MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'ads'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:49:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140304&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fvast-majority-of-drug-ads-in-leading.html (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog) Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140304 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:57:00 +0100 5140304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139937&cid=t_99933_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FIJjkpBY92iI%2F Every couple months I like to take a bit of an inventory on EMR and HIPAA along with recognizing new advertisers to the EMR and HIPAA family along. Not to mention send out a big thanks to all those advertisers who have renewed during that time period as well. EMR and HIPAA is still doing more amazing than I ever thought it could. During the slow summer months we’re still averaging about 4500 pageviews per day. In fact, we’re inching ever closer to 5 million pageviews since we first started tracking the stats. I think I might have to celebrate the day we reach that landmark. This will be the 1,139th post on EMR and HIPAA and we’ve had 5,590 comments made. That’s roughly 5 comments per post. So thank you to all those who contribute to the amazing community that exists... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139937 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:49:39 +0100 5139937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086586&cid=t_99933_180_f&fid=38608&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLifeDev%2F%7E3%2FS6qLgJTxaic%2F I get emails occasionally asking if I’d give up some “real estate” on my site for advertising. I used to accept advertising on this site, and it was kind of nice. I’d make a few bucks each month for a banner or a few links sprinkled in the sidebar, and nobody complained. The common arguments potential advertisers give are “it’s really not that noticeable” or “why not make some money for your writing?”. The truth is, when it comes to working really hard towards something, every little bit matters. When I redesigned this site a year ago, I spent months poring over many different iterations, and built the theme from the ground up. (Well, almost ground up. I used the Thesis theme framework. And yes, if you click that link it *could* make m... LifeDev blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086586 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:35:52 +0100 5086586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976206&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FvinqO6QozGE%2F Hello, again. And how are you this morning? A beautiful day is unfolding here on the Pharmalot corporate campus - the birds are chirping, the official mascots are lounging about and the cup of stimulation is brewing. Meanwhile, we are looking forward to another day of R&D. We know you can relate. To help you along, here are some tidbits. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Vertex Tops Merck In Hep C Drug Launch (The Street) Glaxo R&D Chief Says Advair Is Safe From Generics (Reuters) J&J Plans To Market More Products Under The Janssen Name (Financial Times) New Prostate Cancer Drugs Are Expensive (New York Times) Amgen Sells $3 Billion In Bonds To Pay For Dividends (Bloomberg News) Diabetes Cases In Adults Worldwide Has Doubled In 30 Years (Reuters) India Suspend... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976206 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:45:08 +0100 4976206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975950&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26262159%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EEngaging-Beer-Mythology.htm Hot on the heels of my “surprise” ad, here’s another long but highly engaging commercial from Sapporo Beer. This one doesn’t have the big payoff at the end, but rather engages the viewer with continuous surprises and delights. Each level is rich in detail and the viewer is torn between wanting to keep studying the [...] CommentsGreat suggestion, Ron. I found a higher res version of the Coke ... by Roger DooleyHi Roger - As you know we see and test a lot of TV spots. ... by Ron Wrighti like the sapporo bear commercial. its seems like hollywood ... by caraRelated StoriesVery Effective Surprise AdApple Fanboy = Religious Fanatic?Study: TV Branding Beats Online (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975950 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:36:54 +0100 4975950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902421&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faccepting-different-body-types-but-not-approving-of-obesity%2F2011.06.05 I just learned (yes, I’m a little late to the party) about the Body Shop anti-barbie controversy from a post on Facebook. The ad to the left has been banned from most countries, because it was believed to be in bad taste. For me, it raises some very interesting questions. First of all, it’s been my experience that the media has been relentless in its portrayal of feminine beauty as being a dress size zero. This is an unattainable goal for most of us, and a very narrow view of what is truly attractive and physically healthy. I can’t imagine how many young girls feel deeply flawed when they compare themselves to Barbie et al. If unchecked, that self-doubt and insecurity can become a lifelong self-esteem issue or worse. Eating disorders are becoming more and more common, and... