Just a few short years ago, it seemed like no famous person would dare be associated with psoriasis. Other than John Updike, who wrote about his psoriasis but never got involved with the patient movement, the only “star” who would admit to having psoriasis was Leave it to Beaver’s Jerry Mathers – and his true stardom had come half a century earlier.
The advent of expensive biologic therapies for psoriasis has changed all that. Now, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are in a battle for the hearts, minds (and wallets) of psoriasis patients, and they are signing bigger stars to promote their marketing campaigns. The result is long-overdue major media attention to psoriasis…and the unwelcome side-effect that famous people tend to give an unrepresentative view of the disease to the general public.
The breakthrough came with CariDee English, who showed that she could win on America’s Next Top Model despite (or because of?) her battle with psoriasis. Later, when the biologic treatment that was working so well for CariDee English was pulled from the market for safety reasons, she courageously showed the true damage that psoriasis can do to one’s skin and appearance. If there is a star whose message deserves even wider distribution, it is CariDee’s sharing photos of herself in the midst of the painful flare she endured following the loss of that treatment. Especially given that she makes her living through her appearance, that was bold, powerful stuff.
Since CariDee’s opening, the drug companies behind the biologics for psoriasis have stepped in with a series of stars to front their high-budget awareness campaigns.
Singer and actress LeAnn Rimes disclosed her long battle with psoriasis for Abbott Labs, which markets Humira for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Rimes is probably the biggest star to come forward as a psoriasis patient, and her interviews have generated a great deal of media attention to psoriasis. The only problem is she is perhaps too beautiful to give a realistic picture of what we mortals face with psoriasis; and her skin, whether airbrushed for magazine covers or unretouched for the tabloids, appears flawless. If she would release an old photo of herself with visible psoriasis it would generate mammoth attention and do a great service for psoriasis patients everywhere.
Not to be outdone, Amgen & Pfizer (which market Enbrel for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis) signed golf great Phil Mickelson, shortly after the golfer’s public announcement that he had battled a serious flare of psoriatic arthritis in the summer of 2010. Mickelson also announced at that time that he was being treated successfully with Enbrel, all but guaranteeing a sponsorship deal. It will be interesting to see how the companies utilize the popular Mickelson, but their association is not without risk. Mickelson has not golfed great since his psoriatic arthritis flare, and if his 2011 season does not go well, people may wonder if his psoriatic arthritis is to blame, despite his taking Enbrel. Conversely, if he fulfills his dream of becoming the #1-ranked golfer in the world, the public might wonder why all the fuss about psoriatic arthritis. How bad can it be if you take some medicine and then become the world’s best golfer?
[In 2009 and 2010, Amgen & Pfizer had also worked with the extremely likable fashion guru Tim Gunn to host their Addressing Psoriasis campaigns. (Psoriasis Cure Now participated as a nonprofit in Addressing Psoriasis.) Gunn spoke about psoriasis not as a psoriasis patient but rather as a fashion advisor and as a brother of a psoriasis patient.]
The most recent star to sign with a biologic company is former Saturday Night Live funnyman Jon Lovitz, of “Yeah, that’s the ticket” fame, who is doing promotional videos for Centocor Ortho Biotech, which markets three biologics for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis, including the long-time blockbuster Remicade for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and the popular new biologic Stelara for psoriasis
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Lovitz is a comedian, but as we learned with our three psoriasis video contests, humor can be tricky when dealing with a disease that leads to higher rates of depression, social isolation and even suicidal thoughts. Psoriasis patients greeted the first Lovitz effort with mixed reviews, with some thrilled that Lovitz would get people talking about psoriasis and others not happy with an early video’s punch line that just one look at Lovitz’s psoriasis sent a swamp monster running away, frightened. (Even joking that your potential customers look hideous is a risky marketing strategy.) That said, you can never please everyone and some patients are strong believers that humor is the best way to deal with our skin flakes and other psoriasis symptoms.
In 2006, on the 300th anniversary of his birth, Psoriasis Cure Now declared Benjamin Franklin the “Greatest American with Psoriasis.” We even had a Franklin look-alike walk the halls of Congress handing out psoriasis information to drive our message about the need for more psoriasis research funding.
We love these new famous people who are willing to educate the public about this serious disease, but our heart still belongs to Ben Franklin, who was battling a psoriasis flare as he helped draft one of the most important documents in world history, the Declaration of Independence. He couldn’t sing like Rimes, putt like Mickelson, or dress like Gunn (though he could joke like Lovitz) – but like those modern stars, he showed that psoriasis need not derail one’s hopes or dreams.
And for that inspiration, we thank all these famous people for telling their stories.
