Pharmaceutical Market Europe • October 2024 • 20-22

ESMO 2024

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ESMO 2024

How pharma is breathing life into cancer comms

Susanne Bobadilla from VML Health, joined by a team of 15 medical, digital strategists and client engagement experts from across the company, looks at the top trends coming out of ESMO 2024 and what they mean for the future of cancer care

We are witnessing an important shift in cancer communications. ESMO’s flagship annual congress has just taken place in Barcelona, once again laying down new markers of hope for the future of oncology.

The meeting provided the usual mix of breakthrough science, landmark data and the promise of better outcomes in a range of cancers. But, aside from the science, the most interesting trend from a marketing perspective was the clear change of emphasis in the language of cancer, with companies across the space reframing the narrative to focus on ‘living’ rather than just ‘surviving’. It feels like a milestone moment for marketing that, alongside advances in therapeutic innovation, could help change the trajectory of cancer care everywhere.

The evolution of cancer communications was just one of many key take-homes from ESMO 2024. Here are our top picks, starting, of course, with the science.

1. IO is leading the charge
Immuno-oncology (IO) continues to redefine the treatment landscape, with novel agents increasingly being brought into new disease areas with high unmet need.

‘A key message: cancer care doesn’t exist in isolation – investment in issues like sustainability and DE&I benefit the health ecosystem’

Studies presented at ESMO underlined their value, either as monotherapies or in combination in the peri-surgery setting, significantly improving outcomes as both neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies.

For example, in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer, data from the KEYNOTE-522 study showed that neoadjuvant IO plus chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant IO monotherapy, significantly prolongs overall survival in this difficult-to-treat subtype. In anal cancer – a disease usually diagnosed in the advanced stages where rates of relapse from chemoradiotherapy are high – the combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor and standard-of-care chemo is associated with encouraging gains in progression-free and overall survival. And in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, the addition of an immunotherapy-based treatment alongside neoadjuvant chemotherapy shows potential for ‘practice changing’ improvements in event-free and overall survival.

In fact, throughout the Congress, studies showed IOs improving long-term survival in a variety of cancers, including small-cell lung cancer and stage 3 melanoma.

Citing advances in the latter, ESMO Scientific Chair, Dr Rebecca Dent, said the arrival of immune checkpoint inhibitors and combination therapies has “dramatically changed the situation for melanoma patients”, with ten-year survival outcomes as an outstanding result. However, she said that clinicians need to understand what happens to these patients over time in order to better determine which patients are most suitable for IOs based on the expected benefits. This challenge translates to novel treatments across all cancer types.

2. ADCs could become the new standard of care
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are rapidly becoming one of the hottest tickets in town when it comes to drug development, with industry investing upwards of an $80bn in ADC deals in the last 12 months alone. It’s easy to see why: ADCs appear to have better toxicity profiles (and more activity) than traditional chemotherapy, while from a development POV, their molecular complexity makes them difficult to replace with generics or biosimilars. Data presented at ESMO suggests that ADCs could become the new standard of care across multiple tumours and lines of therapy. For example, data shows that they even offer hope for patients with brain metastasis in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, while also showing promise in the treatment of solid tumours that have become resistant to other forms of therapy.

Our understanding of ADCs and how we should use them is still in its infancy, but their potential is incredibly exciting. However, with several already on the market and more than 100 agents currently in development, important questions remain:

  • How can we further improve their tolerability?
  • How early should we use them?
  • Which combinations yield the best outcomes?
  • How should we approach sequencing?
  • How can we improve use of biomarkers to better predict response?

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‘Communications recognised that medicine is just one aspect of cancer care and that the patient experience is shaped by personal, human factors far beyond it’

As ADC development intensifies, the answers will become clearer. In the meantime, there’s hope that ADCs may one day be used earlier in the metastatic and even non-metastatic setting to replace traditional chemotherapies. There are fascinating times ahead.

