FACT SHEET: Oral Health
MCS has provided communications support for several oral health products over its 20-year history beginning with the media announcement of the awarding of the American Dental Association's Seal of Approval to over-the-counter products Listerine® and Efferdent®. Components of some of the communications programs MCS has implemented on behalf of our clients' oral health products include:
- FDA approval and product launch media campaigns
- Professional and consumer education campaigns including the development of periodontal disease education brochures
- Relationship-building and message training of key oral health thought leaders
- Fostering of partnerships with third-party organizations including the American Academy of Periodontology, the American Dental Association, the Division of Oral Health of the CDC and the Academy of General Dentistry
- Targeted, grassroots communications programs to support DTC initiatives
MCS CASE STUDY: The Approval of Periostat
To manage the pre-approval education campaign and FDA approval announcement of Periostat, the first and only medication in pill form indicated for the treatment of adult periodontitis, MCS set the stage for a major shift in public awareness, professional views and treatment practices. The result included millions of exposures in national consumer and trade media, fostering the development of important third-party relationships and most important, strong out-of-the-gate sales of Periostat.
Reaching professionals
As part of our education campaign to the professional, we targeted our efforts by educating trade media and building a constructive relationship with the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) - the specialists who most often treat periodontitis.
We kicked off trade media education with a briefing dinner during the Chicago Dental Society annual meeting to introduce the scientific concept on enzyme suppression to key publications. As a result, a lengthy review article was published in Dentistry Today - one of the first times the concept was covered outside of a scientific journal. In addition, MCS conducted trade media relations throughout the year to encourage coverage of Periostat data and to reinforce the validity of enzyme suppression as a critical component of treatment.
Reaching the General Public
Consumer media were educated through one-on-one contact which began early in the year, but intensified in the month prior to the FDA user fee deadline. As we did not have an approved drug to speak about, MCS concentrated on promoting the science of enzyme suppression and the concept of periodontal disease as a systemic condition through use of the science file and expert interviews.
This early contact with media proved to be a key factor in the success of the approval campaign, as media had time to digest and understand the impact of periodontitis and the significance of this novel treatment approach, as well as to prepare accurate and comprehensive stories.
Results
Virtually all top national media reported Periostat's approval and with no advertising and a limited sales force in place, initial sales of Periostat exceeded expectations and, in the first month, reached levels projected for three months post-availability.
