Finalist
Be The Change: Launching the First IO in Biliary Tract Cancer
by Stirred and Real Chemistry on behalf of AstraZeneca
Summary of work
Biliary Tract Cancer (BTC) is a rare, yet aggressive disease. It poses a devastating prognosis with only 25% of patients surviving beyond 1-year, and a mere 8% at 3 years. Despite this evident unmet need, advancements in treatments had stagnated for over a decade.
The approval of a new regimen marked a significant breakthrough. However, market intelligence identified significant challenges, including entrenched prescribing behaviours born from limited treatment options and unfamiliarity with the new treatment modality.
To address this, a strategic narrative was developed to cut through and build confidence, and a comprehensive multi-channel communications plan was delivered seamlessly between all organisations involved to drive action.
The product of this work was crystal clear, with 85% of all eligible patients receiving this regimen within the first year of launch – exceeding predetermined targets and outperforming all international markets. Additionally, a dramatic reduction in diagnosis-to-treatment times and an increase in time on therapy demonstrated the impact of a patient-centric strategy that went ‘beyond the pill’, offering renewed hope to those impacted by BTC. Alongside launch success, this work established a strong foundation for AstraZeneca in the Gastrointestinal oncology space, paving the way for future indications.
Judges’ comments
“Be the Change” had clear KPIs and great outcomes vs the objectives. The fact that this project managed to reduce treatment time was huge and not to be ignored. Overall, their results were impressive, meeting a high unmet need.
