A HealthLink Dimensions Case Study​

Assertio, a quality-driven pharmaceutical company with a growing portfolio of brands, made a radical shift in its marketing strategy. The company’s growing portfolio and changing market conditions led to a re-evaluation of its field-based teams, which comprised 110 people. This situation was further exacerbated by the general impact of COVID and the challenges of connecting with prescribers in the post-pandemic environment. Something had to change. In response,  Assertio switched to an all-digital strategy  that eliminated its sales force. The company did not rely on in-person interactions between prospects and marketing representatives, and with help from its partner, HealthLink Dimensions, grew in 2023.

Plagued by High Prices and Limited Data

Prior to working with HealthLink Dimensions, Assertio engaged a nationally recognized data provider to handle its email campaigns for two of its brands: Otrexup, a drug prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and pJIA; and Rolvedon, an oncology drug prescribed to reduce infection risk for patients  on chemotherapy.

The data provider charged Assertio high prices for its prescriber contact information and email deployment services. However, despite the high prices, the available data from the legacy data provider proved to be limiting and insufficient, and campaign results failed to deliver business impact.

Enter HealthLink Dimensions

Assertio switched to HealthLink Dimensions and launched email campaigns targeting the same prescribers the company had targeted through its previous vendor, allowing for an “apples to apples” comparison.

Using HealthLink’s physician data – verified accurate by third-party auditor BPA Worldwide – Assertio was able to connect with the right providers. In addition, HealthLink Dimensions developed comprehensive, detailed reports for each email deployment, which allowed the Assertio team to dig deep into the data to see precisely which messages resonated with its target audience.

Vincent Milano, executive director of Assertio, is a seasoned brand marketer in pharma with a deep understanding of data technology and the vendor landscape. He described how the team evaluated ROI, commenting that brand recognition was immensely valuable.

“Not everyone’s going to open an email,” he observed. “But they will still see the brand name or a preview ad, and that provides value.”

The value was supported through NPI data provided by HealthLink Dimensions. After deploying its email campaigns, Assertio measured return through engagement. Assertio could see by NPI number what each person clicked on, how many times each person clicked, and whether or not that NPI downloaded  a co-pay card.

“We saw co-pay behaviors change on the back end,” Vincent added. “We could see engagement with the co-pay card, and then the utilization of the co-pay card itself go up. Everything’s connected to positive results,  whether it’s a primary or a secondary data point.”

In addition, on the company’s sample request form, scrolling down 75% of the web page generated an engagement impression conversion, allowing Assertio’s team to  evaluate what was working

The Results

Over just ten months working with HealthLink Dimensions, Assertio deployed more than 78 email campaigns to more than 336,000 recipients, each with customized messaging and targeted to different categories of providers. The average open rate for pharmaceutical marketing emails is 18.58%,1 and in contrast, HealthLink Dimensions’ average open rate skyrocketed to 24.9%. The targeted campaign with always-evolving messaging improved engagement, and quickly demonstrated results that exceeded industry averages for open rates and overall engagement.

The results were clear: HealthLink helped Assertio improve its sales

Building a True Partnership

HealthLink Dimensions,  functioning as a strategic  partner rather than a mere vendor, embraced a commitment to transparency and open communication, establishing the foundation  for a thriving collaboration with Assertio.  As a dedicated solution provider, HealthLink Dimensions consistently tailored its reporting methodologies to align with Assertio’s dynamic requirements, fostering a clear and concise comprehension of audience responses to campaigns. These bespoke reports empowered Assertio with unprecedented insights, enabling the identification of specific link clicks, their frequency, and other engagement metrics. This collaborative approach transformed HealthLink Dimensions into more than a vendor – it became a valued partner in Assertio’s success.

HealthLink Dimensions also went beyond simple open rates to gauge performance, giving Assertio access to highly detailed information. For example, its team could identify prescribers who clicked on an email, identifying the provider by name and specialty. This capability allowed Assertio to trace doctors’ prescribing behavior and their use of co-pay cards. Backed by HealthLink Dimensions’ comprehensive reporting on the communications preferences of physicians, NPs, and PAs, Assertio’s team could tweak campaigns even more precisely  to maximize success.

“We had a lot to prove, especially with the email channel,” said Erin Bouldin, director  of U.S. marketing at Assertio. “We needed  to easily convey success. We have a tracker that has been perfected for internal metrics and only requires the input of dynamic information, saving us time.”

Paths to Success

Leveraging HealthLink Dimensions’ extensive insights, Assertio was able to:

• Track Results By Provider: HealthLink used National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers to track engagement and prescribing behavior. As Vincent reflected, “Detailed reporting provided a deep understanding of our audience’s preferences and allowed us to tailor our campaigns with surgical precision. This insight elevated our marketing strategies and directly translated into tangible business impact, including prescription conversions.”

• Create Personalized Campaigns: Assertio finely tuned its marketing strategies based on highly detailed reporting.

• Track Specific Actions: Detailed reporting from HealthLink Dimensions included click-throughs and click frequency, as well as other granular engagement metrics. Click-throughs increased prescription conversions, improved customer engagement, and overall market position.

Maximized Results With HealthLink Dimensions –  And A Continued Partnership

HealthLink Dimensions’ personalized customer service and adaptability helped Assertio successfully transform its marketing program to an all-digital model. In addition, HealthLink Dimensions’ meticulous attention to detail has allowed the company to serve as almost an extension of Assertio’s team. “I’ve worked with HealthLink Dimensions for years,” Vincent stated. “I’ve always been a believer. HealthLink Dimensions has been a great resource regarding data, reporting, and customizing your reporting needs as necessary – to what you really need at the moment.” Working with HealthLink Dimensions, Assertio has been able to carefully pinpoint the details of its campaign strategy and back up that strategy with real, quantifiable metrics. HealthLink Dimensions’ team has worked closely with the company, as more than a vendor, but a real partner. “Execution is so critical,” added Vincent. “When people put things on autopilot, they don’t get good results. Everyone’s looking at how we can best execute this, and every action and decision matters. When you start stacking little wins like that, it just adds up.” As a testament to the successful partnership, Assertio enlisted HealthLink Dimensions to manage email campaigns for additional brands from the pharmaceutical company’s portfolio.