Ruconest Digital Patient Engagement Strategy
Pharming
Don Abramo, Sr. Director HAE Marketing
d.abramo@pharming.com
Engaging patients through digital channels has become a norm for our industry, sometimes even formulaic to a fault, but Pharming shook traditional engagement when reaching out to the hereditary angioedema (HAE) community about Ruconest (C1 esterase inhibitor [recombinant]).
Pharming’s marketing and patient solutions team, including Don Abramo, Caitlin Marsh, and Emily Phillips, created a branded YouTube channel with various topics for HAE patients. The YouTube channel features guidance about treating HAE with Ruconest as well as FAQ-style content that answers common questions and lifestyle concerns HAE patients may have. Emily launched a new “Fight the Swell!” podcast on the YouTube channel. The podcast is hosted by real patients who talk to guests with relevant experience to share, such as other patients or specialist HCPs.
Caitlin recently developed and launched the Ruconest App to provide a convenient way to track painful, sometimes dangerous, swells and to share reports with the patient’s healthcare team. The app securely stores medical documents, prescription refill reminders, and upcoming HAE events.
Branded apps may have become commonplace, but unlike most, the Ruconest Patient App can also be used by patients who are currently being treated with other products. This approach offers Pharming a chance to be a valued partner to the HAE community and to better understand HAE patient needs and challenges.
Since the app’s launch in June 2020, there has been significant uptake and use by patients. Their branded Facebook page has 146 followers while Instagram has 181 followers. YouTube channel boasts 16.7k views this year with 327 subscribers. For a disease as rare as HAE, these numbers indicate the patient and caregiver community is eager to engage, participate, and learn more.
