Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spawn Advertising Pause from Bristol Myers -

Home
>
Medicine
>
Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spawn Advertising Pause from Bristol Myers

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of Merck's Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that were voluntarily withdrawn from the market recently.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" doesn't 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 The problem, as Bristol Myers know realizes, is that consumers are well aware that the withdrawn Bextra and Vioxx were advertised as being safe.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correctly sees that they could be the victims of a drug-company backlash, even if they didn't manufacture any of the withdrawn products.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?"

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including Bextra-Info.net, a site devoted to the withdrawn drug Bextra and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to structured settlements.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/BioImagene-CEO-Dr-Ajit-Singh/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B2D507270-415B-4D0C-BB23-A738FF301100%257Dcid=1277485498ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNFsa6y5CeIMP61Mtfb1P_Bt6RND7wBioImagene CEO, Dr. Ajit Singh, Speaks On Enabling Personalized b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Digital pathology, a key enabler for personalized bmedicine/b, will aid clinicians in managing and interpreting data from a whole new set of diagnostic tests b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Aperio-Introduces-SecondSlideTM-Digital-Slide/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B83E380B0-E59F-4E7F-97D7-93C4E4C8FB95%257Dcid=1277485498ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNG981KSTwovseKD2piZ1h9u78yTNQAperio Introduces SecondSlide(TM) Digital Slide Sharing Network/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277485498hl=ennobrall 20 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/03/lobbies_backing_health_reformscid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNFrKEhOpd8RSRVly5zGLc3tko3QCQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=NjYczUVrFSgJimgurl=cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/12/02/1228276337_6990/539w.jpg width=80 height=46 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Boston Globe/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/opinion/04gruber.html%3Fref%3Dopinioncid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNGrxWYLycny40wCkyPzO4bF_oaShwbMedicine/b for the Job Market/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By JONATHAN GRUBER A CENTRAL feature of Barack Obamaâ€™s presidential campaign was an aggressive plan to expand health insurance coverage by subsidizing b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.timesargus.com/article/20081204/OPINION01/812040314/1021/OPINION01cid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNG4KSgvq893k5IlbF53aAYfeO9rLQReform or bust/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBarre Montpelier Times Argus/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/New-Report-Shows-Slower-Premium/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B897AA234-2F51-418A-8F70-FD88D5EB4885%257Dcid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNGGSuNXStgcrwY6G-lFynnkGrpoIANew Report Shows Slower Premium Growth, But Increasing Pressure to b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maggie-mahar/what-does-health-care-ref_b_147506.htmlcid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHKSH3LKn-v0V7CazYHWbcI8GS6WgWhat Does Health Care quot;Reformquot; Mean? How Soon Can We Get There? Part 1/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrHuffington Post/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.harvardir.org/blog/%3Fp%3D351cid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNGPfF5ldKcJ-1SKsDRRnegCTZ6cYAnobrHarvard International Review/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-health-insurers-call-congress-take-health-care-costs-/2008/12/04/3834605.htmcid=1276087059ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNG0sKVO5NSyisL09_rhphZarNEBPgnobrTMCnet/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276087059hl=ennobrall 223 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dbtechno.com/health/2008/12/04/update-more-sleep-for-medical-residents-means-safer-patients/cid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNEgOa8CZubF9brbw9Z9Uc6gyPfIdgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=Z5FyC4JujD4Jimgurl=www.dbtechno.com/images/medical_residents_sleeping.jpg width=69 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2dBTechno/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/American-College-Surgeons-Comments-Institute/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B9A5A6C65-C40E-4920-8A69-3027DD7E64EA%257Dcid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNH5bapbF5qIHGFYpFiF-tXx5vakBQAmerican College of Surgeons Comments on Institute of bMedicine/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrDec 3, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1CHICAGO, Dec 03, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The American College of Surgeons (ACS) today recognized the Institute of bMedicine/b (IOM) for its b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.iberkshires.com/story/29217/BMC-Internal-Medicine-Residency-Program-Achieves-National-Reaccreditation.htmlcid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHOx7o7fv7QlTbsTQ8sFdOoup52SgBMC Internal bMedicine/b Residency Program Achieves National b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobriBerkshires.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/health/05chen.html%3Fref%3Dhealthcid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNGe2D4gcotScXE9Iw71q8pjWZr4VgDoes More Sleep Make for Better Doctors?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNew York Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-residents3-2008dec03,0,2529677.storycid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHCEdAKDKNjEioTkiCLnn7aYBGTswReport urges more sleep for medical residents/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrLos Angeles Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.keloland.com/healthbeat/newsdetail6387.cfm%3FId%3D0,77359cid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNExjFU-wyhfrr9XW-QfF_Trn2RLugnobrKELOLAND TV/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120202901.html%3Fhpid%3Dsec-healthcid=1276892647ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHIY62dVqfZTN7d6viZgSLbASyLrwnobrWashington Post/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276892647hl=ennobrall 336 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Modern%2BMedicine%2BNow/Drug-Combination-Reduces-Risk-of-Cardiovascular-Ev/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/569546%3FcontextCategoryId%3D40137cid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHCviw0rDqo-g-8pR62cxPXWvqKiQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=2PW2PnkRZyUJimgurl=www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/data/articlenewsfeed//modernmedicine/492008/569546//hch008.jpg width=80 height=62 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Drug Topics Magazine/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/health/research/04blood.html%3Fref%3Dhealthcid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHM6_IiTKYvkNEgK4ogtokW8WT1DgDrug Combo for Hypertension May Be Safer Than Recommended Alternative/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1(Many patients cannot control their blood pressure with just one bmedicine/b.) â€œThe important message is that the government recommends a drug that provides 20 b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/270102cid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHS7ktHqm64EUmFmIsJjb3c4PEh9AHypertension-drug mix cuts risk of serious ills/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrArizona Daily Star/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120302759.htmlcid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNGTIiZ9ycj4E9r732BKxDnCAp3fMgBlood Pressure Pill Combo More Effective Than Diuretics/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWashington Post/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Modern%2BMedicine%2BNow/Drug-Combination-Reduces-Risk-of-Cardiovascular-Ev/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/569546%3FcontextCategoryId%3D40137cid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNHCviw0rDqo-g-8pR62cxPXWvqKiQDrug Combination Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Events Combination b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDrug Topics Magazine/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/study_questions_how_high_blood.htmlcid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNH5CWnM13RkU6HUY9rposaq1snlBQnobrNJ.com/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/584722cid=1277276118ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNEJWLgUsC9lZtwrhArqxvXJMphwLAnobrMedscape/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277276118hl=ennobrall 28 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/12/04/moms-cells-prime-fetal-immune-system.htmlcid=1277551192ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNGIH5IfxjGP9sz55E2SMWvXhaF1rgMom#39;s Cells Prime Fetal Immune System/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fU.S. News World Report,nbsp;DCnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Dr. Rachel L. Miller, an associate professor of bmedicine/b and environmental health sciences at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/547095/cid=1277551192ei=nLM4SZSyIJnK8ATOnPySCQusg=AFQjCNFBEFknHK_8T2XkqdU0ejeMmroquQResearchers Make Key Discovery for Body to Accept Gene Therapy/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNewswise (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277551192hl=ennobrall 9 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

medicine - Google News