Renée Marotta
Associate Director, Marketing
Aralez Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
Walter Son
Senior Director, Marketing
Aralez Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
A Mutually Beneficial Pairing
Any new product launch is complex, but the task can be a tad more complicated when the organization launching the product just recently launched itself. Aralez Pharmaceuticals arrived on the scene in February 2016, and it immediately hit the ground running to launch its first product—Yosprala. Despite the many challenges, Walter Son and Renée Marotta proved up to the task.
As a new organization, there was no launch template to follow, and many corporate business practices were being formalized while the Yosprala team was neck deep in launch activities. Additionally, the corporate headquarters was still being constructed so Walter and Renée had to work virtually.
And yet, throughout the launch process, Walter and Renée displayed a relentless passion for excellence and a refusal to settle for anything less than perfection. They started with a disease awareness campaign in May to educate HCPs on the seriousness of aspirin-related GI side effects. Yosprala offered an alternative as the only sequentially delivered delayed-response aspirin that supports cardio- and gastroprotection. For the branded campaign, the team came up with the perfect visual—a stomach and heart holding hands—paired with an equally adept tagline: “The Protection is Mutual.”
To date, the launch outcomes have been impressive. Market research of the core campaign concept and detail aid was exceptionally positive, as both seamlessly integrated early market/product insights. The actual launch was equally as flawless, with an exceptional launch meeting for an essentially brand-new sales force (about 80% of the reps at the launch meeting had been hired within the prior month). Post-launch feedback from the field after the first month was overwhelmingly positive. One quote from the field encapsulates this sentiment perfectly: “These are some of the best materials I’ve ever seen.”
And physicians’ appreciation for the campaign was mutual. In just five months, 30,000 people have visited YospralaHCP.com. One primary care physician called the campaign a “positive, smart idea.” Meanwhile, a cardiologist said it was “powerful…and the message is clear.” Walter and Renée delivered a clear message as well—they can overcome any obstacles thrown their way.
