Shionogi steps up marketing of Xocova for post-exposure COVID-19 prevention

Shionogi has stepped up promotion of Xocova, its COVID-19 preventive drug, and launched an omnichannel campaign.

According to U.S. pharmaceutical trade publication Fierce Pharma on the 15th (local time), Shionogi has partnered with advertising agency The Bloc on a campaign encouraging people exposed to the COVID-19 virus to contact a health care professional.

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xocova, a protease inhibitor, for prevention in people who have been in contact with someone with COVID-19. In a phase 3 clinical trial, the infection rate was 2.9% among contacts who took Xocova for 5 days within 72 hours after symptom onset in the infected person, compared with 9.0% in the placebo group.

Shionogi launched its “If you got the call, make the call” campaign in July with a TV ad. It expanded the campaign to an omnichannel effort as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rated COVID-19 activity as “rising/increasing.”

In addition to TV ads, the campaign uses social media, digital and print materials, online video, digital out-of-home advertising, and materials for health care facilities and pharmacies. All materials direct people to the Xocova website and convey the message that if they have recently been told a contact has COVID-19, they should call a health care professional to ask about Xocova.

Pooja Bhavsar, senior vice president of strategic planning at The Bloc, said, “In health care communications, what people remember turns awareness into action.” She added, “We designed the campaign to use warmth and humor to help people remember to ask a health care professional about Xocova at the most important moment: after COVID-19 exposure.”

Shionogi disclosed its plans to promote Xocova in its first-quarter earnings report last month. Its strategy is to prioritize investment in digital channels, including social media and connected TV, and raise awareness among older adults through broadcast TV and search engine optimization.

The company said it would support a sales force of about 160 people and focus its efforts on areas of the U.S. with high COVID-19 incidence. Securing pharmacy stock and beginning negotiations with insurers were also identified as priorities.

According to market research cited by Shionogi, about 69% of people at high risk for severe COVID-19 were interested in Xocova, and more than 90% of physicians said they would consider prescribing it. People living with those at high risk for severe disease also showed strong interest.