AstraZeneca: Winning medical insurance coverage for Iressa in China

Healthcare

In 2007, the Iressa Medicine Donation and Assistance project was launched by China Charity Federation and AstraZeneca to provide Iressa, an effective drug for targeted lung cancer therapy, to poor patients. Half the lung cancer patients in Asia have a good response to targeted therapy, but availability is limited in China and many patients give up due to the long-term treatment and cost. By 2015, more than 26,000 patients received AZ’s Iressa donation, worth RMB 4 billion. AZ also sponsored the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology’s 10th anniversary summit in Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hangzhou. RF Thunder developed a communication plan with a tailor-made message, fully leveraging experts and patient stories. Cancer experts spoke to the media, appealing for medical insurance coverage of Iressa. Sixty media participated, generating 77 original clippings and 226 pick-ups. In 2016 we launched another campaign to include Iressa in the National Drug Reimbursement List and the Provincial Drug Reimbursement List. Interviews with lung cancer experts on topics like serious haze and precision medicine was covered by influential newspapers in key medicare-negotiating provinces and cities. Iressa was subsequently added to the PDR List in most provinces, benefiting millions of lung cancer patients.