NEWS: Ketchum races Janssen rivals with Risperdal

Ketchum London has clinched an estimated pounds 1.25 million-fee

contract to manage global public relations for Janssen Pharmaceutica’s

schizophrenia drug Risperdal.

The Brussels-based company is believed to be allocating a total budget

in excess of pounds 2 million for Risperdal in order to combat the

imminent launch of schizophrenia treatments from rivals Eli Lilly and

Zeneca.

Four directors, including Ketchum’s head of healthcare Paul Blackburn,

an account manager and executive will execute the campaign for

Risperdal, a seratonin and dopa-mine antagonist (SDA).

The team is preparing for its first major event, the World Psychiatric

Association Con-gress, which will be held in Madrid later this month.

Blackburn was cagey about campaign details but said health

professionals, carers and patients will be targeted in the campaign via

trade and consumer media and third party organisations.

Launched in 1993, Risper-dal treats both positive symptoms - delusions

and hallucinations - and negative symptoms such as social withdrawal,

mood change and loss of drive.

According to the mental health charity SANE, one in a hundred people

suffer from schizophrenia symptoms.

Blackburn added that he hoped the new 18-month contract, plus its

appointment to work on Organon’s anti-depressant Remeron last May, would

lift Ketchum into the top 10 healthcare agencies.