I just can't see an MS commercial on TV with beautiful people engaging in idyllic scenes of active living with the words "Fingolimod : Take your life back!" on the screen.
You guys at Novartis are great when it comes to making the medicine do what it does -- I'm not questioning you there! It's just that, let's face it, you don't have the best marketing sense, in my opinion. I mean, look at your pharmaceutical company's name. Novartis?? That sounds like the inflammation of some little known internal organ, sorry.
So, I've decided that I will lend you my many years of marketing expertise that comes from owning a printing and sign business and helping my customers think up catchy tag lines. Don't worry, I won't charge you (unless you actually use it and then this blog entry becomes Exhibit A in the lawsuit). Anyhoo...I've got a few names you could try.
Remember, you're competing with trendy names like "Tysabri" whose nickname has become "Ty" and everyone loves to say it. It's got to be something trendy, refreshing, and gives a hopeful feeling to those taking it without in any way implying a shred of hope. hmmmmm
MS-be-gone is out. Too much of an absolute statement however much we with MS would like to buy into it. I see lawsuits over that one.
Brighter Tomorrow has potential although it's currently being used as a name for an MS grant program I think. But what if we shortened it? Brittom? or Britrow? No... it loses it's positive impact and sounds like something you might find when cleaning a fish.
I know, how about we go back to the Chinese roots of the fungus? Maybe there's a name there to be had. Then again, considering the Chinese angle (in the minds of Americans, Chinese = recall) and the fungus angle (what's catchy about a fungus... unless it's the fungus you are catching?)
How about "Nerve-On, applied directly to the spine!" No, those commercials are so annoying.
I'm going back to what sounds good. Something that smacks of "vitality". Vitameatavegamin is out, I guess.
Seriously, tho... I like these:
Gold Finger (because that's what Fingolimod sounds like to me and it reminds me of James Bond).
Vitalease (combining "vitality" with "ease" as in "ease of movement".)
Proreverse (as in "I'm all for a reversal of my MS damage!")
Jerimod (just to throw my name in there for posterity.)
Anyhow, all I'm trying to do is show you big guys at Novartis that if you are thinking ahead in a positive fashion to the days after FTY720/fingolimod is approved, then you have to get on top of this now. Give us a name we'll be able to pronounce and be proud to say when someone asks us what disease modifying drug we are taking for our Multiple Sclerosis. Please don't keep the Fingolimod label, alright?
3 comments:
Ha! Love those names! Brilliant :)
I love your blog. So honest and funny!
Have you logged it on Technorati yet? I love that site. You can see who links to you, helps the technorati savy find you more easily.
As for your speaking of commercials, did you see the National MS Society's one they put out in March?
Here's the loooong version - http://youtube.com/watch?v=UIBbgWabzUw
Thanks for the link, Annie! I hadn't seen that!
Oh, and FYI, if you are one of the many hits I have had today from investorvillage.com, I'd say GO FOR IT! I'm telling you, this drug is going to be the next new thing in MS treatments and will spank Tysabri's bottom all over the place.
It's a pill with next to no side effects, (that's a double whammy on the positive side) and it's got a great efficacy record so far with 70% of trial patients in Phase II remaining relapse free after two years.
There's also been the discovery that somehow FTY720 is crossing the blood/brain barrier and aiding in repairing previous damage caused by MS to a certain degree. More study is needed.
No PML issues either. That's a big consideration for someone deciding on what med to take.
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