Nick Ferrara, Executive Director of Orthopedics, Endo Pharmaceuticals
It’s near unheard of for a 10-year-old brand that had started to see declines in prescriptions after its seventh year to then achieve double-digital growth in year 10 without a new formulation, without being approved for a new indication, and without relying on anything else but more patient education. And yet, that is exactly what Nick Ferrara achieved with Xiaflex. Though John Elway certainly helped a little.
Xiaflex is a nonsurgical treatment option for adults with Dupuytren’s contracture, which is a progressive hand condition that can limit how much you can move or straighten your fingers. However, most patients believe surgery is the only treatment option, and because of this many don’t even bother to seek treatment. The unbranded “Facts on Hand” campaign was designed to change that. At the heart of the campaign was Elway, the former football star quarterback, who suffers from Dupuytren’s contracture himself. The TV campaign, digital presence, print ad, and more all featured Elway discussing his experience with the disease and the fact that surgery wasn’t required to treat it.
The campaign had an immediate impact and demonstrated a continued ability to drive a record number of visitors to seek out nonsurgical treatment. In 2019, just over 26% of visitors to the unbranded Facts on Hand website clicked over to the branded site seeking more information. On average, over 13% of visitors to the branded site also clicked to search for an HCP who offers the product. Thanks to these results, the brand far exceeded forecasts and achieved the aforementioned 13% growth in 2019.
