Have you ever heard of advanced systemic mastocytosis (advSM)? No? If not, then you're like most people. This form of mast cell cancer is a very rare disease. Our task was to help our client Novartis launch a new product for advSM patients.
Based on a jointly developed positioning statement, we created an integrated package of measures to support the German market launch. These measures played an important role in creating awareness among physicians – and they provided patients with comprehensive information that was previously unavailable.
For a disease as rare as advSM, there is little experience and data, so teamwork is crucial for a successful launch. To make sure that everyone involved would share and combine their expertise in a structured way, we developed the positioning in a series of three complementary workshops – together with physicians and experts from Novartis.
The market launch was a success, exceeding expectations. It makes us proud that the website and brochure marked the first time that such information material is available specifically for advSM patients. Furthermore, we were able to contribute to increasing awareness of this rare disease among referring physicians and primary care providers.