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Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight-Loss Drug

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JULY 22, 2010 JOHN A. QUELCH HEATHER BECKHAM

Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight-Loss Drug
“I have tried countless diets and every new weight-loss pill that has come on the market. Nothing seems to take off those extra pounds. With diets, I am miserable because I am starving all the time, and none of the weight-loss pills seem to work. I might lose a couple pounds, but I never reach my weightloss goals and I usually end up gaining more back. I would give anything to lose this extra 20 pounds, so that I can live a longer, happier life.” — Tamara Jinkens: focus group participant, age 42 Barbara Printup, senior director of marketing for Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP), listened as overweight focus group participants recounted their lifelong struggles with weight loss. Printup had just been placed in charge of the upcoming U.S. product launch of CSP’s newest prescription drug, Metabical (pronounced Meh-tuh-bye-cal). In clinical trials, Metabical proved to be safe and effective in stimulating weight loss for moderately overweight individuals. CSP was an international health care company with a focus on developing, manufacturing, and marketing products that treat metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, immune deficiencies, as well as other chronic and acute medical conditions. The company captured over $25 billion in sales in 2007. Printup had over 20 years of experience marketing prescription drugs for CSP. She had led six new drug campaigns and had just concluded work on Zimistat, CSP’s most successful product launch to date. Final FDA approval for Metabical was expected in the coming year, and the product launch was scheduled for January 2009. It was now February 2008, and Printup’s first order of business was to develop a viable positioning strategy and associated marketing communications plan for Metabical.

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