Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
TEAM MEMBERS:
Matt Rossen Vice President, Marketing.
Jason Alongi Senior Director, Consumer Marketing.
Mika Thorley Director, Consumer Marketing.
The XDEMVY Consumer Marketing Team from Tarsus was tasked with priming the market for the first and only FDA-approved Demodex blepharitis treatment. They worked tirelessly in creating and executing two distinct innovative and impactful complementary campaigns: the “Don’t Freak Out, Get Checked Out” disease education campaign and the branded “Mite Party” campaign for XDEMVY. The team, led by Jason Alongi and Mika Thorley, was brought together to address the significant challenge of raising awareness about Demodex blepharitis, a condition affecting 25 million eye care patients in the U.S., many of whom are unaware of its existence. The team faced the challenge of elevating, demystifying, and destigmatizing a condition caused by microscopic mites, which could easily be off-putting to the target audience.
To overcome this challenge, the team developed a two-pronged strategy:
- The Disease Education Campaign:“Don’t Freak Out, Get Checked Out” raises awareness of the disease Demodex blepharitis and its symptoms and encourages individuals to seek medical advice from an eye care professional.
- The Branded Campaign: The “Mite Party” campaign uses animated, approachable mites to visualize the disease, destigmatize Demodex blepharitis, and educate patients about XDEMVY, the first and only prescription treatment that targets and kills the mites that cause the disease.
The team’s work was innovative in several key ways. By keeping conversation direct and calm to educate on the disease and its symptoms instead of stoking fear, the team decided to encourage patients to stay calm with the message of “Don’t Freak Out. Get Checked Out.” As they were marketing the first and only FDA Treatment, XDEMVY’s team also had to not only create the sense of urgency to diagnose and treat the disease, but establish XDEMVY as first-line in a market that was owned by a variety of over-the-counter approaches that just managed symptoms instead of treating the root cause.
For the branded campaign, the team chose to use animated, characterized mites instead of realistic depictions. This approach made the condition easy to understand, more approachable, and less frightening, thereby increasing engagement and allowing eye care professionals to have productive conversations with patients without avoiding the underlying issue. The campaign’s website, XDEMVY. com, also provides a wealth of educational materials, including quizzes and patient testimonials, empowering patients with knowledge and resources. Real patients who have used XDEMVY to treat their Demodex blepharitis are prominently featured to convey the realworld impact of XDEMVY in the lives of those suffering from this eyelid disease.
Increasing Awareness and Not “Freaking Out”
The team’s work increased awareness of Demodex blepharitis among millions of Americans who were previously unaware of the condition and has contributed to reduced time to diagnosis. Providing patients with the knowledge and resources to discuss their symptoms with healthcare providers, leading to better diagnosis and treatment, was a key focus for both the disease education and branded campaigns. This has empowered patients to take control of their Demodex blepharitis with XDEMVY.
Since launching the “Mite Party” campaign in late January 2024, significant traffic has been driven to the campaign website, with over 147,000 sessions, 5,300 file downloads, and 3,900 engagements with the Find a Doctor tool. In addition to that, the disease education website had 151,400 sessions, 43,300 video views, and 5,200 quiz engagements. The campaigns enhanced the visibility and reputation of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and its product, XDEMVY, positioning it as a leader in the treatment of Demodex blepharitis and ophthalmic diseases. Even eye care professionals are using the terminology created for the “Mite Party” campaign in their diagnostic discussions with patients who are found to have Demodex blepharitis. They find it is an easier, more approachable conversation when they tell a patient, “Everyone has mites on their bodies, but when too many gather at the eyelids, that’s a mite party, and with XDEMVY we can break up the party causing the eyelid symptoms you are suffering from.”
With their dual-pronged strategy and their innovative, calming approach, The XDEMVY consumer Team has made a tremendous impact for people living with Demodex blepharitis and, through education and awareness, has brought the mites into the light for millions more.
FINALISTS:
Corcept Therapeutics Team (Corcept Therapeutics)
Cosentyx Dermatology Marketing Strategy Team (Novartis and Agency Partners: Neon, an IPG Health Company and Rise & Run, an IPG Health Company)
Glaukos iDose TR Launch Team (Glaukos)
XDEMVY Consumer Marketing Team (Tarsus Pharmaceuticals)
XDEMVY HCP Marketing Team (Moon Rabbit and Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
