Neoqura picks The Optimisers for US launch & funding

Neoqura has appointed The Optimisers to support its launch into the United States, with the work also covering an upcoming equity crowdfunding campaign.

The New Zealand-owned pharmaceutical and eCommerce business is preparing to introduce Asteroid Ointment to the US market, starting in the haemorrhoid category. The Optimisers' mandate spans search marketing, paid media, Amazon optimisation and influencer campaigns as Neoqura looks to build awareness in a crowded consumer health sector.

The US expansion is part of a broader plan to build a platform of over-the-counter self-care products. Neoqura's roadmap includes 14 products across four consumer health categories, with allergy products identified as one area for future growth.

Neoqura is led by chief executive Tim O'Donoghue, a pharmacist who has worked with patients for more than 30 years. His background includes co-founding Green Light, a 22-branch pharmacy group in central London, and researching why patients do or do not take medicines.

According to Neoqura, Asteroid Ointment has generated more than NZD $1 million in sales in New Zealand since launch. The product is listed with the US Food and Drug Administration, which the business and its advisers have highlighted as part of the push into the American market.

Funding plans

Neoqura is also preparing a PledgeMe equity crowdfunding campaign to help fund its broader commercial rollout in the United States. Its information memorandum says Healthtex, the company behind Neoqura, is seeking to raise up to NZD $2 million at a pre-money valuation of NZD $21 million.

The raise is intended to support marketing, regulatory testing, working capital and expansion of the product range. Neoqura says the campaign has already attracted pre-registrations from angel investors.

For The Optimisers, the contract adds a consumer health brand with ambitions beyond a single product line. Richard Conway, the agency's chief executive, described the assignment as a smaller entrant challenging established pharmaceutical groups in a market where trust and discretion matter to consumers.

"This is exactly the sort of story we love," said Richard Conway, Chief Executive Officer, The Optimisers.

"A small Kiwi-founded business taking on Big Pharma in the United States with a smarter, proven product (Over $1m sales in NZ since launch), a sharper brand and a very clear understanding of what consumers actually want. It's classic David versus Goliath; except in this case David has an FDA-listed ointment, an Amazon strategy and a surprisingly good sense of humour."

Neoqura has positioned Asteroid around a more direct approach to a condition many consumers find awkward to discuss. The founders say years of conversations with patients shaped the product's design and presentation.

O'Donoghue said the business was built around what patients wanted from self-care treatments, including privacy, ease of use and practical effectiveness. He described Asteroid as the first product developed from that model.

"Neoqura was built from thousands of real conversations with patients," said Tim O'Donoghue, Chief Executive Officer, Neoqura.

"People told us they wanted products that were effective, discreet, easy to use and designed with some respect for how they actually feel. Asteroid is the first expression of that thinking. We are delighted to have The Optimisers working with us as we prepare to scale in the US."

O'Donoghue's wife and co-founder, Alice Delee, is a former registered nurse from Ireland. Neoqura says both founders have spoken to thousands of patients over the years, and that those conversations informed the ointment's early development.

US strategy

The US launch will rely on a mix of direct digital marketing and marketplace distribution. The Optimisers says its role will include improving Neoqura's organic visibility, adapting content for AI-driven search tools, scaling paid customer acquisition and improving product performance on Amazon.

Conway said the challenge in the category was not just reaching customers, but also earning confidence in a sensitive area of healthcare and turning that trust into a broader product business.

"Large pharmaceutical companies have traditionally designed for pharmacy shelves," said O'Donoghue.

"We are designing for people. The US consumer is ready for healthcare products that feel more private, more useful and more human. Asteroid is where we start, but Neoqura is much bigger than one product."