There's no mistaking that when the national media latched on to the announcement last week that scientists are well on their way to completely mapping the human genome, it
helped thrust biotech into a whole new league of elevated consumer recognition. But for two key stakeholder groups targeted by biotech marketers - patient advocacy organizations
and investor audiences - the highly anticipated milestone was old news. Herein lies the communication challenge for the biotech industry. On one hand PR efforts have to start at
ground zero to develop a basic consumer awareness of the industry's highly technical concepts and developments. On the other hand, communicators need to build on the more
sophisticated marketing momentum established with pharmaceutical companies, Wall Street and medical research organizations to spur expansion.
In spite of how tough the marketing terrain is to navigate and how difficult the issues are to translate, biotech is booming with career opportunity for communicators. A study
released last month by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) bears this out. Last year, the biotech industry generated nearly 500,000 new jobs - employing more people than
the toy and sporting goods industries combined. The industry doubled in size between 1993 and 1999. There are close to 100 biotech medicines on the market and another 350 are in
late-stage clinical trials. And with significant progress being made on cracking the code of the human genome, research and development timeframes for new drugs are on a faster
track.
Marketing in the Dark
With all the promise that biotech holds, would-be investors and collaborators crave something that is largely impossible to deliver - successful medical outcomes. That is the
biggest marketing stumbling block for Genometrix, a genotyping, gene expression and bioinformatics firm. "The industry is still in its infancy when it comes to discussing concrete
numbers on its [medical] benefits," says Bobbie Ireland, Genometrix's manager of marketing communications. Its business strategy is focused on establishing long-term partnerships
with pharmaceutical firms and other healthcare organizations that have a need for its gene research software tools and information services.
Sans the luxury of evidence-based results, the marketing department relies on promoting the value of DNA databases and gene therapy sequencing that can be used in conjunction
with pharmaceutical and biotech research. The best way to tout the benefits of gene research is through face-to-face presentations to pharmaceutical/biotech executives who need
customized messages on how Genometrix can help expedite their drug discovery process, says Nicky Fildes, director of Genometrix's product marketing. So far, this foot-soldier
approach is working. Genometrix has landed research grants from the National Center for Toxicological Research and the National Cancer Institute and recently partenered with
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals.
Getting the business and keeping it requires intense hand-holding and figuring out where clients are on the biotech learning curve. "For some in the pharmaceutical industry,
[gene research] is like figuring out the personal computer and all of the accessories like Quark Expess, Microsoft Word and email for the first time. They need to be consistently
educated on how gene discoveries will help them reach their business goals faster," says Ireland.
Engaging Patient Advocates
Beyond getting pharmaceutical and biotech companies on board as strategic partners, patient advocates are an audience with considerable endorsement clout. Their support is
critical for clinical trial recruitment and getting early buy-in from patients when new gene therapies hit the market.
Genentech, which discovers, develops, manufactures and markets human pharmaceuticals, aggressively seeks input from patient advocates during its early-stage research
initiatives. When the business goals are discussed up front, allowing advocacy organizations early access to research establishes trust and helps Genentech set tough research
parameters, says Jennifer Bryson, Genentech's senior manager of advocate relations.
This is one of the chief reasons the company's Herceptin, a breast cancer drug approved by the FDA in 1998, didn't encounter any significant backlash from dying patients who
weren't allowed access to the drug during its pre-approval process while others were. Before it was approved, Herceptin could be used for a select number of fatal breast cancer
cases under the FDA's "compassionate use" policy. Genentech worked with breast cancer organizations to develop a fair distribution policy and philosophy for Herceptin. From 1995
to 1997, 700 people were given the drug under the collaborative guidelines that were developed. And when Genentech needed to recruit 350 women for its clinical trials, cancer
organizations helped meet this goal within a few months, says Bryson.
Although it is inevitable that agendas between research companies and patient advocacy groups won't always be on the same page, Bryson suggests being as candid as possible with
the research areas that are open to input and those that are not. In Genentech's case, the areas where advocacy groups can lend support are in clinical protocol design, clinical
trial recruitment and educating patients on new drug therapies.
"As long as advocacy groups are given the impression that there are no hidden agendas, most conflicts can be avoided," says Bryson.
(BIO, Lisa Dry, 202/857-0244; Genometrix, Bobbie Ireland, Nicky Fildes, 281/465-5020; Genentech, Jennifer Bryson, 650/225-2742)
Who Gets Credit?
The behind-the-scenes tug of war that took place between the government and a private biotech company prior to making the human genome mapping announcement last week, offers a
glimpse of how public/private partnerships can become both territorial and adversarial. The issue that was being fiercely debated was who would take public "credit" for the
landmark discovery - the White House or Celera Genomics, the private company that also lays claim to assembling the millions of letters that spell out our genetic composition. In
the end, the White House one-upped Celera by making its announcement on Friday, June 25 at 6 p.m. after the stock market closed. With some of its thunder stolen, Celera made its
announcement on the following Monday.
Did it have to come to this? Celera did not return repeated phone calls but the government's official position is that it was in its best interest to take a lead role on
discussing how the technology is for public consumption and is not the informational "property" of private industry, says John Townsend, press officer for the Department of
Energy, the federal agency that began the Human Genome Project in 1986. In the end, he says, "competition [with private industry] has been good because it has forced the
government to be more focused on reaching its research goals ahead of deadline." The international genome project expects to have a final sequence available by 2003.
(The Department of Energy, John Townsend, 202/586-5806)