Zeneca’s Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Nolvadex

In May 1999, the “Moon Shot” team gathered to review the results of a $54.4 million direct-to-consumer (DTC) ad campaign. Moon Shot was a cross-functional team at Zeneca Inc., a pharmaceutical, agrochemical and specialty products company. The ad campaign was to promote the use of the drug Nolvadexâ (Zeneca’s brand name for tamoxifen citrate) for use in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk, an estimated 9 million women in the United States. This case details Zeneca’s development of tamoxifen and how the company marketed the drug. The case focuses Zeneca’s Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising campaign and the issues raised by that campaign.