Can a Direct Pitch to Patients Drive a Home Run for Obesity Drug

Winning regulatory approval for a drug to treat obesity would seem like a great accomplishment, but for Orexigen Therapeutics, that’s when the hard work began. After its marketing partner Takeda ended their agreement because of disappointing sales, the company found itself in the position of having to market a drug to doctors who often don’t consider obesity an illness and believe willpower and discipline, not a pill, is what’s needed. Orexigen’s solution centered on a novel approach. The company decided to make a pitch directly to patients and connect them to telehealth-based doctors, who could ensure use of the drug is appropriate and help them avoid the embarrassment they may feel when speaking to their own doctors. We spoke to Thomas Cannell, Chief Operating Officer and President of Global Commercial Products for Orexigen, about its obesity drug Contrave, its marketing strategy, and whether it represents a marketing model that others may follow.