21GRAMS Wins Its First Gold Lion for Branded Pharma Campaign at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
Biogen's 'Friedreich's Back' Takes Top Honors in Pharma; 21GRAMS Named No. 2 Healthcare Agency and Real Chemistry Ranked No. 2 Healthcare Network Globally on Creative Community's Biggest Stage
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CANNES, France & NEW YORK — Real Chemistry continued its rise as a global creative leader in health, earning a Gold Pharma Lion at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for Biogen's 'Friedreich's Back' campaign developed by 21GRAMS, part of Real Chemistry.
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'Winning at Cannes is not just about the work; it's about the willingness to push boundaries in how healthcare shows up in culture,' said Shankar Narayanan, CEO of Real Chemistry.
Further cementing its creative leadership, 21GRAMS was named the N o. 2 Healthcare Agency, and Real Chemistry was ranked the No. 2 Healthcare Network globally in the prestigious Cannes Lions Health 2025 rankings, a testament to the company's bold, data-driven storytelling and impact-driven innovation in healthcare.
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'Winning at Cannes is not just about the work; it's about the willingness to push boundaries in how healthcare shows up in culture,' said Shankar Narayanan, CEO of Real Chemistry. 'These campaigns reflect our belief that creativity is a force multiplier for health outcomes when paired with science, technology and a deep understanding of humanity. We believe that healthcare deserves to be treated as inspirational and creative as any other category, and our results at Cannes prove what's possible.'
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Pharma Lion Win
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Gold Lion: 'Friedreich's Back' – Biogen / 21GRAMS
Friedreich's Back is a darkly funny campaign that reimagines 19th-century scientist Nikolaus Friedreich rising from the grave to make sense of a world where a treatment now exists for the disease he discovered. The campaign supported the launch the first FDA-approved treatment for Friedreich ataxia (FA), a rare, genetic and progressive disease that damages the nervous system and impacts muscle control over time.
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'This win is extraordinary not just because it's a Gold Lion in Pharma, but because it's for branded work for a rare disease using comedy, which rarely breaks through in shows like these,' said Frank Mazzola, Managing Founder of 21GRAMS and Co-Global Chief Creative Officer at Real Chemistry. 'We didn't do this campaign for awards. We did it for the people who deserve to have their story told, to make a community laugh, connect and help to cope with a devastating condition. 'Friedreich's Back' proves that authentic, client-led creativity still matters – and still wins. Winning means reaching more patients and helping people. That's ultimately our purpose.'
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These wins follow a year of strong creative momentum for Real Chemistry, which was named the No. 1 PR Agency by PRWeek, No. 3 in MM+M's Agency 100, and continues to expand its AI-driven storytelling and integrated intelligence platforms for pharma clients worldwide. The firm was recognized as U.S. Agency of the Year at the 2025 SABRE Awards North America and honored with Outstanding Healthcare Agency of the Year at the 2025 PRWeek US Awards. Real Chemistry was ranked as the No. 1 healthcare PR firm globally and No. 2 U.S. PR firm overall by O'Dwyer's, reflecting the agency's consistent leadership across creativity, communications and client impact.
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