Orexo’s “Out the Monster” campaign wins a Gold Lions Health Award at the Cannes Lions Festival

Morristown, NJ - June 25, 2015 - Orexo’s “Out the Monster” campaign came out on top with a Gold Lions Health Award at the Cannes Lions Festival in France on June 19th. The Lions Health Awards recognize the most creative ideas in the healthcare and pharmaceutical communications industry. “Out the Monster” is a disease awareness campaign featuring a provocative image of a “monster” to depict accidental opioid addiction. Then telling the story of patients who became dependent through legitimate opioid use that originally began with a prescription from a health care provider. “Out the Monster” aims to empower and encourage patients to come forward and face the “monster” so they may seek the treatment they both need and deserve.

Every year, thousands of people who are prescribed painkillers become accidentally addicted, and because of the stigma associated with this addiction, many patients are reluctant to seek help. The “Out the Monster” campaign is arming health care providers with thousands of fully illustrated books and a short video telling the story of the “monster,” and equipping patients with critical information on the campaign’s web site, www.outthemonster.com, to encourage them to feel confident to seek treatment.

“We are honored to receive recognition at the Cannes Lions Festival for the ‘Out the Monster’ campaign,” said Robert DeLuca, R.Ph., President, Orexo US, Inc. “We developed this campaign to fill a huge chasm in this therapeutic area with regard to understanding that accidental opioid addiction is a disease which unfortunately is of epidemic proportion in the United States. We are proud to further differentiate Orexo’s commitment by starting this movement that encourages people to rally together and do more to address the epidemic of accidental opioid addiction. This critically important issue has been hidden or ignored for far too long, and we are proud to ignite a debate and encourage progress.” 

“The feedback we have received on the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. It is a testimony that our organization in the US has reached into the core of the problem of opioid addiction enabling improved dialog with all stakeholders every day in the US on how stop the monster accidental opioid addiction,” said Nikolaj Sorensen, CEO and President, Orexo AB.

About “Out the Monster”
The “Out the Monster” campaign was developed to further educate the public and generate the empathy necessary to de-stigmatize the disease of accidental opioid addiction. All campaign assets aim to drive the public to www.outthemonster.com to learn more about accidental opioid addiction.

The “Out the Monster” campaign features a short film, digital and social elements and media, events and leadership conferences, as well as a book. Orexo created the campaign in partnership with StrawberryFrog, a New York-based advertising agency.

For further information, please contact:
Robert DeLuca, President, Orexo US, Inc.
Tel: +1 973 936 6990, E-mail: info-us@orexo.com

Nikolaj Sørensen, President and CEO, Orexo AB
Tel: +46 (0)703-50 78 88, E-mail: ir@orexo.com

About Orexo US, Inc.
Orexo US, Inc. is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company marketing improved treatments for opioid dependence using proprietary drug delivery technology. To receive more information please contact Orexo at 1-855-ZUBSOLV.
www.orexo-us.com

About Orexo AB
Orexo is a specialty pharmaceutical company commercializing its proprietary product Zubsolv® for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence in the US. Zubsolv is an advanced formulation of buprenorphine and naloxone using Orexo’s unique knowledge and expertise in sublingual drug delivery. R&D is focusing on reformulation of known substances to new improved products that meet great unmet medical needs by using its patented proprietary technologies. Orexo’s share is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Exchange Mid Cap (STO: ORX) and is available as ADRs on OTCQX (ORXOY) in the US. Orexo’s global headquarters and R&D are based in Uppsala, Sweden. www.orexo.com