Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has spent the past three years marketing its way out of a largely unknown but stigmatized condition: Demodex blepharitis, an eyelid disease caused by mites.
Now, the company is tapping actor and former wrestler John Cena to talk about his story with the condition and his use of Tarsus’ blepharitis drug Xdemvy.
“I suffered from eyelid redness, itching and crusting for years, chalking it up to long days on set under bright lights,” said Cena in a statement.
“But it finally got to the point where I couldn’t ignore it any longer. My eye doctor diagnosed me with Demodex blepharitis, and I was relieved to finally understand what was causing my symptoms and to know there was an available treatment.”
He was later prescribed Xdemvy, the only drug specifically approved by the FDA for the condition back in 2023.
As part of the project, Cena is seen on social media channels, including Instagram, reading—in his deadpan and comedic way—a book called “The Guide to Eyelid Mites.” He ends with the catchphrase “I ‘mite’ be obsessed.”
Bobby Azamian, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and Chairman of Tarsus, said in the release that: “John’s story is relatable to millions who often overlook or neglect their eye health, and his candid perspective and understated humor help bring attention to a significant disease.
“Regular eye exams are critical, and we hope his experience encourages more people to recognize the signs, seek care and take their eye health seriously.”
This falls neatly into Tarsus’ marketing campaign structure. The condition is surprisingly common, but both stigma and a lack of awareness stop people from seeking a diagnosis, as well as treatment.
Tarsus has gone on the offensive to boost that awareness. Before its approval it ran a frank educational campaign called “Don’t Freak Out. Get Checked Out,” which sought to get patients who may have Demodex blepharitis to visit their eye doctor for an eyelid check.
Then in 2024 it ran the “break up the Mite Party” campaign via its Xdemvy Facebook page (@xdemvyrx), which was also featured on its official product site at xdemvy.com. The website includes a “Find a Doctor” tool, an interactive quiz and real before-and-after results of patients treated with Xdemvy.
And John Cena is not the company’s first celebrity. In 2024, Tarsus also tapped actor Betsy Sodaro in a new ad. Here, the camera zooms in on a woman’s irritated eye to reveal a “mite party” in full swing on her eyelid, with a group of actors dressed up as Demodex mites—the leader of which is played by “Ghosts” star Sodaro—hanging out among her eyelashes.
These campaigns appear to be working. Xdemvy made $451.4 million last year and in its full year financials released in Feb., Tarsus said that DTC projects on streaming platforms and network television “generated a positive return on investment in 2025 that continues to grow.”
It added that “unaided awareness of Demodex blepharitis is now approximately 25% vs. 2% of patients surveyed at the beginning of the campaign.”
