Kris Flynn, XOFLUZA Marketing Director, Genentech
Everyone knows about flu vaccines, but not everyone knows there are also prescription treatments available that can be taken after getting the flu. XOFLUZA is a relatively new antiviral that has only been around for the past two flu seasons. But between its first and second flu seasons, Kris Flynn and his team increased the number of patients treated with XOFLUZA by over three and a half times.
At the heart of this increase was the, “Flu Sucks Everything Out of You” direct-to-consumer campaign, which showed a person who was sucked dry of their energy with nothing left of them but the clothes they were wearing. While the campaign highly resonated with patients, Kris and his team wanted to explore other avenues to help patients get treated for the flu.
Getting diagnosed quickly is crucial for treatment with XOFLUZA and other influenza antivirals since they must be administered within 48 hours of symptom onset. So, they worked with a telemedicine provider, PlushCare, and placed a link right on XOFLUZA.com to provide patients with an option to access a licensed healthcare professional quickly. Typically, within 15 minutes they could be having a virtual consultation with a certified practitioner.
Now, Kris and his team are preparing for perhaps their biggest challenge yet—a flu season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal is raising awareness among doctors about the potential added complexities of diagnosing and treating patients who present with influenza-like illness this flu season.
