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Pharmaceutical Companies
Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spawn Advertising Pause from
Bristol Myers
Pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb has announced
that they will suspend direct-to-consumer advertising for
their prescription drug products for a year. This comes
in the wake of the well-publicized withdrawals of Mercks
Vioxx and Pfizers Bextra, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) that were voluntarily withdrawn from the
market recently. Studies showed that they increase the
likelihood of strokes and heart attacks among patients
that take them for prolonged periods of time. This represents
an unusual move for a pharmaceutical company, as they tend
to spend a large portion of their annual advertising budget
on direct-to-consumer advertising.
It is possible that Bristol Myers recognizes that consumers
are becoming concerned about new drugs being approved by
the FDA and advertised heavily, only to find out later
that the drugs have previously unknown and possibly dangerous
side effects. Consumers have learned that advertising a
drug as new and improved doesnt necessarily mean that it
is new, or improved, or even safe. In short, customers
are suspicious of pharmaceutical advertising, and the drug
companies are to be commended for taking notice of that
fact.
Since 1997, drug companies have been allowed by U.S.
law to advertise directly to consumers. This has led to
an astonishing number of ads on television and radio, as
consumers see ads showing one happy person after another.
The ads suggest that the happiness shown is a result of
the use of the product, and a voiceover quickly mumbles
through the known, and sometimes lengthy, list of side
effects. Patients are encouraged to speak with their doctor,
and they have been doing so in record numbers. The problem,
as Bristol Myers know realizes, is that consumers are well
aware that the withdrawn Bextra and Vioxx were advertised
as being safe. This has naturally led to a general suspicion
of all advertised drugs, and Bristol Myers correctly sees
that they could be the victims of a drug-company backlash,
even if they didnt manufacture any of the withdrawn products.
This will probably save Bristol Myers a lot of money
in the short term, as their advertising would have largely
gone to waste. The Food and Drug Administration is taking
steps to make sure that the drugs that reach the U.S. market
are safe, and in time, the public will again become more
trusting of pharmaceutical advertising. In the meantime,
TV viewers will be spared from having to watch the sometimes-cryptic
drug ads, which often prompt questions of What does this
drug do?
Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is
the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational
Websites, including http://www.Bextra-Info.net,
a site devoted to the withdrawn drugs Bextra and Vioxx,
and http://www.StructuredSettlementHelp.com,
a site devoted structured settlements.
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