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902421 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:00:57 +0100 4902421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893921&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FREZzViN0L2Q%2F The other day, the US Congressional Budget Office issued a brief that spelled out the upside and downside of a moratorium on direct-to-consumer advertising (see here). That bottom line message suggested that DTC does offer a public health benefit and that drugmakers would likely shift much of their promotional efforts to doctors. But a new survey suggests that DTC may have reached the proverbial point of diminishing returns, according to Cutting Edge Information, which queried 19 drugmakers and found that many, if given the opportunity, would spend additional promotional dollars in other ways. Drugmakers surveyed say they make 14 percent more money by using DTC than if the advertising was discontinued and spending remained static for other promotional efforts. But the return on DTC is als... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893921 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:26:28 +0100 4893921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883906&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0AeYJTTYrjk%2F Over the past several years, Congress has regularly considered legislation to restrict direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, perhaps for the first couple of years after a med has been approved by the FDA. The rationale has been that DTC ads encourage unnecessary use of some meds and lead to usage before risks are fully known. Nothing has passed yet, but the idea lives on. And so the US Congressional Budget Office has issued a brief and found drugmakers would probably expand marketing to docs in order to substitute for any banned ads; the number of prescriptions filled for some drugs would probably decline, but for others, scrips may not change, since there would be other forms of promotion, and any change in prices would depend on changes in demand. Moreover, a moratorium c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883906 Tue, 31 May 2011 13:57:51 +0100 4883906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794930&cid=t_99933_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F-ppSubHmvlI%2F Things are rocking and rolling here at EMR and HIPAA and Healthcare Scene. As you have probably seen, I’ve been working really hard to provide a platform for the independent voices in healthcare IT. We currently have 8 blogs in the Healthcare Scene blog network and 3 more in beta that will be announced officially in the next week. If you’ve read this blog, you know that I’m narrowly focused on bringing good information to doctors and practice managers. I sincerely don’t have any particular agendas or hidden motives. My goal is to provide some amount of transparency and quality information to the masses mixed in with some thoughtful commentary on the world of EMR, EHR and Healthcare IT. Hopefully that’s what you see when you read. A couple of the new blogs I&#8... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794930 Tue, 03 May 2011 17:51:22 +0100 4794930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759038&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FuO-4Fn87I3M%2F File this under ‘better late than never…sort of.’ Several years after the Internet took off and branded product web sites began appearing, the FDA is now getting ready to study the extent to which risk and benefit information is presented and digested. The details are expected to appear tomorrow in the Federal Register. “This research is relevant to current policy questions and debate and will complement qualitative research we plan to conduct on issues surrounding social media. The original regulations that presently determine FDA’s position on DTC promotion were written at a time when the available media for DTC promotion were print and broadcast, and the primary audience was health care professionals. This dynamic is shifting, and evidence is needed to support ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759038 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:34:57 +0100 4759038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560593&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fa3XeUYxmKn0%2F More than a decade has past since direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs has become a fixture of American culture. More recently, though, the so-called unbranded ad - which discusses diseases instead of specific meds - has become equally ubiquitous. But how do these resonate with consumers? A new study finds that non-branded ads compared favorably with conventional ads for specific branded meds. A total of 437 people were divided into two groups and then four subgroups, who were shown branded or non-branded ads for either allergy meds or oral contraceptives (drug and company names were fictitious in order to reduce bias). They were asked 16 questions to measure involvement and attitude toward the ads, the companies and the pharmaceutical industry. The upshot? Not surprisingl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560593 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:54:11 +0100 4560593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560359&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F24849757%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EDisney-Media-and-Advertising-Lab.htm