F-H to promote unnamed drug

by Gemma O'Reilly, PR Week UK 15-May-08, 06:00

Japanese pharma firm Takeda has brought on board Fleishman-Hillard to handle PR support for a pre-launch drug.

The unnamed drug is aimed at patients with Friedreich's Ataxia - an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. It is characterized by problems with balance, coordination and speech.

F-H was awarded the account following a three-way pitch. It is charged with rolling out a European comms programme for the drug, whose compound is called high-dose idebenone.

Friedreich's Ataxia is rare but is the most prevalent inherited ataxia, affecting about one in every 50,000. Symptoms usually begin between the ages of five and 15.

F-H's comms programme will target patients and their parents across Europe. The agency's healthcare practice will also provide affiliates with strategies and media tools to launch the product.