Indivior has picked Havas as its primary partner for engaging healthcare professionals and patients in the U.S.
The pharma, which makes long-acting injectable treatments for opioid use disorder, selected Havas as its U.S. integrated agency of record after a competitive, two-month review, according to a Tuesday announcement. The decision positions Havas to lead Indivior’s integrated strategy, creative, media and digital efforts across healthcare professional and direct-to-consumer audiences.
Greg James, CEO of Havas Media Network North America, said in a statement that the client win “is a strong validation of our converged strategy in North America.” James said Indivior came to Havas for integration, rather than an advertising solution, and Havas met that need by “uniting creative, media, and experience around a single strategy.”
Indivior previously worked with the agency’s consumer health and wellness group Havas Tonic, which is now called Jacques NY. Back then, Indivior split its work across Klick Health, Area 23 and Havas Tonic.
Indivior consolidated most of the activities in 2023, when it named McKinney as the U.S. agency of record for its addiction services and behavioral health units. Klick remained the media agency for brands.
The latest rethink comes at a key moment for Indivior. Seeking to accelerate growth of its opioid use disorder drug Sublocade, Indivior last year began the “Move Forward in Recovery” DTC campaign, a patient activation initiative built around a TV ad.
Patrick Barry, chief commercial officer at Indivior, discussed the push to address opioid use disorder stigma on an earnings call in October, saying, “This campaign is being deployed with sustained investment levels through an omnichannel approach, including national television, digital and social media and in-office and point-of-care materials, along with a newly designed patient website.”
Indivior is investing in Sublocade marketing in the face of competition from Braeburn, which won FDA approval for a rival long-acting injectable treatment for opioid use disorder in 2023. Barry said on the call that Indivior has a 75% market share.
That said, Indivior and Braeburn are fighting over a small piece of the wider market, with long-acting injectables accounting for just 8% of all opioid use disorder treatment sales.
Long-acting injectables have captured a larger share of other markets, including HIV and schizophrenia. Increasing penetration in the opioid use disorder market could drive further rises in Sublocade sales, which are forecast to total up to $945 million this year.