With a new corporate sponsorship in hand, Ardelyx is aiming for a hole-in-one in the awareness-raising game.
The drugmaker has signed on as an official pharmaceutical marketing partner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. The team-up plays on both organizations’ shared commitment to women’s health, according to Tuesday’s announcement, with a specific focus on digestive health.
Through the multiyear partnership, Ardelyx and the LPGA will create digital and social content to educate people about irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), help them feel less alone and encourage them to talk to their doctors about the condition.
The company said it will also work with the athletic association throughout the golf season to offer “onsite experiences, custom storytelling, premium hospitality, player ambassadors and digital and social engagement to connect with women ready to take the next step in their health journey.”
Ardelyx currently sells Ibsrela for IBS-C and is also testing the med in chronic idiopathic constipation in adults.
“This partnership represents a natural alignment between Ardelyx’s mission and the LPGA’s platform to support the digestive health of women, who account for more than 90% of those living with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, yet many suffer in silence due to stigma and lack of awareness,” Eric Foster, Ardelyx’s chief commercial officer, said in this week’s announcement.
“By partnering with the LPGA, we will engage with our shared audience, not just as golf fans, but as individuals who deserve open conversations about their health,” Foster continued. “At the heart of this first-of-its-kind partnership is the ambition to educate and mobilize patients to be proactive in their health, talk to their doctor and imagine a healthier tomorrow.”
Ardelyx wasn’t the only biopharma company to strike a partnership blending women’s health and sports this week.
Collegium Pharmaceutical on Monday announced a multiyear collaboration of its own with Boston Legacy FC, the professional women’s soccer team slated to make its official debut next month.
Through the partnership, Collegium will sponsor a dedicated “sensory room” at the team’s arena. The room will offer a quiet, comfortable space for visitors who may experience sensory sensitivities or sensory regulation challenges, which can affect people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder and more.
Collegium—which sells Jornay PM for ADHD—said the room will be designed with help from the nonprofit organization Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and information about it will be made available to visitors via ticketholder and fan resources.