First product. First in class. Most successful antibiotic launch ever.

How Cubist Pharmaceuticals and CB made a mark—and grew a market.

The Challenge

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, an entrepreneurial biopharmaceutical company, faced not only entrenched competition from an inexpensive generic but also virtually no corporate brand recognition as it prepared its first-in-class antibiotic Cubicin^® (daptomycin) for launch. Additionally, both prelaunch and launch communications had to work toward an anticipated groundbreaking indication of bacteremia/endocarditis years in the future.

The Solution

Together, CB and Cubist Pharmaceuticals developed a compelling prelaunch campaign that made the growing incidence of hospital-based serious staph infection top-of-mind for physicians, setting up the need for Cubicin, the company's flagship anti-infective. Simultaneously, the joint team developed a corporate identity that highlighted the Cubist anti-infective commitment. Both corporate and product brand came together in harmony at launch, establishing Cubicin as a powerful new player in the anti-infective market, as well as setting up the product for an anticipated indication in bacteremia/endocarditis in 2006. From there, CB and Cubist team applied its deep experience in the brand to launch this additional indication as well.

The Results

The Cubicin launch is widely regarded as the most successful antibiotic launch in industry history.