Finalist
An Omnichannel Approach to Change the Lives of People Living with Rare Genetic Causes of Obesity.
by Aurora for Rhythm Pharmaceuticals
Summary of work
Before Rhythm’s entry, no treatments existed for patients with rare melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway diseases. These diseases are a rare genetic cause of early-onset, severe obesity driven by hyperphagia (pathological, insatiable hunger) and lead to severe ill health, societal stigma, self-blame and even early death.
Rhythm’s small International Team, covering ten countries, had to develop and execute an approach far beyond multichannel and move toward a true rarity: omnichannel.
They had a mountain to climb, with many obstacles along the way: new genetic understanding, no disease awareness outside of a few experts, unclear patient pathways, huge stigma, lack of professional relationships and sometimes even a disbelieving HCP audience.
Rhythm created an integrated set of firsts, including the first-ever global annual educational meeting focused solely on rare MC4R pathway diseases, the first-ever disease awareness campaigns, and the first-ever HCP and patient websites. This allowed the team to reach many more HCPs than they could see face-to-face.
The results speak for themselves. Rhythm’s integrated omnichannel approach has been a monumental success, leading to a significant increase in referrals for genetic testing and, ultimately, patient diagnosis. This comprehensive effort has been a literal lifeline for patients previously overlooked by the system.
Judges’ comments
Aurora and Rhythm Pharmaceuticals have outlined a clear analysis that sets out the challenges of patient identification in ultra rare diseases. The objectives were specific and the judges really appreciated that they also provided omnichannel examples. It had impressive outcomes from a small dedicated team.
