Lilly Launches Depression Web Site

Eli Lilly, on Monday, launched a new unbranded Web site designed to help depression sufferers get a handle on their disease. Dubbed “Missing Pieces,” the minimalist site revolves around a user survey and an action plan to help patients recognize signs of depression and guide them toward a treatment plan.

“We wanted to create a user-friendly resource tool for people with depression, without overloading visitors with too much data,” said Charlie McAtee, spokesperson for Lilly. “There are sites out there that have so much information that it can feel overwhelming. We wanted to stay away from that.”

The multiple-choice survey allows users to see the average responses in an easy-to-read chart. There are no correct answers; rather, patients can get a general understanding of where their beliefs about the disease fall among their peers.

For example, patients that answer the question “Which of the following, if any, do you think should always be part of a treatment plan for depression?” with “Prescription antidepressant medication(s)” learn that 68 percent of respondents agree with that answer.

“Using the data from the survey, we tried to build a site that is easy to maneuver, while also providing people with depression an avenue to better
understand the obstacles they may face when trying to get well, and provide the information they need to bet better,” McAtee said.

Lilly is the company behind antidepressant powerhouses like Prozac and Cymbalta, but purposely eschewed branding on the site in an effort to make it a broad-based utility for patients on a variety of treatments.

“Since everyone’s experience with depression is unique, the goal is for people with depression to uncover their ‘missing pieces’ of information, and provide them with accurate information as they work with their healthcare provider to best treat their depression,” said McAtee.

Lilly is using the site to drive information to patients and looking at other ways to drive traffic to Missing Pieces, including partnering with advocacy groups.