As part of an effort to build awareness of myasthenia gravis, global immunology company argenx introduced itself to the MG community with tangible and meaningful expressions of support for people with MG. In speaking to the MG community, argenx learned that the public’s lack of awareness of this rare, misunderstood autoimmune disease tended to make life with MG even harder. So argenx commissioned A Mystery to Me, a documentary series designed to drive greater understanding and empathy for people with MG.

argenx is a global immunology company that develops antibody-based medicines for patients suffering from severe autoimmune disorders.

In order to ensure the success of an upcoming project focused on myasthenia gravis (MG), argenx sought to build trust and brand awareness among the community of people living with the illness. MG is a rare, chronic autoimmune and neuromuscular disease, causing debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. Because the disease is so little known, it’s often difficult for patients to find the emotional support they need, leaving them feeling isolated and unheard.

Since argenx had been engaged primarily in research and never launched a treatment for the commercial sphere, people living with MG were unaware of the company.

argenx sought to introduce themselves to the MG community, establish trust, and support them in any way they could.

Research from argenx’s patient agency partner revealed an MG community that was small and fragmented. They found that the patient population was highly diverse among age, gender and racial demographics, and that their cultural backgrounds, life goals, media habits and even their experiences with MG were all quite different.

It's not uncommon for someone with MG to never meet another person in real life who suffers from it. Patients already struggled with isolation due to a lack of understanding from the general public about their disease, but the scattered nature of the patient population only compounded these problems.

By sponsoring a high-profile awareness campaign, argenx could not only drive public empathy for people with MG but also serve the MG community by enabling patients to feel seen and acknowledged. This campaign led to the making of A Mystery to Me, the first-ever documentary series about myasthenia gravis.

In speaking to the MG community, argenx learned that the public’s lack of awareness of this rare, misunderstood autoimmune disease tended to make life with MG even harder. The campaign surrounding A Mystery to Me was designed to meet this challenge by driving greater empathy for people with MG.

The films offer an intimate look into the lives of three different people as they manage the toll that MG has taken on their careers, their relationships and even their own identities. By presenting the stories of everyday people who live with the disease, argenx could hold up a mirror to the MG community and allow them to see people like themselves represented in media. The premiere of the film would also provide the MG community with an opportunity to come together and remind one another that they aren’t alone.

Each of the films from A Mystery to Me features an intimate, moving portrait of life with MG, following three people as they manage their illness and share their MG journey. The series was brought to life by a team of award-winning filmmakers, using a specialized remote filming process to ensure the safety of the film subjects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Via a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and social media campaign, argenx invited the entire MG community to the November 2020 virtual premiere of A Mystery to Me. A virtual lobby with interactive booths re-created the excitement of an in-person film premiere with features like the virtual red carpet photo booth, behind-the-scenes clips and a showcase of art and music by the MG community.

The virtual premiere of A Mystery to Me was a smashing success, attracting an audience of 2,103 people—likely the largest gathering of the MG community in history! The event also generated 5,149 opt-ins to argenx’s community platform, MG United, and brought nearly 87,000 page views to the documentary website.

A Mystery to Me is building critical recognition among the wider public, earning a showing at the 56th Chicago International Film Festival. Most importantly, the MG community’s emotional response to the series was overwhelmingly positive. Many premiere attendees left reviews of the films expressing gratitude to the filmmakers for shining a light on their rare disease or admitting that the series moved them to tears.

The FDA allows disease awareness communications about a particular disease or health condition as long as no specific drug is mentioned, no representation or suggestion concerning a particular drug is made, and patients are encouraged to see their doctor for diagnosis and treatment

argenx's audience is the 31,000 to 67,000 people who live with the rare autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, as well as their caregivers and loved ones.

Patients struggled with isolation due to a lack of awareness about MG. Through a high-profile awareness campaign, argenx could make patients feel seen and acknowledged.