3. Industry is reframing the narrative of cancer
Everyone in pharma knows that efficacy is our top priority. However, in saturated markets with new innovations coming faster than ever, efficacy data alone isn’t enough to drive treatment decisions. As improvement in outcomes become incremental in subsequent lines of therapy in the metastatic setting, safety and tolerability are becoming increasingly important. ESMO showed that pharma has recognised and responded to this, with communications embracing a more holistic view of cancer care and the entire patient experience.

Throughout the event, pharma showed a determination to rethink the language of cancer, reframing the narrative around living life, in addition to surviving disease.  Communications spoke about care, not treatment – recognising that medicine is just one aspect of cancer care and that the patient experience is shaped by personal, human factors far beyond it. To reflect this, communications also spoke about collaboration and patient partnerships, to ‘doing it together’, not just providing another option. The shift was palpable, with patient-first, care-centred language dominant. Examples include:

  • ‘There’s surviving, and then there’s living’ – Orion Pharma & Bayer
  • ‘Allowing her to live a fulfilling life’ – Helsinn
  • ‘Cancer care is personal for us. Life Forward’ – Boehringer Ingelheim
  • ‘Share your experience with us’ – Esai
  • ‘Leading a revolution in oncology to redefine cancer care’ – AstraZeneca
  • ‘Helping to bring more life to people with cancer’ – Gilead
  • ‘Changing the course together’ – Astellas
  • ‘Advancing cancer care together’ – Foundation Medicine.

The shift to a more holistic, collaborative and positive approach to cancer communications will only drive improvements in cancer care and outcomes.

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4. Cancer care doesn’t live in isolation
The holistic approach wasn’t just limited to oncology. ESMO highlighted a growing awareness among the community that its responsibilities extend beyond cancer, with other issues – like ageing populations, social inequities and the links between climate and health – all having a cumulative impact on well-being. The Congress showed companies embracing a broader view, emphasising sustainability, diversity and equity.  AstraZeneca promoted science-based sustainability for a healthier future. BMS and J&J showcased initiatives to support communities at large, rather than specific patient populations in cancer. Sanofi and Eisai advocated for diversity in clinical trials, while ESMO itself also promoted sustainability by offering delegates a five-day public transport pass.

The key message: cancer care doesn’t exist in isolation – investment in issues like sustainability and DE&I benefit the health ecosystem.

‘ESMO has introduced a new event dedicated to AI in cancer: the ESMO AI & Digital Oncology Congress will take place in Berlin in November’

5. AI is no longer new, it’s the norm
Unsurprisingly, the role of AI – both present and future – featured prominently at ESMO. It confirmed what we already know: AI is becoming more and more integrated in oncology, whether that’s through drug development platforms that help identify optimal molecules or overcome concerns of developing resistance, or tools that enable superior imaging analysis. We’re already seeing the benefits of leveraging data at speed and scale, and it’s only going to continue as we learn more about what technology can do. Such is the opportunity that ESMO has introduced a new event dedicated to AI in cancer. The ESMO AI & Digital Oncology Congress will take place in Berlin in November.

6. Mixed reality making its mark – but there’s room for more innovation
Finally to the exhibition hall, where industry adopted a more conservative approach to booth engagement, with fewer tactics to entice audiences. Some of the most talked-about experiences used Mixed Reality, which appears to have overtaken AR and VR as pharma’s tactic of choice. This certainly proved effective at ESMO, with companies deploying the technology to create interactive and educational experiences that cut through. One of the best examples was Novartis’ booth experience for radioligand therapy in prostate cancer, which wowed audiences with incredible immersive storytelling through all the touchpoints along the patient journey.

Other standout experiences included Pfizer’s ‘Cancer doesn’t play fair’ video, which presented a new take on cancer, and Merck’s bladder awareness campaign, which took over the entire Metro station next to the venue, urging audiences to “listen to your bladder: unexpected colours in your pee?” In both cases, their bold approach stood out.

And that’s the point: the most successful experiences – the ones that change minds and behaviours – are brave and disruptive. It’s an important message as we move into a new era for cancer communications where the emphasis is on living life, not surviving disease. In cancer, the clinical audience may be evidence-led, but there’s always room for innovation.


Susanne Bobadilla is Global EVP, Medical Strategy at VML Health