Back in 2009, we reported on what seemed to be a secret neuromarketing lab in Austin operated by Disney. As much as we hear about neuro-cinema and neuro-enhanced movies, it seems that Disney’s goal is more prosaic: determining which ads actually work. They also use the lab to investigate new technologies that people aren’t familiar [...] CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesChange Behavior with FunAdjective PowerCreepy Robot Babies, Plastic Receptionists (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560359 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:53:36 +0100 4560359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460181&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwKUwtDU-Yns%2F The floodgates opened in 1997. That was when the FDA decided to allow direct-to-consumer advertising on television, initiating a great debate about the virtues of such DTC ads for prescription drugs between drugmakers, doctors and patients that, eventually, embroiled legislators, ad agencies and First Amendment lawyers. Why? Doctors have been angry that patients were incorrectly pressuring them for prescriptions. Other critic complained that ads minimized risks, steered patients toward expensive meds and promoted unnecessary usage. Pharma, meanwhile, has pointed out that ads successfully enlighten consumers and drive them to learn more about their health, sometimes having meaningful discussions with docs. Now, though, TV ads may have reached a watermark. Why? Writing in The New York Times,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460181 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:26:07 +0100 4460181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436820&cid=t_99933_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FiqMLHlPF7dM%2F It’s been about 3 months since I posted about healthcare IT advertising and the advertisers that keep EMR and HIPAA running. However, I’ve been talking to a lot of people lately about healthcare IT advertising since before HIMSS I’m planning: 1. A New Premium Advertising Package Announcement 2. Launch of a New Healthcare Blog Network In those discussions (and certainly influenced by the crazy money spent by vendors for HIMSS), I like to give this comparison: “Compare what you spend at a conference like HIMSS with the 1 million ad impressions a 6 month ad run (Currently $2100) on EMRandHIPAA.com will provide.” Yep, it costs vendors more to fly people out to a conference than it does to advertise on a very targeted EMR site. I’m currently working on a medi... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436820 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:09:51 +0100 4436820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436800&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F24054555%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EIts-Super-Bowl-Brain-Scan-Time.htm Lots of people look forward to the Super Bowl. While most eagerly anticipate the on-field action, a significant portion of the game’s TV viewers pay more attention to the ads. (If you are reading this, you are likely one of the latter!) Then, there’s the smaller set of neuromarketing-types that want to see how viewers’ [...] Comments[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Timothy (Tim) ... by Tweets that mention It’s Super Bowl Brain Scan Time! | Neuromarketing -- Topsy.comRelated StoriesBrain Movies: Top 5 Super Bowl AdsThe Power of TextUniversity Neuromarketing Lab Opens (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436800 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:59:10 +0100 4436800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305102&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FCxc41W3S1Z8%2F And so it has come to this: a direct-to-consumer ad for Rapaflo, which is used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate, including urinary frequency and urgency, is being promoted in a magazine ad that shows a man peeing by the side of the road. Certainly, the sudden need to pee is a universal phenomenon and relieving oneself in unusual venues is hardly unique (although there can be consequences: three of The Rolling Stones were arrested for doing so on the wall of a London gas station in 1965). And given that the photo suggests there is no bathroom in the desert, the poor fellow can hardly be blamed for splashing the dusty roadside (perhaps he forgot to bring a handy-dandy bottle for such occasions?) In running the ad, Watson Pharmaceuticals, which markets Rapaflo, and its ad agency, mo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305102 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:57:40 +0100 4305102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237945&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F22619879%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESubliminal-Negativity-Works.htm People hate negative advertising. So why do advertisers (notably political campaigns) keep doing it, and why does it work? We covered this in Why Negative Ads Work, but our brains hold yet another answer, as a test with subliminal messages shows. Researcher Nilli Lavie of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience states, There has been [...] CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesLove BrandingSubliminal MotivationBrandwashing? (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237945 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:05:42 +0100 4237945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251166&cid=t_99933_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F12%2F05%2Ftop-emr-ads-and-emr-epic-jobs%2F I’m pretty pumped right now since this weekend is probably the best weekend (traffic wise) that EMR and HIPAA has ever had. I’m not sure the difference, but thanks to all of you who have been reading over the weekend. The weekend is usually pretty dead around EMR and HIPAA and so it’s awesome to get some great traffic to the site on the weekend. Plus, I just checked and it’s pretty cool that EMR and HIPAA (this site) just passed 3.5 million pageviews and EMR and EHR just passed half a Million. Not bad. Top EMR and HIPAA Ads Tomorrow or the next day I’m planning to send out the details on the top ads on EMR and HIPAA. As I did 6 months ago, I’ll be opening up the bidding for the top 2 ads on the site. So many people have been interested in the top ads tha... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251166 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:28:29 +0100 4251166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4186928&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F20%2Fpatent-medicine-redux-drug-ads-vs-psychotherapy%2F My father got his M.D. in 1930; I got mine in 1958. Insulin and penicillin came into being during his early years of practice. In my first years as a psychiatrist, tranquilizers and antidepressants changed the landscape of mental health. As doctors, Dad and I both welcomed Medicare in 1965; later on as patients we became grateful beneficiaries. I remember him explaining “ethical pharmaceuticals” — a term that distinguished companies like Merck from hucksters of “patent medicines.” The scandal at Merck about the arthritis drug Vioxx came after his time — he would have been appalled. Recently the line between ethical drug companies and hucksters was blurred by GlaxoSmithKline, which paid a record fine for its bad acts. Until this Glaxo case, drug firms took fines and som... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4186928 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:30:04 +0100 4186928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151688&cid=t_99933_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F09%2Fexpert-curators-wisdomcards-the-true-wisdom-of-organizedwisdom%2F Twitter and other Social Media can be full of random rubbish, but can also contain useful information. Personally, I use Twitter for work-related tweets about 95 percent of the time, and I choose the people I follow carefully so that I’m not overwhelmed by a flood of tweets. As I’ve said before: people who I follow are [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151688 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:16:32 +0100 4151688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086495&cid=t_99933_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2F7y4BkG_R0Ms%2Fin-rare-move-ad-schedules-available-for.html In a rare step, Viagra and Cialis, sold and marketed by Pfizer and Lilly, have shared their media schedules with the Parents Television Council according to MM&M Online. The Council has now has the schedule posted on their website, so parents can control whether or not children are watching television while they air.Tim Winter, the Parents Television Council president, stated:“We applaud all three companies for their willingness to address the concerns raised by parents, grandparents and others who have been caught off guard by ED advertisements."The full schedule of airing times can be viewed here. (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086495 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:38:00 +0100 4086495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031309&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F21147165%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EPaper-Beats-Digital-For-Emotion.htm Direct mail is so last millenium, right? Ultra-efficient digital marketing seems all but certain to supplant actual paper marketing delivered by humans. It might be a little too soon to shut down the paper mills, though, according to a study by branding agency Millward Brown. The research project used fMRI brain scans to show that [...] Comments[...] read an article (Paper Beats Digital for Emotion) that ... by Rock, Paper, Scissors…Digital?Roger, we sponsor events that directly support our practice ... by Chris ZdunichPlus 8 more...Related StoriesNeuromarketing Standards Battle Ahead?Holy Branding! Religion Gives Brand ImmunityThe Case FOR College Sports (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031309 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:57:32 +0100 4031309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994269&cid=t_99933_136_f&fid=39215&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcancersuucks.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fselling-out.html well, when I signed up to have commercials on my blog, thinking that could be my next carreer, although really i do need to make more than four cents a month, anyway, they said they would put in ads that would go along with blog content. So how come I have a bunch of anorexia and bulemia ads? Granted, eating disorders are more interesting than cancer, but what next? oh, I know probably a bunch of ads for psychiatric clinics because i keep talking about how crazy i am, or detoxes as iperhaps have mentioned the occasional glass of wine I consume. Actually, some red wine company should smarten up and sponsor my blog, like belvidere vodka does for Chelsea lately. That would be a win-win situation. Oh and if you happen to be an executive in a wine company- and people in Northern California do r... Cancer does suck but it is a little funny. