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Leading drug manufacturers such as Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer are agreeing to a six-month moratorium on advertising new drugs to consumers and will limit how doctors are used in their ads.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell and Head of the Oversight and Investigations Panel, Rep. Bart Stupak, wanted drug makers to impose a two-year voluntary moratorium on advertising new prescription drugs to consumers, and possibly an even longer one in the case of drugs that didn't have all their studies completed. In addition, lawmakers asked for drug companies to limit the use of doctors in their ads and agree to "black box" warnings on advertising if the Food and Drug Administration requested them.
Drug companies will start following the American Medical Association's guidelines about using actors to portray doctors. Johnson & Johnson said that it will not use doctors in ads to discuss the benefits of a drug.
Drug manufacturers said that the six-month moratorium formalized industry practice, which is to educate doctors before proceeding to consumer communications. William C. Weldon, Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, explains, " 'we have adopted internal guiding practices on direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs [that] requires that our operating companies spend at least six months after approval of a new medicine educating health professionals before commencing a direct-to-consumer advertising campaign.' " He adds that Johnson & Johnson " 'does not believe a particular fixed period of time for an advertising moratorium is appropriate in all circumstances.' "
Dingell and Stupak were pleased with the response, but wanted drug makers to go further with a two-year limit. Stupak points out, " '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.' "
Source: Advertising Age, 06/16/2008
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