Drugmakers to Wait on Advertising New Drugs
Posted by Jacob Goldstein
June 17, 2008, 8:34 am
Drugmakers called before Congress to explain their direct-to-consumer ads have agreed to wait six months before advertising newly approved drugs to the general public.
But the congressmen behind the whole thing — Michigan Democrats Bart Stupak and John Dingell — had asked for a two-year waiting period.
“Although we appreciate the drug companies’ willingness to change some of their business practices, they have not agreed to all of our requests, which would protect consumers from misleading and deceptive advertising,” Stupak said in a statement yesterday.
The hearing focused on ads for Pfizer’s Lipitor, J&J’s Procrit, and Vytorin, which is sold by Merck and Schering-Plough.
In letters to the congressmen, the companies explained that a six-month waiting period is something that’s already in place in an informal way. Merck, for example, said in its letter that the company’s current policy calls for educating doctors about a new drug before beginning consumer ads.
The customary six-month wait isn’t exactly an act of charity or contrition. Drugmakers generally want to send in their reps to tell doctors about new medicines before DTC ads drive waves of patients into their offices asking for drugs by name.
The companies also agreed to follow AMA guidelines in using actors to portray doctors, AdAge notes.
But they didn’t agree to other requests, including one to advertise products only when studies have shown they improve clinical outcomes. Drugs are often approved (and advertised) solely based on surrogate markers.
Vytorin, for example, has been shown to lower bad cholesterol, but hasn’t been proven to lower the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
blogs.wsj.com |