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994269 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:44:00 +0100 3994269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972905&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpLNHOwmfIrg%2F By David BoazKentucky attorney general Jack Conway went on TV Tuesday with an ad attacking Rand Paul for . . . endorsing freedom. The ad shows a clip from a 2008 panel show in which, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, there was a “wide-ranging discussion that involved such things as the wisdom of motorcycle helmet laws, the lottery and expanding gambling. In response to a question about whether he favors more gambling, Paul said he opposes ‘legislating morality’ and then added: ‘I’m for having … laws against things that are violent crimes, but things that are non-violent shouldn’t be against the law.’” The ad features that last sentence and then cuts rapidly to uniformed sheriffs criticizing Paul’s position. But note that ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972905 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:16:38 +0100 3972905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946422&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwaste-of-time-woman-sues-movie-theater-over-interminable-commercials%2F photo: Thinkstock Going to the movies is becoming less and less fun. We fork over tons of money for tickets and snacks, and then we’re stuck watching commercials for 20 minutes prior to the main attraction — not even counting previews. Well, Chen Xiaomei of China has finally had enough of all the pre-show entertainment, and is actually suing a cinema for having to endure 20 minutes of ads before the flick. She claims that the movie theater wasted her time, and that she should’ve been informed of how long the commercials would last. While we don’t see this lawsuit going anywhere, we admire Chen’s gusto and time management priorities. Do you think we could sue a movie theater for being out of Milk Duds? via Calgary Herald Post from: BlissTree Waste of Time: Woman S... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946422 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:17:42 +0100 3946422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746741&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdrug-ads-consumers-and-doctors-are-tuning-them-out%2F2010.07.12 How effective is direct-to-consumer drug advertising? Some think that drug ads should be banned altogether, saying that it encourages patients to ask their doctors for expensive, brand name prescription drugs. It turns out their fears may be overblown. NPR’s Shots blogs about a recent study looking at the effectiveness of these ads. The numbers, for the pharmaceutical companies anyways, are not encouraging. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746741 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:19 +0100 3746741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695529&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fgulf-oil-spill-spirit-air-must-be-high-to-stoop-so-low%2F So far, it seems like no one’s really capitalizing on the BP oil spill in the Gulf. We haven’t seen any t-shirts or heard any #1 hits about oil – and if we did, we’d hope the proceeds would be going to those people and wildlife affected by the spill. That’s so gre–wait, what? Spirit Air is running ads that are exploiting the oil spill – and sexist to boot? Spirit Air’s new campaign focuses on scantily-clad women lounging on beaches, all lubed up and enjoying the sun. The tagline reads, “Check out the oil on our beaches.” So tasteless. Did anyone at the ad agency perhaps think it was too soon, insensitive, or inappropriate to exploit a disaster that killed people, wildlife, and ruined a huge swath of the Gulf of Mexico – and is just getting ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695529 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:10:36 +0100 3695529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577367&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F178770%2F Tobacco Advertising Targets Mainly Women: China Daily reports that health officials announced Tuesday that women are the main target of tobacco advertising. They warn that the percentage of female smokers could rise to 15% in coming years, without intervention. (via environmentalhealthnews.org) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577367 Wed, 19 May 2010 14:08:59 +0100 3577367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556378&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfAGgDJ3OVfM%2F If you’re a doctor, the FDA wants your help in identifying ‘bad’ advertisements for prescription drugs. Seriously. The agency is calling it’s new ‘Bad Ad’ program an educational outreach effort and, not surprisingly, it’s being run by DDMAC, the agency’s Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications, which issues all those warning letters and violations. The goal of the program is to “help health care providers recognize misleading prescription drug promotion and provide them with an easy way to report this activity to the agency,” DDMAC director Tom Abrams says in a statement. Usually, the FDA