugs will be facing lower priced entries. The window for maximizing sales at premium prices is short. Insurers will be gradually increasing coverage because the added benefits of these drugs are exciting. At current prices, insurers are not rushing to cover them.

The weight loss category from GLP-1 drugs is set to become a massive DTC advertising spender, reshaping how America addresses obesity and its related health challenges.

Research studies are showing a litany of health outcomes beyond weight loss such as reducing blood sugar, blood pressure, heart disease, addictive behaviors, and potentially dementia. It is just a matter of time before they are covered because of the potential reduction in costs of treating heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.

The pressure will be on drug makers to make these drugs more affordable to the average American. Hearings in Congress were recently held with the Novo Nordisk CEO to pressure the company to lower prices on Ozempic and Wegovy, which run about $1,200 a month for self-pay. Discount cards are available, so the real consumer price is about $600 a month unless covered by insurance.

DTC ads will help keep demand high and new competitors will eventually drive down price. Expanding capacity will allow both Lilly and Novo Nordisk to reduce price and make it up on volume. After all, better to have more customers on these drugs for years at affordable prices than have them start and stop due to cost.

Once we see new competitors, we will see DTC ads evolve to highlight brand advantages. Those might be based on price, form of dose as in pill or injection, frequency needed, side effects, efficacy of weight loss, or other collateral health benefits. The weight loss category from GLP-1 drugs is going to be a massive DTC spender for years to come.

Bob Ehrlich

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DTC-In-Perspective by Bob Ehrlich

Revolutionizing Pharma: The Rise of Direct to Consumer Pharmaceutical Drugs

December 3, 2024 0

One of the current trends in DTC marketing is the availability of some branded drugs shipped directly from the manufacturer. Some pharmaceutical companies are starting to cut the wholesalers and retailers out of the purchase cycle. While still in its infancy, the direct to consumer operations have enormous implications for how consumers will get their drugs in the future. Eli Lilly and Pfizer are the first to offer this service.

The direct sales of drugs to consumers have been in place for nearly a decade from non-pharmaceutical companies. Hims started in 2017, and there are now many non-pharmaceutical companies diagnosing, prescribing, and shipping to consumers. Drug companies have decided to enter direct sales in the past few years.

Why are drug companies now getting into the direct sales business? There are several good reasons for this new approach. First, drug makers are now seeing a huge growth in direct sales companies offering compounded versions of their drugs. These are cheaper and, in categories like weight loss, have lots of appeal to consumers. Second, cutting out the middlemen gives drug companies better ability to lower drug prices. Third, there are enormous marketing advantages to knowing your customers and tracking their purchases over time. Fourth, drug companies are concerned about counterfeit drugs through reimportation which is a real problem for consumers ordering from the internet. Fifth, consumers like the convenience of getting diagnoses and prescriptions without having to see their doctor in person.

“Cutting out the middlemen gives drug companies better ability to lower drug prices, know their customers, and combat counterfeit medications – reshaping how consumers access healthcare”

I would expect that drug companies will greatly expand their direct to consumer programs and use traditional DTC advertising to make consumers aware of their purchase options. The direct business will not replace retail drug stores or drug wholesalers for most drugs. Most of the growth will come from lifestyle categories like weight loss, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders, migraine, anxiety, and depression. Any category where an online survey and virtual healthcare can diagnose a consumer condition is an opportunity for direct sales.

There are legitimate ethical and policy implications to expanding direct pharmaceutical distribution. The non-pharmaceutical direct business makes it easy to get prescription meds through an online survey or telemedicine that inappropriate prescribing is possible. I expect pharmaceutical companies will have better controls in place to make sure a prescription is justified. After all, these big pharma companies have a lot more to lose in public reputation and through regulatory, public policy, and legal actions.

The Amazoning of America has certainly shown that consumers love the convenience of shopping from home. Getting a diagnoses, prescription, and delivery online is becoming accepted for many drug categories. Drug companies see the potential and expect major growth in this channel.

Bob Ehrlich