• by Les Luchter , May 15, 2025

Pharma company CSL Behring, whose roots go back over a century, has debuted its first-ever TV commercial: a :60 spot for Hizentra, a 15-year-old treatment for the rare disease of primary immunodeficiency (PI).

Per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), PI patients “have an immune system that doesn't work correctly. This makes them more likely to get and become very sick from infections.”

The CDC identifies more that 400 types of PI, and CSL says some 500,000 Americans have it.

“After over 15 years of supporting the PI community, we saw an opportunity to educate more patients about Hizentra as a treatment option and amplify the voices of people living with PI—many of whom have spent years feeling invisible in the healthcare system,” Priscilla Tavener, CSL’s head of immunology & neurology, U.S. marketing, tells Marketing Daily. “This campaign was inspired by real patient stories and created to help people with PI feel seen and empowered.

Over 70% of those with PI remain undiagnosed and “on average, it can take nine to 15 years from the onset of symptoms…to receive an accurate diagnosis,” Tavener says.

Hence, the commercial focuses on a PI sufferer in a supermarket, showing how what would be normal shopping behavior for most had become nerve-wracking for her: “navigating the risks of infection, worrying about surfaces, and questioning my every step… But now, I’ve turned things around.  With Hizentra, I’m more protected.”

The ad is running on connected TV, streaming platforms (e..g, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+) and online, per Tavener.

The commercial, she says, serves as the “centerpiece of a broader awareness effort,” in which CSL is“continuing to collaborate with advocacy groups, elevating patient stories through digital content and patient interviews,” as well as “participating in educational initiatives to deepen public understanding.”

The campaign’s primary goals, Tavener says, are to “raise awareness of PI, support earlier diagnosis of the condition. and educate patients about Hizentra as a treatment option.” In addition, she says, CSL “aims to make people living with PI feel seen and empowered to take an active role in their healthcare decisions.”

The Fingerpaint agency and IPG Health’s Solve(d) have worked with CSL on the campaign.