Doctor Docs: Targeting Trust Between Pharma and HCPs
A new study shows the crucial link in pharma marketers’ digital engagement strategy with HCPs is in jeopardy—trust. Graphite Digital’s newest whitepaper reveals the daily experiences with and current perceptions of HCPs across the U.K., U.S., and France regarding pharma-provided digital platforms. A staggering 80% of HCPs reported a lack of trust in pharma-provided digital content, raising concerns about how it impacts HCP behavior, engagement, and interactions with pharma as a whole. One participant summed up these perceptions by stating “It’s a pharmaceutical site, you know. They’re not in the business of providing objective, non-biased data. They’re in the business of selling their product.”
The study pinpointed common causes of this distrust, including suspicions about the objectivity of the data provided and awareness of promotional spin on content via the tone of content and messaging. They also worry that the full information about a drug or condition will not be available in one place, citing difficulty in finding what they are looking for as well as having an overall difficult time accessing information and platforms. As a possible consequence, the study finds that HCPs rarely use pharma sites primarily for evidence-based content because they cannot trust that it will not to be laden with marketing messaging.
HCPs therefore turn to resources not pharma-associated for identifying treatment options, drug-related information, and clinical trial updates. One HCP participant commented on pharma content: “They will often provide clinical trial information, and although I think the data’s correct, it’s presented in a way that is maybe skewed. If there were endpoints that weren’t favorable to the drug, they may not be there.” What HCPs do want from digital content unsurprisingly is transparency, neutrality, ease of use, visibility, and medical content and colleagues put front and center over marketing tactics.
Graphite Digital CEO Rob Verheul commented in a statement, “We need to start being realistic about the widespread lack of trust between HCPs and pharma organizations. Our research has revealed just how deep the mistrust runs, how it clouds digital interactions, and ultimately impacts behavior and engagement with pharma, both online and offline. HCPs need pharma, and pharma needs HCPs—so let’s make sure that this next chapter of engagement is one of partnership, in pursuit of the interest of patients.”
Understanding the pain points an HCP faces on a daily basis when searching for information may be a good place to start. Pharma marketers can look into these concerns to better tailor digital content and platforms to provide HCPs with what they need to make unbiased and informed decisions.
Therapeutic Talk: Weight Loss Drugs Are “Paradigm-Shifting” According to Doctors
InCrowd, an Apollo Intelligence brand, has tapped into the thoughts of doctors practicing today surrounding the new weight loss drugs hitting the market. Three quarters of U.S. doctors are calling two particular drugs “paradigm-shifting”—tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, and semaglutide, sold as the brands Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. Of the eight FDA-approved weight loss drugs on the market, these two are making waves for doctors who believe they represent “a new era for weight loss medications,” and “changing options and giving hope.”
It’s not all good news though; doctors are ranking these two medications poorly when it comes to cost. Only 15% of prescribers think the drugs come at reasonable cost to patients or have decent insurance coverage eligibility. “They are effective but too expensive for the majority of patients, even with insurance coverage,” said one primary care physician (PCP).
And while they’re excited about the drugs’ results and limited side effects now, many also noted concerns about the lack of safety data and long-term risks. “Very promising, but longer-term data and real-world data are necessary,” commented one endocrinologist. Over 70% of responding doctors rate semaglutide and tirzepatide highly for efficacy and dosing frequency, with slightly higher patient satisfaction for tirzepatide (77%) than semaglutide (69%). Endocrinologists rate tirzepatide higher for its efficacy (90%) compared to PCPs (72%), and also rate the efficacy of semaglutide higher than PCPs, though there is less of a difference (78% endocrinologists vs. 70% PCPs).
InCrowd also uncovered some other surprising doctor perceptions. It seems fewer doctors guide patients to intermittent fasting (62%) or anaerobic exercise (55%) than to prescription weight loss drugs and aerobic exercise. Meanwhile, an estimated 30% of weight management patients are believed to be receiving semaglutide from non-physician environments such as spas, according to findings.
Patient Pages: Patients Are More Anxious Than Ever to See Docs
Despite the fact that the pandemic highlighted an era of patient literacy and health autonomy, patients are still anxious prior to visiting a doctor’s office. PatientPoint’s second annual Patient Confidence Index reveals that 48% of Americans feel anxious before a doctor’s visit (up from 38% in 2022), and they continue to crave education about conditions, symptoms, and treatments. Asian Americans surveyed were much more likely than white respondents to feel confused (36% vs. 20%), overwhelmed (37% vs. 19%), or intimidated (30% vs. 16%) before a doctor’s appointment. Additionally, Hispanic/Latino Americans were found to be much more likely than white respondents to feel anxious (63% vs. 48%), stressed (47% vs. 22%), or overwhelmed (34% vs. 19%) before visiting the doctor. Overall, 55% of patients say health education would empower them to talk to their HCP about their health.
Eight in 10 people polled (87%) said they trust their healthcare provider, which might help with the anxiety. When asked what made a healthcare provider trustworthy, respondents cited explaining conditions or symptoms in simple terms (62%), listening to patients’ concerns (57%), and providing personalized education and resources about conditions, symptoms, and treatment options (55%) as top factors.
Meanwhile, four in 10 Americans say they put off going to the doctor, with the top reason for doing so being potentially unable to afford their care. People also feel anxiety about potential procedures or tests (40%) and fear of receiving bad news or a serious diagnosis (39%).
FDA Update
Drug Approvals
The FDA approved Biogen’s Tofidence (tocilizumab-bavi) intravenous formulation, a biosimilar monoclonal antibody referencing Genentech’s Actemra. The formulation is approved for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Tofidence is the first tocilizumab biosimilar approved in the United States and is expected to help reduce spending on the disease therapy and promote sustainable access to therapies in autoimmune diseases, which has consistently increased by 10% to 25% each year over the past decade, according to Biogen.
Arcutis received FDA approval for its Zoryve (roflumilast) cream 0.3% for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis, including intertriginous areas, to children ages 6 to 11 years. Zoryve, a once-daily, steroid-free cream, is designed to simplify management of plaque psoriasis and was previously approved to treat patients 12 years and older. As with adults and adolescents, plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis in children 6 to 11 years of age and presents with very similar clinical features, including “plaques,” or raised, red areas of skin covered with a silver or white layer of dead skin cells.
Med Device Approvals
The FDA granted de novo marketing authorization for Invitae’s Common Hereditary Cancers Panel, an in vitro diagnostic test that can help detect hundreds of genetic variants associated with an elevated risk of developing certain cancers. The test, which is the first of its kind to be granted FDA marketing authorization, evaluates DNA extracted from a blood sample to identify variants in 47 genes known to be associated with an elevated risk of developing certain types of cancer.