finds ‘bad ads’ by reviewing promotional materials submitted for agency review, fielding complaints (often one company s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556378 Tue, 11 May 2010 17:26:52 +0100 3556378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511514&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fpoll-of-the-day-should-craigslist-make-money-off-sex-ads%2F The New York Times reported yesterday that Craigslist, the popular online classifieds site, is making millions of dollars from its controversial sex advertisements. According to their article, the site is set to increase revenue by 22% in 2010 thanks to the ads, making an expected $36 million off the ads alone (Craigslist refuses to volunteer specific information, but those projections were estimated by Advanced Interactive Media Group). The ads provoke all kinds of opponents: some who simply don’t want to see sex ads when they’re looking for an apartment sublet; others who argue against the moral standing of ads that sell sex services. Many human rights groups say that Craigslist has become a number one outlet used by human traffickers to sell sex services of women and girls a... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511514 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:12:21 +0100 3511514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3433163&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FUA22jhwEpZQ%2F The FDA has proposed a new rule to amend its direct-to-consumer regulations covering broadcast ads and would require info about side effects and contraindications to be presented in a “clear, conspicuous and neutral manner.” The requirements are: The DTC ad must have “language that is readily understandable by consumers;” audio info must be understandable, referring to volume, articulation and pacing; text info must be placed appropriately and on a contrasting background long enough and in lettering that is easily read; and the ad shouldn’t include “distracting representations,” such as statements, text, images, sound or a combination that would detract from communicating the “major statement.” What, exactly, is language that is readily... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3433163 Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:28:04 +0100 3433163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3383084&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbE0Kh-Z1OvI%2F And so another working week will soon draw to a close. Although several more hours of deadlines and meetings may lie ahead, the time has come to think dreamy thoughts about what you will do this weekend. We, for instance, will tidy up the Pharmalot corporate campus, take a long walk and happily watch one of our short people in a school performance. While you ponder your own possibilities, here are a few items to help speed things along. Whatever you do, have a great time… Pfizer CEO Kindler Named PhRMA Chairman (press release) Somaxon Wins FDA Approval For Insomnia Drug (Associated Press) Florida Limits Foster Care Reliance On Psychotropics (Tampa Bay Tribune) New Attack On EU Plan For Patient Drug Info (PharmaTimes) photo thx to tipiro on Flickr creative commons (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3383084 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:58:21 +0100 3383084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335566&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fmerck-says-fda-should-approve-one-click.html Merck submitted comments to Docket No. FDA‐2009‐N‐0441 regarding Promotion of FDA‐Regulated Medical Products Using the Internet and Social Media Tools (find it here).About 75% of Merck’s comments that specifically address FDA’s questions is devoted to an argument in favor of the “one-click rule” as it applies to space-limited digital product ads. For more background on the one-click rule, see "Pharma Prefers '1-Click Rule' for Presenting Fair Balance in Social Media & Other Internet-based Rx Ads."When FDA issued those infamous 14 notice of violation letters last spring, the drug industry was stunned and immediately pulled back from branded search engine advertising (see "The 14 Letters. Who at the FDA Knew What and When? FDA Intern Wants to Know!"). Apparently, Merck revise... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335566 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:18:00 +0100 3335566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316159&cid=t_99933_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2010%2F02%2F28%2Fwho-needs-pantene%2F Ahh, cosmetic ads from the ’70’s. How do we love thee? Let us count the ways… This ad proudly proclaims that women who use Pantene don’t look like they need it. We see their point. This woman doesn’t look like she needs Pantene. She looks like she needs an eye doctor. On the bright side, at least the orthodontist finished with her before the photographer got there. This looks more like an ad for Crest White Strips than Pantene!) Fine Print This is also another one of those ads where you have to read the fine print to fully appreciate it. It says “each product contains Pantene’s unique Swiss Conditioner,” which as the asterisk tells us, is made in the USA. Ahh, God bless Madison Avenue’s advertising army! (Source: thebeautybrains.com) thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316159 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:07:55 +0100 3316159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204836&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgvXoHyeZqkM%2F By Thomas FireyThe New York Times editorial board must be baffled by this news story about a few dozen present and former corporate executives appealing to Congress to expand public funding of political campaigns. The appeal comes one day after the Supreme Court re-extended (some) First Amendment rights to corporations in a move the editorial board branded a “blow to democracy” that will lead to corporations “overwhelm[ing] elections and intimidat[ing] elected officials.” But now some corporate executives want to be dispossessed of the keys to the kingdom immediately after SCOTUS returned them — say what? The executives’ appeal makes sense if you’ve read this article by law professor Robert Sitkoff (then of Northwestern, now the John L. Gray Profes... