As the first treatment cleared by the FDA for Demodex blepharitis, an eye disease estimated to affect 25 million people in the U.S. alone, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals’ Xdemvy is pitting its might against the skin-infesting mites that cause the disease.
The drug goes head-to-head against that “mitey problem” in a new campaign centered around Xdemvy’s first direct-to-consumer TV commercial.
In the ad, the camera zooms in on a woman’s irritated eye to reveal a “mite party” in full swing on her eyelid, with a group of actors dressed up as Demodex mites hanging out among her eyelashes. The lead mite, played by actor Betsy Sodaro, boasts, “We’re very common and super-irritating to your eyelids, and we love making ourselves comfortable here!”
When the woman tries to calm the irritation with a warm compress, Sodaro’s mite is thrilled: “Oh yeah, steam time!”
But, once Xdemvy’s twice-daily drops enter the picture, things take a turn for the tragic (for the mites). As Sodaro watches her peers be struck down—within six weeks of starting treatment, according to a voiceover—she glumly notes, “Party’s over, folks.”
The “Your Mitey Problem” campaign will see the commercial run on connected TV and streaming channels, alongside additional digital and social media components, according to a Thursday announcement from Tarsus.
Its overarching goal is to help people with Demodex blepharitis better understand the condition and encourage them to talk to their doctors about Xdemvy, as Aziz Mottiwala, the pharma’s chief commercial officer, noted in the release—“and it does so with compelling visuals, action-oriented messaging and just the right amount of humor and levity,” he said.
“For years, millions of patients with Demodex blepharitis have struggled with limited, suboptimal treatment options and the frustration of not being able to address the root cause of their disease,” Mottiwala said, adding, “We are excited to reach patients directly with a fun, inspirational message that encourages them to prioritize their eyelid health and see an eye care provider.”
That lighter approach has been a mainstay throughout Xdemvy’s rollout. In the months after its summer 2023 approval, Tarsus began a doctor-focused campaign called “Might Over Mites” that personified an Xdemvy drop as a translucent blue superhero battling mites and was recently the winner of a Fierce Pharma Marketing Award. And earlier this year, Tarsus kicked off a consumer-facing campaign that got the “Mite Party” started, with imagery of animated mites partying it up on an eyelid.
The new campaign arrives as Tarsus touts Xdemvy’s rollout as “one of the most successful eye care launches to date.” In the company’s most recent earnings report, the drug raked in sales of $40.8 million for the second quarter, representing 65% growth over the first quarter.