We wanted to give HCPs a visceral sense of how disruptive a bone complication would be for their patients. Market research had suggested that if we could increase empathy, it would increase urgency to treat with a bone-targeting agent like XGEVA®.

So we created the “Bone Met Effect”—a virtual reality experience that immerses doctors and nurses in the world of a patient with bone metastases.

“The Bone Met Effect” opens in a patient’s home, as viewed through their eyes. Surrounded by family photos and personal knick knacks, the home seems peaceful enough. But tranquility gives way to vulnerability as the house begins to quake. Cracks appear, walls crumble and rooms transform—each event symbolizing a unique and devastating bone complication.

The experience ends with a call-to-action that urges HCPs to “keep bone complications from becoming a reality.”

We distributed a teaser video and live training sessions to introduce, excite and acclimate XGEVA® reps to The Bone Met Effect.

The Bone Met Effect debuted at the 2016 ASCO conference.

In the weeks following the conference, we equipped all 160 members of the XGEVA® field force with low-cost Google Cardboard headsets. This maximized Amgen’s investment and allowed XGEVA® reps to take The Bone Effect directly to their customers. This marked a first for our industry—never before had pharmaceutical reps incorporated VR technology into their customer visits in such a way.

As the XGEVA® booth’s main attraction, The Bone Met Effect drew approximately 1,000 unique visitors over 5 days at ASCO. An estimated 80% of those visitors donned VR headsets and experienced The Bone Met Effect for themselves. Most people returned several times, gaining a deeper appreciation for their patients’ circumstances and sharing the experience with their colleagues.

The creation and execution of The Bone Met Effect was and continues to be featured at Amgen as an example of how to generate engagement and empathy among a target audience.