Bitter Pills and Drug Ads

Earlier this week, the Prescription Access Litigation Project (PAL) announced the winners of their Bitter Pill Awards. There were four categories for drug companies who "engage in over-zealous and questionable marketing practices." The While You Were Sleeping Award, for overmarketing insomnia medications to anyone who's ever had a bad night's sleep, went to Lunesta (Sepracor) and Ambien/Ambien CR (Sanofi-Aventis). The “Got Cholesterol?” Award, for advertising statin drugs far beyond those who need them, went to Lipitor (Pfizer) and Crestor (AstraZeneca). The Driven to Distraction Award, for hawking an attention deficit drug by distracting consumers with ADD, went to Strattera (Eli Lilly). The Fox Guarding the Hen House Award and The Truth is Stranger Than Fiction Award went to Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) while the The Real Deal Award went to MedVantx for promoting safe, effective generics and countering drug industry marketing.

In related news, The NYTimes reports that Celebrex is back to advertising after 16 months without advertising, which resulted after Merck stopped selling Vioxx, a similar drug, because of its heart dangers. Now Celebrex print ads are back and feature a large bold warning, "Important Information: Celebrex may increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke that can lead to death."

The new campaign in magazines has raised the ire of consumer groups, who say that Celebrex is so dangerous that Pfizer should stop selling it, not encourage patients to use it.

The campaign is more evidence of the drug industry's dependence on consumer advertising to prop up sales, said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, a frequent critic of drug makers. "There's no objective evidence of any unique benefit with this drug, and there is objective evidence of a unique risk," said Dr. Wolfe, the director of health research for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.

[snip]

In 2004, before the advertising moratorium, Pfizer spent $117 million promoting Celebrex. That year, Celebrex sales were $3.3 billion worldwide. In 2005, during the ad moratorium, sales plunged to $1.7 billion. Pfizer says that all painkillers carry some risk and that its new ads disclose Celebrex's potential dangers.

The last TV ads that Celebrex ran in December 2004 can be checked out below.

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