In the last issue of The Medicine Maker, I noted the urgent need for the pharma industry to win back trust and restore its public image. The task also seems to be high on the agenda of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) – at the end of January, it unveiled a substantial advertising campaign called “GoBoldly”. The campaign aims to “salute the sheer will and tenacity of patients and scientists fighting against disease every day” – and PhRMA’s first television advertisement is a worthy effort. The ad has clocked up thousands of views on YouTube, and I highly recommend taking a look: http://tmm.txp.to/goboldly. It boasts a movie-trailer feel, and features a voiceover of Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” as well as a stunning piece of music (Solarium by Jonathan B Buchanan). It taps into the human element of drug development – the tireless dedication of scientists who work long hours to prevent patients from slipping into that “good night”.
The campaign’s dedicated website – www.goboldly.com – includes information about personalized medicines, immunotherapy and genomics, as well as personal stories from patients. PhRMA also intends to convene events across the US to discuss how the current healthcare system can be made to be more responsive to the needs of patients. Meanwhile in the UK, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) also wants to showcase the industry’s good side. And though not quite as dramatic as PhRMA’s trailer, the ABPI has created a three-minute film called “Only Just Begun” (http://tmm.txp.to/abpi) that celebrates the past and present of drug development in the UK with a mixture of historic and present-day imagery. The ABPI has also created a range of online content that aims to demonstrate the value of medicines and vaccines, as well as the pharmaceutical sector’s worth to the UK economy.
Comments on YouTube suggest that PhRMA’s campaign, in particular, has been very well received. It’s a shame then that those efforts have been overshadowed by the media storm around Marathon Pharmaceuticals’ pricing of a drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For scientists with an “indomitable will” to cure, how frustrating it must be to watch their industry being tainted by yet another apparent example of corporate greed. The Medicine Maker remains steadfast in its original mission: to celebrate the best of pharma but also to scrutinize the bad – and we’re always open to articles that explore either side of the coin.
Stephanie Sutton
Editor
Newsletters
Receive the latest analytical science news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.
