Amgen Inc. has turned to the fashion world for its latest celebrity spokesman, tapping genial “Project Runway” host Tim Gunn to promote an educational campaign about plaque psoriasis.
Patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis an autoimmune condition that can result in painful, scaly patches of skin can compete for eight modeling slots at a New York fashion show that Gunn will host in September.
The campaign’s Web site links to information about Amgen’s psoriasis drug Enbrel.
Contestants will submit a video testimonial or personal essay explaining how they have overcome the challenges of living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, and how the condition has impacted their personal style and the clothing they wear.
“We think they’re going to have inspiring and compelling stories and help motivate other potential patients to visit their dermatologist,” said Amgen spokeswoman Sonia Fiorenza, citing surveys that indicate a significant number of the estimated 7 million Americans with the condition don’t seek treatment.
Enbrel, with nearly $3.6 billion in sales last year, is primarily prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, but was approved for psoriasis a few years ago. It’s one of the few products Amgen still markets directly to consumers, including using paid celebrity spokespeople in educational campaigns. However, the use of celebrities in such marketing is considered controversial by critics of the pharmacy industry.
In the fashion show project, entries will be judged on the inspirational nature of the applicant’s story, not on specific psoriasis treatment options, Fiorenza said. Three patient advocacy and professional physician groups are co-sponsors, and a University of Pennsylvania dermatologist is donating her time.
Actors Kathleen Turner, Rob Lowe and Danny Glover are among past Amgen spokespeople. Fiorenza said Gunn recently mentioned he had a sister who had been diagnosed with a form of psoriasis.
Expanded Network
Inter Valley Health Plan has expanded its provider network by adding Physicians Associates of the Greater San Gabriel Valley, a division of HealthCare Partners, L.A. County’s largest physician association.
Inter Valley Chief Executive Ronald Bolding said the addition of more than 700 San Gabriel Valley primary care doctors and specialists should help his plan, a not-for-profit Medicare Advantage program, better compete with larger, for-profit rivals.
The Pomona-based plan serves more than 13,000 members with a 2,700-physician network that stretches from Pasadena into Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
“Our members are attracted to us because they actually get to talk to a real local person when they call or come in one of our offices,” Bolding said. “But we also need to offer them as many physician choices as possible.”
He hopes to attract more baby boomers who will soon be eligible for Medicare.
Inter Valley Health, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, started out as a traditional managed care program, but closed its commercial plans in 2002 and focused instead on Medicare in response to deteriorating conditions in the marketplace.
Bolding notes that his company does more than care for the physical needs of its members. In addition to the usual health fairs and wellness workshops that target seniors, Inter Valley is known for its senior-specific social events, including an annual prom, that keep its older members from living isolated lives.
“A person’s emotional state is as important as their physical state of health,” he said. “When seniors are active and engaged, they’re healthier, too.”
WellPoint CEO to Speak
WellPoint Inc. Chief Executive Angela Braly is flying in from Indianapolis to be the featured speaker at the next Town Hall Los Angeles forum March 17.
Braly became CEO of WellPoint, the parent of Anthem Blue Cross, in 2007. The former Thousand Oaks-based insurer had merged with an Indiana Blue Cross plan and moved out of state before that.
Her talk is expected to center on the health care reform debate in Washington, D.C., and the insurance industry’s take on “getting it right,” according to promotional material for the CEO luncheon series at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
For information on the event, go to www.townhall-la.org.
Staff reporter Deborah Crowe can be reached [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 232.
