Help rheumatologists “see” joint damage caused by RA in an intuitive way. And because rheumatologists diagnose by touch, get them to touch the screen and control the progression of joint erosion.

The app took 1 year to complete. For the unbranded section of the app, we interviewed multiple medical experts and rheumatologists to determine exactly how erosion affects the joints in RA. Based on their input, we sketched out the extent of joint damage that was appropriate for each stage of our timeline. We then sourced matching reference X-ray images from the American College of Rheumatology. Using CGI, we replicated progressive joint erosion and joint space narrowing in such a way that these weren’t just visually authentic but were also accurate enough to be scored by rheumatologists using the modified total Sharp score (mTSS) methodology. For the branded section of app, we used X-ray images from actual patients who participated in a 2-year clinical trial for HUMIRA. The app was built on the “Veeva” platform for iPad Pro and is currently being used by national sales reps for HUMIRA.

Seeing the disease at work over time gave rheumatologists a new appreciation for offering their patients more than just symptom relief. Thousands of rheumatologists saw how HUMIRA halts joint erosion and gives patients years of continued active living. In the 6 months since its launch, utilization for the app has gone up by 400%. 97% of HUMIRA reps have used the interactive sections of the app and their use has shown a month-on-month increase of 53%—making it the most viewed interactive content among called-on rheumatologists.

The Envisioning Erosion app was one of the many initiatives that has contributed to improved physician understanding of HUMIRA as a treatment option. HUMIRA currently treats over 1 million patients worldwide and has become the most prescribed biologic in rheumatology.