• by Les Luchter , 9 hours ago

Epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures, affects 3.4 million Americans, yet only one pharma company with an anti-seizure drug has run TV ads.

That’s SK Life Sciences, whose Xcopri hit the market in 2020, followed by a commercial in 2021 -- and now a second one, four years later.

“Our earlier campaign encouraged patients to pursue a life with zero seizures, but we learned that many people found that goal unrealistic,” acknowledges Chris Fanale, SK’s executive director of marketing, to Marketing Daily. “This time, we grounded the message in emotional truth and clinical possibility, like reducingseizures.”

A :60 spot, which launched on Monday, follows the road trip of an epilepsy patient and his father.

“The road to partial onset seizure reduction can be long and winding,” says a voiceover. “You feel like you're not in the driver's seat, afraid to try a new medicine because of side effects [visual of a downed tree blocking the road] or going backwards [visual of the car doing just that]. But doing nothing means you won't get anywhere [visual of the car’s wheels spinning].”

The commercial is running across streaming TV, digital, social and healthcare platforms, Fanale says, to “ensure we’re meeting people where they are, whether they’re streaming content at home, scrolling on their phones, or engaging with health-related information online.”

“The story was crafted to reflect the emotional and physical realities that many people with epilepsy face every day,” says Fanale. “While the commercial doesn’t say the word ‘epilepsy’ outright, it’s rooted entirely in the experience of living with partial onset seizures, Xcopri’s approved indication.”

“Epilepsy is underrepresented in media,” says Fanale, “and we believe this campaign fills a critical awareness gap…It’s about helping people feel seen and encouraging informed discussions with their healthcare providers [HCPs].”

Indeed, Fanale says that HCPs are one of the target audiences for the ad, along with caregivers, and adult epilepsy patients themselves. “Ultimately, this campaign aims to raise national awareness of epilepsy, reduce stigma, and empower patients to have informed conversations with their doctors about reducing seizures.”

Fanale says that Xcopri’s website and patient materials have also been updated to align with the TV spot. The campaign was “built to have long-term resonance,” he explains. “with multiple touchpoints across the year to keep epilepsy awareness and patient empowerment top of mind.”

Success of the campaign will be measured by reach and engagement across streaming and digital platforms, traffic to Xcopri.com, and increases in patient-initiated conversations with HCPs.

Of the 3.4 million Americans with epilepsy, 40% continue to experience seizures despite their current treatments, says SK.