Merck' Rapid Trial Success with BERK Labs

Merck, founded in 1668, is one of the oldest and largest chemical and pharmaceutical companies globally, with 57,000 employees in 66 countries and 250 companies. In 2021, the company reported yearly sales of $13.5 billion​​.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Merck developed Lagevrio (Molnupiravir), an antiviral drug that reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by up to 30%. The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization for Lagevrio in December 2021 for treating mild-to-moderate coronavirus cases​​. Molnupiravir showed potential as a prophylactic treatment, offering protection to high-risk groups and those hesitant about vaccines, reducing hospital and healthcare burdens, and providing a cost-effective alternative to vaccines​​.

Faced with the challenge of conducting a clinical trial under strict FDA requirements and significant market pressure, Merck collaborated with BERK Labs. With only 60 days to recruit participants, BERK Labs employed innovative strategies to set up, test, and perfect the trial's funnel in just two weeks, a task that typically would take 2-3 months​​.

BERK Labs' approach included data-driven discovery and analysis, focusing on ad campaigns, landing page optimization, and email sequence. Ad campaigns were crucial for lead generation, requiring careful adherence to FDA and Merck's internal scientific review board regulations​​. The campaigns utilized a rigorous testing framework, including bid strategies, multivariate testing, intelligent creative, A/B experiments, data analysis, predictive modeling, and attribution tracking​​.

To maximize participant uptake, BERK Labs targeted vaccine skeptics and those searching for flu remedies, resulting in a complex funnel of 23 campaigns with 2497 targeting components and over 150 individual ads. The landing page underwent significant optimization, improving its click-through rate (CTR) from 30% to 42%​​. The email sequence effectively guided leads through the process, significantly increasing open rates and ensuring 100% appointment attendance at the testing center​​.

Ultimately, the BERK Labs team's efforts led to 200 form submissions, over 100 phone calls, and at least 600 site visits, fulfilling Merck's study requirements in an incredibly short timeframe. This success was further amplified by the fast-tracking of ad campaign approvals through BERK Labs' relationship with Google, reducing the usual four-week approval process to under a week​​. Additionally, many leads generated for the clinical trial qualified for other Merck studies, providing an extra benefit to the company​​.