Takeda has unveiled a series of superheroes that were specially designed for the company by entertainment firm Marvel to raise awareness of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The IBD Unmasked comic series seeks to raise awareness of the “unsung heroes” who live with the disease on a daily basis.
Leading the charge for this is the new Unbeatables squad of superheroes, which were launched at the London Comic Con exhibition late last month.
Joining Samarium, a forensic scientist by day and super hero by night, are four new heroes created in partnership with patients by Marvel’s in-house content marketing agency who either live with, work with or support people with IBD.
Takeda hopes The Unbeatables will “lift the mask” on the gastroenterology disease and encourage conversation on the “bravery, strength and determination” of the IBD community.
Elissa Johnson, head of global product and pipeline communications at Takeda, said: “Patients told us about the physical and emotional battles they face every day from living with IBD and particularly highlighted the isolating nature of this disease.
“Through working with Marvel Custom Solutions and our global panel of patient advisors, we were able to creatively bring these insights to life and create parallels between the strength, perseverance and positivity of comic book super heroes and those living with IBD.”
The first chapter of IBD Unmasked is available to read online, and patients, their families and the public can follow the super heroes story on social media through the comic’s Twitter account and dedicated hash tag, #IBDunmasked.
A recent European study of people living with IBD found almost half of respondents said their lives are significantly or somewhat impacted by IBD symptoms.
This occurs even between flare-ups of their disease, with 26% reporting their condition has hindered them in making and keeping friends.
As part of the new comic book work Takeda and Marvel hope their first-of-its-kind initiative will connect people living with IBD and improve patients’ quality of life and outcomes.
Johnson added: “At Takeda we believe that IBD Unmasked will continue to spark powerful conversations, transform perceptions and ultimately improve understanding of the impact of these diseases.”