Q&A: Xolair ‘Accidents Happen’ ad campaign aims to help food allergy management

Key takeaways:

• The campaign follows the approval of Xolair for the reduction of allergic reactions after accidental exposure.
• It encourages patients to speak to their allergists about treatment with Xolair.

Despite daily vigilance in managing food allergies, everything does not always go according to plan.

With this idea in mind, Genentech and Novartis recently launched a new advertising campaign, “Accidents Happen,” to highlight the challenges of living with food allergies and how their product, Xolair, can help in management.

The FDA approved Xolair (omalizumab) in February to help in reducing allergic reactions caused by accidental exposure to one or more foods in children and adults with IgE-mediated food allergy.

The “Accidents Happen” campaign aims to showcase the complexity and challenges of living with food allergies and accidental allergen exposure. It also encourages patients to speak with their doctors about using Xolair as a treatment option.

The campaign includes television commercials and online video as well as digital and social media ads, some of which include scenarios that take place in a restaurant or a schoolroom.

Healio spoke with Vas Ratnathicam, MBA, senior marketing director, respiratory, at Genentech, about the campaign and what it entails.

Healio: What is Xolair, and what sets it apart from other allergy medicines?

Ratnathicam: Xolair is an injectable prescription medicine that is FDA-approved to treat food allergies in people aged 1 year and older. For the first time, people with one or more food allergies have a treatment option with Xolair that can help reduce allergic reactions that may occur with an accidental exposure. People taking Xolair for food allergies should continue to avoid all foods they are allergic to, commonly referred to as food allergen avoidance. It’s important to note Xolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of any allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

Over-the-counter treatments, such as antihistamines, relieve the symptoms of an allergic reaction after they occur. An epinephrine autoinjector is used for theemergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions.

Healio: Tell us about the new campaign for Xolair.

Ratnathicam: On Aug. 19, we launched a nationwide, direct-to-consumer advertising campaign called “Accidents Happen.” The concept is rooted in our understanding of life with food allergies, which often requires caregivers and people with food allergies to exercise constant vigilance and develop systematic plans around avoiding their food allergens. We know that people strive for control over the environments they are in — and at the same time, acknowledge that control is very difficult. For example, more than 40% of children and more than half of adults with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction at least once, so, despite their most careful efforts, the risk for accidental exposures still exists in daily life and may be more difficult for parents or caregivers to help avoid as their children gain independence.

The campaign includes television, online videos, digital and social media ads.

Healio: How was the idea for the campaign created? Can you tell us more about the input from patients/caregivers/allergy advocacy groups?

Ratnathicam: Patients are at the center of everything we do at Genentech. We developed the concept with direct input from hundreds of food allergy patients, caregivers, advocacy groups, along with providers, and the broader food allergy community to ensure the campaign accurately and authentically reflects their experience. We heard from patients and caregivers about the complexity of living with food allergies and the many challenges of avoiding exposure to potential allergens. For example, you’ll see in the campaign there are two children on a school field trip who have their lunch swapped — this is something that weighs heavily on the minds of parents of children with food allergies.

Healio: What is the goal of the campaign?

Ratnathicam: There are 17 million children and adults living with IgE-mediated food allergies — and the prevalence has continued to rise over the past 20 years. People with one or more food allergies are primarily managing their condition with food avoidance alone. As there have been limited treatment advances for food allergies, patients and caregivers may be unaware that there are other options available to help manage food allergies.

The campaign sheds light on the complexity that people face when living with food allergies and how challenging it can be to prevent an accidental exposure. We hope our campaign will encourage people to have a dialogue with their allergist about their food allergies and see if Xolair might be able to help them manage their condition.

Healio: What does it entail and what would you like patients to know?

Ratnathicam: In speaking with the food allergy community, we wanted to capture some of the universal moments that many people can relate to that are compounded by the challenges of living with food allergies — going to camp, going to birthday parties, going to school or dining out.

As a company, we deeply understand the challenges of daily life with food allergies — the meticulous planning; the difficult conversations with family, friends and teachers; all of that often unseen labor to help avoid exposures while also guiding children through the challenges of growing up. And that even with all of this vigilance, accidents still happen, and there are options like Xolair that might be able to help their food allergy management plans.

Healio: What would you like doctors to know about the contents of the campaign?

Ratnathicam: Xolair is the first and only FDA-approved medicine to reduce allergic reactions in people with one or more food allergies. Xolair is the only medicine that targets and blocks IgE, an underlying cause of food allergy. Until now, there have been limited treatment advances for food allergies.

Additionally, Xolair has been available for more than 20 years. Today, Xolair is approved across four conditions, including allergic asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria, food allergies and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Healio: What are the limitations of Xolair? Are there any warnings/apprehension about patients misconstruing the message of the campaign?

Ratnathicam: Genentech is committed to patient safety. The ads convey the most important risk-related information for Xolair. Doctors can view the full prescribing information including the medication guide for additional important safety information and instructions for use online.

Healio: Is there anything else you would like to say?

Ratnathicam: My daughter is one of the 17 million people living with IgE-mediated food allergies. As a food allergy parent, this campaign is deeply personal to me. I know firsthand the complexity of living with food allergies and the challenges of perfect control. I am so proud to launch this advertising campaign and hope it will make a meaningful difference in the food allergy community.