House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair, John Dingell (D-MI) and Oversight Subcommittee Chair, Bart Stupak (D-MI) sent letters to Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Schering-Plough and Pfizer asking them to stop using “misleading and deceptive” direct-to-consumer advertising.
Dingell in a statement said, “Marketing department leaders have failed to commit to reducing misleading and deceptive ads, so we’re now asking the CEOs to make this agreement.” Stupak said, “We intend to make certain that drug companies market their product properly in order to protect American consumers from manipulative commercials designed to mislead and deceive for profit.”
The letters relate to a May 8 hearing in which representatives from the four pharmaceutical companies defended their DTC advertising. The hearing focused on three broadcast ads: Pfizer’s ads for Lipitor featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik, Merck/Schering-Plough’s “Food & Family” ads for Vytorin and Johnson & Johnson’s ads for Procrit.
The letters ask for an “immediate” response, while a second hearing on DTC advertising is being considered.
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