Vraylar: Neuroscience Product Launch

Client & task

Allergan Pharmaceuticals: Vraylar

During its 2015 launch, Allergan faced a significant challenge in positioning Vraylar (cariprazine) within the competitive landscape of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder treatments. The task was clear: leverage digital opinion leaders (DOLs) to build credibility and awareness within the psychiatric community while navigating strict regulatory requirements. The brand needed to differentiate itself in a market saturated with established players, particularly when traditional key opinion leader (KOL) strategies required evolution for an increasingly digital healthcare environment.

The Results

"The House of Cards" Marketing to Showcase Bipolar Disorder Management

The approach centered on identifying and engaging psychiatrists who maintained active professional social media presences and demonstrated thought leadership in bipolar disorder treatment. Allergan created a secure digital platform for scientific discourse, facilitating peer-to-peer discussions about bipolar disorder management while collaborating with DOLs to create educational content focused on disease state awareness. The strategy proved effective, resulting in increased digital share of voice in bipolar disorder conversations, higher engagement rates among psychiatric professionals, and an expanded digital footprint across professional platforms. Key to this success was the authentic selection of DOLs with genuine expertise and credibility, strict adherence to compliance guidelines, and strategic focus on professional networks over general social media. The campaign demonstrated how pharmaceutical brands could effectively engage DOLs while maintaining compliance and scientific integrity, establishing a blueprint for future digital engagement strategies in the pharmaceutical industry.

 
$487m
2018 Sales
30%
Increase in
market share
100k+
HCPs & Patients Engaged

The Vraylar project exemplifies how an “indication expansion” can truly drive exponential growth for a brand. With the blend of a unique creative campaign, media, and DOLs the brand doubled its sales from the previous year and reached even more patients.

-Dr. Kesha Chauhan, MD
CEO of Digital Opinion Leader

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