New EpiPen TV ad . . .

[GoingNuts]

According to my buddy, this is posted on FAAN's support group leader page:

Earlier this week, FAAN was made aware of Mylan's new advertisement campaign for EpiPen(R) Auto-Injectors and we understand the source of concern that many of you expressed.  We have reached out to Mylan to share these important concerns. We will provide you with an update as soon as we have more information.
 
In the meantime, please be assured that FAAN’s position remains the same: The cornerstone of food allergy management is strict avoidance of the allergen, recognition of symptoms, and prompt treatment of reactions with prescribed medication that should be carried at all times.

[CMdeux]

Well, good for FAAN.  I mean that.

Now, if only they had the $$ to put that in a minute-long national TV spot, eh?  I guess that Mylan's contributuion doesn't stretch that far.   

[Mfamom]

when i orignially read the first post about Mylan's stand on the complaints, I thought it said FAAN supported the ad.  I see that isn't the case.

I will be interested to see what FAAN comes out with on this. 

[tnmom]

OMG!  That is so messed up.  Could they be more non-caring and irresponsible with our children’s lives?  They are sending a horrible message!
Of course, they forgot the rest of the dialogue.  Let me help them out:

MOM:   So what if there’s peanut in the cake?  With Epi-pen, it’s okay if you have a reaction.  Even when your face swells up until you’re unrecognizable and you’re gasping for air and afraid you’re going to die.  You can pull your mighty Epi-pen!

SON:  It’s like a super hero!

MOM:  Now, I realize that all your friends may look at you like you’re a freak and Max’s parent will go into a major panic, but you can show them how cool you are by pulling out your Epi-pen and stabbing yourself in the leg.

SON:  Yeah!

MOM:   Thanks to Epi-pen you will feel better ....for a few minutes anyway.  Then, as you’re shaking uncontrollably from all the epinephrine and you start feeling your throat closing up again, the ambulance will come just in time to give you more epinephrine and carry you away in front of all your friends on a stretcher.  Won’t that make for an exciting birthday party for little Max?

SON:  It sure will!

MOM:  But wait.  It gets better!  Once you get to the hospital, the doctors and nurses will poke you with a lot more needles and give you a lot more medicine, while you keep having biphasic reactions for the rest of the day.  If you’re really lucky, your reactions will be so out of control they will want to keep you overnight for observation. 

SON:  Wow!  It’s kind of like a vacation!

MOM:  With Epi-pen, there’s nothing to worry about.  You’re covered.  And to top it all off, your dad and I get rewarded with a $4,500 hospital and ambulance bill.   Just think, if you take a lot of risks eating things that may be unsafe for you, we may have so many medical bills that we may have to sell the house and move in with Grandma!

SON:  I love Grandma!

MOM:  See.  Everything will be fine because, well, you have your Epi-pen!

SON:  Thanks, Mom!  You’re the best!

[CMdeux]

   (reads post)



Wiping coffee from screen   

Clearly you have a future in advertising.   


I have to admit, here, that my very first thought when I saw this ad in the video was to wonder to myself...



is this even for real??  Is this, like, a SNL skit or something??

Truly.  It was that surreal to me-- the over-the-top cheerful tone, the Botox-Barbie look on Mom's face as she's saying the lines, etc.  I was just waiting for the punchline.  I was disappointed, because usually I find this kind of thing quite FUNNY.  It was only then that I realized... uh... they were serious about the ad. 

I mean, all three ads really have that semi-creepy Pleasantville/Stepford surrealist vibe about them, I thought.  20 seconds for the "emotional hook" part and then thirty seconds for all the side effects and cautions?  Not a good mix, really, and particularly when you don't even say what the drug is actually going to DO to HELP the child.   

[tnmom]

Yeah, I had to watch it about 4 or 5 times because I had a hard time believing it was real too.   From my point of view, this commercial makes them look like complete idiots, like they don't understand food allergies at all.  Not really building much trust or loyalty with the people who buy their products.   

[Mfamom]

I wrote an e-mail to fda and left a message for an apparently very busy customer service guy at Dey.  I also wrote an e-mail to Mylan. 
During my time on the Mylan website, I noticed they recently settled a patent issue with Sanofi/Intelliject for the e-cue.  they are allowed to start producing the new product at the end of 2012. 
It is a branch off of the e-card and apparently talks to you to be sure you know how to administer it etc.  Wonder if they are worried their huge/bulky new epi pen design will fall out of favor when a talking, credit card sized alternative hits the market?

http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Packaging/Tentative-US-OK-for-Intelliject-s-talking-delivery-device

Here is the info from Mylan website about the settlement:
Mylan and Pfizer Announce Epinephrine Auto-injector Settlement Agreement


PITTSBURGH and NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced that Meridian Medical Technologies, a Pfizer subsidiary, has entered into a settlement agreement with Intelliject and Sanofi-Aventis that will resolve pending patent litigation related to Intelliject's 505(b)(2) new drug application (NDA) for its epinephrine auto-injector known as e-cue™, which will be manufactured and marketed by Sanofi-Aventis. According to the terms of the settlement, Intelliject and Sanofi-Aventis may launch e-cue no earlier than Nov. 15, 2012, subject to receipt of final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Meridian manufactures EpiPen® Auto-Injector and Mylan Specialty markets and distributes the product in the United States.

