Victoria Datta, Marketing Director, CVRM – FARXIGA, AstraZeneca
Over the span of four years, Victoria Datta successfully steered FARXIGA from a brand in decline to solid growth and on track to be a blockbuster by EOY 2022. In that period, she launched three new indications for FARXIGA: 1) to reduce the risk of heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes; 2) to reduce the risk of hospitalization of heart failure and cardiovascular death in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction with or without type 2 diabetes; and 3) to reduce the risk of worsening nephropathy, cardiovascular death, end-stage kidney disease and hospitalization for heart failure.
Throughout each launch, she maintained a single integrated brand identity; strategically shifted perception as a type 2 diabetes treatment to a cardio-renal solution; and pushed innovation through new marketing approaches. For example, she worked with her digital agency to develop a 3D heart model to help primary care physicians and endocrinologists understand how FARXIGA offered prevention of heart failure. During the pandemic, she led a virtual launch meeting with 2,300+ sales reps and managers for the third new indication, which resulted in one of the company’s highest field engagement scores. And her work on the unbranded “Act on CKD” initiative in the U.S. led to increased diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In 2021, FARXIGA sales increased by 29% to $732m.
Outside of her day-to-day responsibilities, Victoria also works to advance inclusion and diversity within AstraZeneca, including adding a health plan advocate for transgender employees, expanding surgical and medical benefits for transgender employees, and equalizing fertility benefits for LGBTQ+ individuals with hetero-fertility benefits.
