How social media intelligence can support blockbuster launches: GSK’s depemokimab

In May 2024, GSK announced positive phase III results of depemokimab, for the treatment of severe asthma. According to Reuters, GSK  “expects to make peak annual sales of 3 billion pounds ($3.81 billion)” with the experimental drug.

When launching a product with ‘blockbuster’ potential there is a great need to understand the voice of HCPs, their opinions, needs and sentiment towards your drug, as well as a deep understanding of the landscape being launched into. 

CREATION.co supports pharmaceutical companies to understand the online voice of HCPs and leverage HCP social media intelligence to maximise the success of their launch. Between 1 October 2022 – 30 September 2024, CREATION Pinpoint® tracked the global online conversations of HCPs posting about severe asthma. We identified 1,699 HCPs who posted about severe asthma 3,838 times on X (formerly known as Twitter). 

Key insights from the online HCP conversation

Depemokimab received little attention online following GSK’s announcement of positive phase III results
While GSK has predicted depemokimab to achieve blockbuster status, less than 1% of the online HCP conversation around severe asthma mentioned the experimental drug. Across the two year analysis, depemokimab was only mentioned 37 times by 27 HCPs globally.

In May 2024, only 2 HCPs posted about the phase III results of depemokimab, highlighting how the drug “shows promise”. 

GSK's Experimental Drug (Depemokimab) Shows Promise in Reducing Severe Asthma Attacks https://t.co/cfyGfsYG4Q

— Juan C Ivancevich MD (@Aller_MD) May 21, 2024

The limited online conversation reveals that HCPs were either not aware of the phase III results or were not impressed enough by the results to post about it. In contrast, HCPs were most vocal about AstraZeneca’s benralizumab. Across our two-year analysis, 92 HCPs posted 175 times about benralizumab. 93% of these posts focused on research as HCPs frequently posted about real world data and highlighted how benralizumab achieved clinical outcomes. HCPs also frequently reposted the results of the SHAMAL trial.

🔥🔥Reduction of daily maintenance inhaled corticosteroids in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma treated with benralizumab (SHAMAL)https://t.co/DHav8ifEEu pic.twitter.com/gnSI2Z3xBr

— Alfredo Pachas (@NeumologiaPeru) December 15, 2023

As HCPs often share links to medical journals and charts displaying the data, this indicates that HCPs are highly interested in the latest research and data. Therefore, releasing data which is easily shareable online is key to increasing awareness of the clinical benefits of a potential blockbuster drug.

Depemokimab mentions peaked during the 2024 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress
In September 2024, HCPs amplified depemokimab data in 35 posts. 11 HCPs reposted a post from the New England Journal of Medicine which shared the results from the SWIFT-1 and SWIFT-2 trials presented at the ERS Congress 2024. More positively, 8 HCPs shared a post highlighting how the results provides “more hope” for patients with severe asthma.

Presented at #ERSCongress:

In the SWIFT-1 and SWIFT-2 trials, depemokimab, an ultra-long-acting anti–interleukin-5 biologic therapy, reduced exacerbations in patients who had severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype. Full results of both trials: https://t.co/maJUZVKnCc pic.twitter.com/fNRyySDNqw

— NEJM (@NEJM) September 9, 2024

More hope for our severe asthma patients
Twice-Yearly Depemokimab in Severe Asthma with an Eosinophilic Phenotype | New England Journal of Medicine https://t.co/8wgvDcyN4y @BCM_Lung @CHESTAirways

— Nicola A. Hanania (@Hananianick) September 10, 2024

As demonstrated in the chart below, both depemokimab and benralizumab mentions spiked during the ERS Congress. This highlights how congresses are key moments for data dissemination among HCPs and for raising awareness of the clinical benefits of a drug.

Given the significant investment pharmaceutical companies make during congresses, there is a need to maximise impact from the investments. As shown above, tracking the online HCP conversation and the reactions of prescribers to the latest data is a great way to help measure the impact of the investment.

HCPs revealed unmet educational needs in the severe asthma space
By broadening our analysis beyond product-specific discussions, we observed that 8% of the online HCP conversation around severe asthma focused on education and awareness, particularly in the context of screening and asthma management. In 82 posts, HCPs used the hashtag #MedEd and shared links to educational webinars in 51 posts. 

