The Challenge

A leading oncology company was launching a new targeted therapy for ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. The market was crowded and clinical differentiation was limited. The company needed a digital offering that would genuinely stand out — something that patients would actually seek out, share, and return to. Traditional pharma content (clinical summaries, mechanism-of-action explainers) was not going to cut it.

The Approach

Merakoi recruited 6 patient content creators — people living with ALK+ NSCLC who were already active in online patient communities. These were not professional writers or influencers; they were patients with authentic stories, practical insights, and the trust of their peers. Working across 4 languages, the patient creators produced personal stories, practical articles, and community content that spoke directly to the lived experience of ALK+ lung cancer.

The Outcome

Three years later, the digital service is still running strong. Organic traffic and peer referrals continue to grow without paid promotion. The service has expanded beyond ALK+ to cover additional oncogenetic areas. The company’s Global Digital Lead credited merakoi with giving them “access to a global network of patient experts. Without them, patients would not have had a voice.” The project proved that patient-created content is not a campaign tactic — it is a sustainable, self-reinforcing digital asset.