To Inform or Persuade? Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs

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Abstract
Merck's withdrawal of rofecoxib from the market last September and Pfizer's announcement in December of possible cardiac risks associated with high doses of celecoxib reignited long-simmering controversies regarding drug promotion, in part because both cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors have been heavily marketed directly to consumers. Indeed, after discussion with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer suspended all direct-to-consumer advertising of celecoxib. Adding fuel to the fire is class-action litigation filed against AstraZeneca alleging that its direct-to-consumer advertising misrepresents the superiority of its proton-pump inhibitor esomeprazole over less expensive alternatives.Although the information made public in these cases is probably incomplete, these . . .

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