W. Akil Hunte, Director, Patient Empowerment, FILSPARI Marketing Team, Travere Therapeutics
Until recently, treatments for IgA nephropathy (IgAN), a rare kidney disease, had been limited to off-label use of medications that do not adequately control the disease. IgA nephropathy is a leading cause of End Stage Kidney Disease, so the accelerated approval of FILSPARI to lower proteinuria in adults with IgAN could not come soon enough to help patients. Akil Hunte and his team helped guide the patient launch of this innovative product to educate patients and raise awareness about both the disease and new treatment option.
A critical part of the launch plan for FILSPARI involved developing multiple patient creative campaigns—both branded and unbranded—spanning the print and digital landscapes over 18 months. From a creative standpoint, each campaign is unique in its execution—standing out from other pharmaceutical campaigns through their warm visuals, conversational tone, and patient-centric style. Because a major focus of these campaigns was to foster doctor-patient conversations, complex science was boiled down into digestible, patient-friendly content, including sound files of scientific terms so that patients can feel confident discussing certain topics. Both programs provide the patient with tools and resources that include actionable dietary and lifestyle tips, empowering them to take control of their kidney health.
Akil played a crucial role in leading and shaping both creative campaigns, providing direction and guidance throughout the development of all communications across multiple platforms. During the process, he demonstrated the ability to build consensus among internal and external stakeholders (including market research and advocacy partners) to ensure the content was consistently effective, on strategy, and of utmost value to the patient audience.
