In particular, the focus is on Robert Jarvik, premiere pitchman for Pfizer's Lipitor. In a letter to Pfizer ceo Jeff Kindler, John Dingell, the Democrat from Michigan who chairs the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak, also a Democrat from Michigan who chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, have decided to open an investigation into the use of celebrity endorsements in DTC ads.
"We are concerned that consumers might be misled by Pfizer's television ads for Lipitor starring Dr. Jarvik," Dingell says in a statement. "In the ads, Dr. Jarvik appears to be giving medical advice, but apparently, he has never obtained a license to practice or prescribe medicine." Says Stupak: "Dr. Jarvik's appearance in the ads could influence consumers into taking the medical advice of someone who may not be licensed to practice medicine in the United States. Americans with heart disease should make medical decisions based on consultations with their doctors, not on paid advertisements during a commercial break."
Scrutiny toward celebrity ads is nothing new. The FTC launched a review nearly a year ago. And Jarvik's credentials have been questioned for some time. He does come off rather smoothly in the ad, though, doesn't he? (For the Pfizer statement, look below the video clip and click on 'read more').
"Pfizer takes its responsibility with regard to direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising very seriously. Our foremost concern is that the tone and content are appropriate for the intended audiences, and that it will ultimately result in encouraging valuable patient/physician dialogue that can lead to appropriate treatment.
"Pfizer recognizes the important role physicians play in helping patients better manage their health. Dr. Jarvik is a respected health care professional and heart expert. Dr. Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart, knows how imperative it is for patients to do everything they can to keep their heart working well. Furthermore, the advertising advises consumers to speak to their physicians about their heart health. The communication in the advertising helps educate consumers that it is important to keep the heart healthy including, if necessary, using medications that have been proven to maintain heart health."
19 Comments
This, ladies and gentlemen, is your United States Congress. Unable or unwilling to deal with real problems like a two-front war, the economy, the pending bankruptcy of Medicare and the stress on Social Security that will soon result from the en masse retiring of baby boomers, they send letters about celebrity pitchmen, and call hearings to investigate whether the needle Roger Clemens stuck in his buttocks contained B12 or deca-durabolin.
Your tax dollars at work.
James,
I agree with you 100% on the Clemens issue. They should be investigating the Antidepressant induced violence in children and Adolescents issue, an issue thats more important to Public safety".
This might be a purely political move by Dingell to pay back Pfizer for its significant downsizing in Michigan. Politicians have been known to be vindictive.
I am astonished to read the comments of James, Lisa Van S and Atlex who, of course, are entitled to their opinions. It is impossible to turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper of magazine without seeing Jarvik hawk Lipitor. If he is such a trustworthy spokesperson that Pfizer is spending millions on DTC ads to convince patients they still need Lipitor, why shouldn't his credentials be scrutinized? The fact that he has never practiced medicine is certainly relevant. Why should he be characterized as a "health care professional?" It's all corporate spin while Pfizer is pretending to "educate" consumers.
James & Atlex,
Wow, the three of us in the same sentence, cant possibly be good for your careers!!!
Deborah Stayman,
Do i Like DTC ads,.. No. Especially on Sundays when My husband and I, along with our 19 year old son are watching football, and every commercial is about ED!! You know Viva Viagra!! Better yet the Horns. More importantly, I value an American's right to free speach, and I am reminded of that when my nephew dons his Marine Uniform, He will be leaving soon to Iraq for his second tour.
Just as Important,.. is,.. that I testified before the FDA DTC hearing in Nov 2005 because I wanted Black Box Warnings on antidepressants prominently displayed in all DTC ads.
I understand what your saying, "Free Speach" must remain alive and well!!!!
Lisa, you have to consider the source. Just like I have my bias, she has hers. If memory serves, Deborah has health benefit responsibilities for a state employees union. Rather than being pleased that the union members suffering from heart disease or ones at high risk for heart disease get treatment for high cholesterol, she'd ratherthat they not be informed. It's much less costly to skip the medicine and have them die younger.
(Note: I am being facetious regarding the last comment; I don't really believe she thinks that way--well I hope not.)
Atlex is correct that I work for a state employees union and the costs of prescription drug benefits for our members are astronomical. We are currently engaged in contract negotiations and the cost of health benefits, which has been the single biggest issue in every negotiation (this is my fourth) has driven every other economic factor. Our members are educated, white-collar employees. We do everything possible to provide them with information about the cost-effective use of their benefits, including Rx drugs. But it's not a drop in the bucket compared to DTC ads.
Deborah Stayman,
I could care less who you work for, like I said earlier, we must preserve an individuals right, or a Company's right to free speech. These are rights, afforded to us, under the constitution. With that said, I truly believe that our constitution does not give pharma the right to distort the truth.
With all that said, my own mother suffered side effects of lipitor, and then was prescribed Vytorin, and I have to admit she's doing very well.
My mother was prescribed klonopin and keppra after a recent stroke, she was removed from Klonopin due to Psychiatric side effects, which I personally reported to FDA. I realize keppra has serious side effects, but in my Mother's case benefits outweigh the risk.