Mariam Tokhi, a general practitioner based in Australia, revealed a need for ‘real investment in primary care.’ A respiratory doctor from the UK similarly emphasised that there is ‘still a major unmet need in severe asthma patients ‘hidden’ in primary care’. Moreover, an immunologist based in the US referenced a survey which revealed that ‘42% of primary care physicians are unfamiliar with biologics to treat asthma.’ It is therefore apparent, from the online HCP conversation, that there is an unmet educational need for primary care physicians addressing severe asthma.

Great presentation from @LondonAsthma on @hetal_dhruve research. Still a major unmet need in severe asthma patients ‘hidden’ in primary care. #BTSWinter2022 pic.twitter.com/Z0SmzpcJVZ

— Paul Pfeffer (@DoctorPfeff) November 25, 2022

We live in a golden age for asthma care. Still, I think we need to do more outreach in our communities regarding options available for pts w/severe asthma.

"Survey reveals 42% of primary care physicians are unfamiliar with biologics to treat asthma"https://t.co/6qJ0af7UU8

— Matthew Bowdish MD (@MatthewBowdish) November 13, 2023

The online HCP conversation also revealed that AstraZeneca has already begun collaborating and producing educational content for primary care physicians. Dr Mithu Sen shared a post about a Lung Health Foundation educational webinar that AstraZeneca sponsored, while a respiratory nurse tagged AstraZeneca in her post about ‘creating short educational videos’ about the identification and management of severe asthma in primary care. 

Join us online tonight at 7PM for the Lung Health Foundation's “Severe Asthma – What That Looks Like in Primary Care” symposium with Dr. Alan Kaplan and our patient advocate, Jennifer Falkiner. We thank AstraZeneca for sponsoring this event. Register now: https://t.co/6DJTqPe2SJ pic.twitter.com/w4vBG2qI6W

— Lung Health Foundation (@LungHealthFdn) November 17, 2022

Listening to the voice of HCPs and addressing their needs is a great way for pharma companies to lead in the space that they are launching into. Additionally, by collaborating with the right HCPs who desire to also address unmet needs, pharma companies are able to support the initiatives of HCPs and leverage their influence.

Strategies GSK could adopt to support their launch based on the online HCP conversation

In light of the online HCP conversation, we recommend that GSK adopts the following three steps:

1. Increase awareness among HCPs of the clinical benefits of depemokimab by communicating data in formats which can be easily shared by HCPs online

If HCPs are not aware of the clinical benefits of depemokimab, this poses a potential problem for GSK as HCPs are unlikely to prescribe the drug. Discovering who are the influential HCPs in the online space that can amplify the latest data is key to increasing awareness amongst HCPs of the benefits of a new drug.  

2. Invest in respiratory congress events, as these present important opportunities for data dissemination and discussions among healthcare professionals

Monitoring the online HCP conversation and understanding how HCPs are reacting to the latest data presented at congress is a great way to help measure the impact of the investment. The ERS Congress was the point at which depemokimab gained attention in online HCP conversation. On-going awareness of new experimental drugs and their clinical value is essential to maximise the success of a potential blockbuster launch. Investing in key congresses such the ATS International Conference and the AARC Congress, as well as the ERS congress, could help GSK understand the evolving treatment landscape and how HCPs are reacting to the latest data.

3. Create or support initiatives to address unmet educational needs within the severe asthma space.

While AstraZeneca appears to be ahead of the curve when it comes to supporting primary care physicians educationally, the online HCP conversation reveals that there is more work to be done. By creating or supporting digital initiatives, GSK would further increase their brand awareness and visibility in the online space.

To strengthen the launch of depemokimab, GSK should consider partnering with influential Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs) to create educational content that supports primary care physicians in this space. Identifying the right DOLs who want to tackle similar unmet needs is key, as they will naturally want to partner with you and amplify your content.

Through tracking the online HCP conversation, pharma companies are able to monitor how HCPs react to the latest data as well as identify influential HCPs, Digital Opinion Leaders and advocacy groups that they can collaborate with to address unmet needs in the wider therapy area. By gaining a thorough understanding of the landscape into which you are launching, pharma companies can maximise the success of their launch.

CREATION.co serves pharmaceutical companies launching products by listening to the online voice of HCPs, identifying HCP Digital Opinion Leaders, and insights-led strategic consulting. To discover how we can support your launch, get in touch.