Inspired by the stories of real patients, the “Topical Uprising” campaign focuses on the patient journey.

Dermavant Sciences launched its first commercial as part of a national, multimedia, direct-to-consumer advertising campaign for VTAMA (tapinarof) cream, 1%.

Inspired by the stories of real patients, the “Topical Uprising” campaign focuses on the patient journey — tapping into the frustrations of living with plaque psoriasis and helping to empower adult patients to demand more from their topical prescription medications.

“When developing this campaign, we felt it was critical to show the daily trials and tribulations of plaque psoriasis patients, many of whom have struggled with managing their symptoms and the emotional burden that comes with it,” says Todd Zavodnick, Chief Executive Officer of Dermavant, in a news release. “Living with plaque psoriasis can unfortunately be frustrating. In this campaign, we wanted to convey how the condition really feels — a predicament we have the utmost empathy for — while highlighting to patients that they’re not alone, and finally giving them the tools they need to help feel empowered in their treatment journey. Many have been waiting a long time for a different plaque psoriasis treatment like VTAMA cream.”

The campaign follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of VTAMA cream in May 2022 for adults with mild, moderate, and severe plaque psoriasis with no label restrictions on duration of use or body surface area. The approval made VTAMA cream the first topical novel chemical entity launched for psoriasis in the U.S. in 25 years. Until the approval of VTAMA cream, there were very few topical options available for treating plaque psoriasis long-term.7 Typically, patients would start with topical steroids, which many are limited by where they can be applied on the body and for how long and how often they can be used. VTAMA cream is the first and only steroid-free topical medication in its class in the U.S., and it can be used long-term anywhere on the affected skin — including sensitive areas like the face, neck, underarms and groin.