Mylan Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch commented, "We are pleased with this settlement, and are confident that the EpiPen® Auto-Injector will continue to be a market leader, given the proud, 20-year heritage of this important treatment for anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis poses a life-threatening risk for many, and yet there continues to be low awareness of the signs, symptoms or steps that can be taken to be prepared to respond when anaphylaxis occurs - including ensuring immediate access to epinephrine auto-injectors. That is why we believe that, in addition to our significant efforts in this area, people with life-threatening allergic reactions will benefit from more voices in the fight to raise anaphylaxis awareness, preparedness and access to treatment."

Additional terms of the agreement are confidential, and the agreement itself is subject to review by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

[rebekahc]

This video needs to play right after the new ad...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yriX-3UwrCA

[SilverLining]

Mylan Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch commented, "We are pleased with this settlement, and are confident that the EpiPen® Auto-Injector will continue to be a market leader, given the proud, 20-year heritage of this important treatment for anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis poses a life-threatening risk for many, and yet there continues to be low awareness of the signs, symptoms or steps that can be taken to be prepared to respond when anaphylaxis occurs - including ensuring immediate access to epinephrine auto-injectors. That is why we believe that, in addition to our significant efforts in this area, people with life-threatening allergic reactions will benefit from more voices in the fight to raise anaphylaxis awareness, preparedness and access to treatment."

Maybe they should think about what the CEO said here when they are making their next ad.

[YouKnowWho]

Aye yi yi, I missed this yesterday.

I know it's only 30 seconds but they couldn't have added, Epi check, safe treat check, etc?

I had an allergist whose mindset was that "may contains" or "processed on's" were too limiting and that is why we have an Epi pen.  Mind you she was the one who was convinced my child was allergic to everything (and also recommended HFCS containing Gator-Ade to my child with a corn allergy because it doesn't bother her corn allergy).  I wonder if she is a rep for Dey....

Should drug companies be allowed to advertise their products in this age of Dr. Google?  I would rather see allergy support services advertising having epinephrine on hand if you do have food allergies.

[ajasfolks2]

Who is the ad/marketing agency that accomplished (I use that term loosely) the "new" ads for Epipen?

How do we find that out?  Possible?

Any of our super-sleuths able to do?

[ajasfolks2]

Adding -- just some links I get, in no particular order and NO CLUE what is truly relevant:

(Googled
Mylan Epipen "ad agency"  )

http://www.2degreesos.co.nz/2Degrees_of_Separation/Mylan-epipen.html



https://www.adpharm.net/blog/2011/08/page/3/
(Exploring this site might prove useful?)



Another source might be bizjournals?


OK, you market/business folks need to chime in here, PLEASE!!

[TabiCat]

YEAH  lets go a decade back in awareness. How many times in comments on awareness or school articles do we read just get the kid an epi-pen. We don't need to be encouraging such thinking.

[CMdeux]

Mylan Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch commented, "We are pleased with this settlement, and are confident that the EpiPen® Auto-Injector will continue to be a market leader, given the proud, 20-year heritage of this important treatment for anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis poses a life-threatening risk for many, and yet there continues to be low awareness of the signs, symptoms or steps that can be taken to be prepared to respond when anaphylaxis occurs - including ensuring immediate access to epinephrine auto-injectors. That is why we believe that, in addition to our significant efforts in this area, people with life-threatening allergic reactions will benefit from more voices in the fight to raise anaphylaxis awareness, preparedness and access to treatment."

Maybe they should think about what the CEO said here when they are making their next ad.

I think that they ARE keeping that in mind.

Just not the "prevention" part of things.     Which, if you get right down to it, probably is NOT in Dey/Mylan/Meridia's best interests financially anyway.

Yes, I'm rather thinking that this might have played a role in these new spots, and I'm further thinking that the FDA needs to rein them in, because this is NOT NOT NOT in the best-practices for the condition.  Period.  Ignoring "avoidance" in these spots and emphasizing only "response" is very dangerous.   

Other countries prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising for exactly these reasons.  Drug companies may say that they are running ads to "educate" but they most certainly are NOT doing multi-million-dollar cash layouts out of philanthropic motives.  They are doing it to drive SALES. 

[Mfamom]

I will say that many ads for medications are so ridiculous/scary that they make you want to think twice before taking them.....
if you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours.... (Cialis)  lol

complications of this drug include sudden death, trouble breathing, (loosely quoted for Advair)