Pfizer Pulls Misleading Lipitor Ads

Under criticism that its ads are misleading, Pfizer said Monday that it would cancel a long-running advertising campaign using the artificial heart pioneer Robert Jarvik as a spokesman for its cholesterol drug Lipitor.

Pfizer has spent more than $258 million advertising Lipitor since January 2006, most of it on the Jarvik campaign, as the company sought to protect Lipitor, the world's best-selling drug, from competition by cheaper generics.

But the campaign had come under scrutiny from a Congressional committee that is examining consumer drug advertising and has asked whether the ads misrepresented Dr. Jarvik and his credentials. Although he has a medical degree, Dr. Jarvik is not a cardiologist and is not licensed to practice medicine.

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See some examples of the ads in question below:

Comments

[Nutcase]

Not to worry. Pfizer has plenty more misleading ads they can air.

cognito ergo populistae

[tandrmcdonald]

Note to reactionar­ynihilist;
Fat chance.
Gramma Rose

[gcallaghan]

Good riddance. Jarvik comes across as a pompous ass, anyway.

[revko]

"I am not a cardioligist but I play one on T.V. comercials"

[reactionrynihilist]

My sister worked in the surgical appliance industry for a few years and she opened my eyes to the "pay to play" aspect of health care in the us. Having a science degree I mistakingly believed that doctors researched what was the best product or treatment for a patient. Having spent some time in a cardiologist's waiting room I realize that it is all about the drug company's reps competing for who can give the doctor's office more free lunches and other perks. I found their pitching extremely disruptive, and if they did this in plain sight, what are they doing behind closed doors?

If a drug works it shouldn't cost as much to market it as a soda or beer. We should limit how much pharma companies can spend on advertising, drugs should sell themselves through empirical results.