I believe that it is important to note that my criticism toward industry has to do with the use of antidepressants in children and adolescents. These meds lack safety and Efficacy and tahts why they are not FDA approved for that population.
Adding the black box to antidepressants led to increased teenage suicides because of a lack of treatment. No denying that..
Bill Clinton stopped taking his lipitor and stuck us with a bill for a quaduple by-pass. Let’s investigate that.
Biggest percentage health care cost is doctors and hospitals. Prescription drugs are only 10 %. Keep your employees out of hosptials and you will save money
Brian,
"Adding the Black Box Warning led to increased teenage suicides because of a lack of treatment"
In your dreams,..
The unintended consequences of your actions had a detrimental effect on the very folks you were trying to help. Finding the right answer is tough… as you found out.
[...] The House Energy and Commerce Committee is asking Pfizer wherefore Jarvik? Robert Jarvik, that Lipitor huckster who has given Americans new reason to channel surf during commercial breaks, is the subject of some questions from Committee chair Rep. John Dingell, who wonders if celebrity endorsements from physician posers are such a good idea. On one hand, no one, not even PostScript, doubts this dude is sketchy. Had to go to Bologna to get into med school? Never treated a patient? Those pupil-free peepers? On the other hand, this committee has a full plate—energy, say, or commerce, and one wonders if this isn’t a case of mountain-molehill-horse-out-of-the-barn-too-little-too-late for Congress, which loosened restriction on DTC in 1997, freeing up pharma to invade the tube with not just Jarvik and friends, but those unstoppable Flomax guys.   [...]
Ok, first off, just because Dr. Jarvik is not licensed to practice, does not mean that he doesn't understand the dangers of high cholesterol,atherosclerosis and its effect on heart disease.It's fairly simple to understand and it's fairly simple to understand what a drug like lipitor does to for patients with these health problems.I am fresh out of med school and I'm currently taking my boards and was practicing overseas as of last year. This man has obviously made a significant contribution to medicine.He is just stating facts about Lipitor (something any athlete/actress/actor/rock star could have read off with virutally similar effect.)The ad never says he's some big cardiologist that prescribes the drug to every patient walking in the door;just that he is who he is and his contribution was the Jarvik heart.People should be less ignorant when they hear the word "Dr." He is not prescribing people through the ad. He merely stated true facts about the drug and tells you to discuss your health with your doctors.Every other drug ad says virtually the same information by some random voice. Advertisments are meant to be remembered and I think Pfizer did a good job with their representation. But that's not to say that I don't remember the Crestor ads and what have you... They are all meant to have lasting effect. With the internet and other tools, everyone can easily run searches on these drugs and on the people endorsing the products. People research their own health problems every day along with the drugs they are prescribed and other drugs available for their respective conditions. Lipitor is a brand that families have known for YEARS!, just by name and for what it does. Now with so many new drugs, they created a unique tactic to make their drug stand out. Smart. There are way too many pressing medical problems in the world to be focused on who Pfizer used in a commercial. Trivial BS that is being blown out of proportion through ignorance. Everything stated in the Ad was a fact (merely being over interpreted). They wanted heart health to come off important and they succeeded.People need to take health seriously and get appropriate care. This ad probably succeeded with all those aspects. It's not a drug you find on the shelf...it will definitely come through a physician. And each Physician can give valuable info about which drug they are prescribing over other drugs. Cholesterol has many parts and diff. drugs are used to treat high total cholesterol,triglycerides,LDL lowering,HDL increasing,side effects,interactions with other meds,comorbid conditions,etc. I DON'T THINK THIS AD SHOWED ANY THREAT TO ANYONE. RIDICULOUS CONTROVERSY
As a retired advertising copywriter who spent close to 30 years serving clients in the pharmaceutical industry, I just want to say that what doctors who endorse products are called at the agencies "whores." And there is a lot of it. And there probably always will be. I'm glad I'm out of it and I think Jarvik and all the others who endorse products should be prohibited from doing so. Watch for this issue to come up on a forthcoming episode of Boston Legal, the one place where hypocrites get their due.
Oh con on now folks. Advertising is advertising. Why is it more distasteful or shocking for Jarvik, as a knowledgeable and eminently qualified scientist, to give his opinion than it is for a former US president to give his or a comedian to give hers; and by the way, yes, all three are paid to speak their minds; hey aren’t journalists also paid to speak their mind and be a bit controversial? The American public is not stupid, health care practitioners are not stupid. Pharmaceutical products are important products with a good deal of social value, and yes, very profitable products. The constant pounding on the issue of pharmaceutical drug advertising is becoming more wearing than the ads themselves. Let’s give consumers some credit for some smarts, pharmaceutical companies some credit for doing good and all agree to focus on some of the real bad products on the markets (for example firearms) and the worlds real villains.
Kind of blows my mind — a little incident such as this causes such controversy. Besides this kind of thing has been going on for a long time with hardly any big complaints.
Long ago Congress should have been going after all those who are selling cures and body improvements from worthless products. Billions of dollars are taken from gullible people each year.
Hey, this is not completely true, if you do a search in Google you will see why i say that....
[...] the run-up to Jarvik’s firing Congress took a look at this whole business of celebrity drug endorsements. But nothing really came of [...]