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204836 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:59:53 +0100 3204836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3205112&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fseroquel-xr-print-ad-imitates-art-but.html There's a bit of brouhaha in the Twitterverse about a recent Seroquel print ad that  (see "Liu Bolin and JaeSelle - what's the connection?") that imitates the art of Chinese artist Liu Bolin. "Both feature people camouflaged against their backgrounds so that they almost disappear," said Jim Edwards over at bnet. Some say this is a despicable corporate ripoff of art. Here's the ad:Personally, I don't find anything wrong with advertising images that are inspired by artists and I certainly do not think Liu Bolin has any case against the ad agency (Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare) for copyright infringement.When I first saw this ad, I didn't get the connection because (1) I didn't notice the camouflage effect, and (2) I had never heard of  Liu Bolin, nor seen his art. So I am happy ... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3205112 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:39:00 +0100 3205112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197885&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_5l-Xitz6Rs%2F For those wondering about the reactions that some consumers have to DTC television ads, some decide to search for more info online. So which ads are prompting the most activity and which product sites are visited? NuvaRing and Latisse had the highest percentage of overall product website traffic driven by their DTC TV ads, according to Manhattan Research. NuvaRing, which is a contraceptive made by Merck, jumped five spots from last year to take the top ranking. And as you can see, Allergan’s new eyelash enhancement treatment, Latisse, grabbed the No. 2 spot. Unfortunately, there was no corresponding info to contrast the amount of ad spending with web traffic. In any event, here is the list of the ten brands for which DTC ads drove the most web traffic… 1. NuvaRing 2. Latisse ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197885 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:19:09 +0100 3197885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3119061&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHin9M-44yk4%2F The big drugmaker apparently caused a stir in India by running ads to create awareness about cervical cancer, but the campaign drew complaints that GlaxoSmithKline was running fomenting fear. Glaxo, you may recall, markets Cervarix, which is used to prevent certain strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer. The drugmaker was accused of violating India’s Drugs & Cosmetic Act and the Magical Remedies Act (interesting name, yes?), according to PharmaBiz, which cites unnamed sources saying Glaxo has now told the Drug Controller General of India that the ads will be withdrawn. Medical experts discounted Glaxo’s claim that the ads were launched in public interest to create awareness. “Such advertisements to create public awareness are nor... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3119061 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:22:00 +0100 3119061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067310&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-x7gV8k38Yw%2F Direct-to-consumer spending was declining for the last few quarters, but came bounding back in the recently ended third quarter - rising 15 percent to $1.16 billion, according to DTC Perspectives, a consulting firm, which cited data from TNS Media Intelligence. The increase apparently marks the first quarterly gain in DTC spending in nearly two years and, interestingly, contrasts significantly with the spending trend earlier this year, when DTC advertising slumped 6.4 percent between January and June, compared with the same period a year ago. Not surprisingly, spending on the Internet rose the most, the firm reports, more than tripling between January and September to $221 million (display ads only). And more ads were placed in newspapers, which showed a 25 percent gain to $104 million d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067310 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:09:09 +0100 3067310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3052106&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fduh-magazine-ads-for-alcohol-target-youths%2F Time to open the Duh File for yet another Duh Study: Magazine ads for alcohol target youths not yet legally old enough to drink. In other words, teen-agers. They’re kidding right? The companies can’t possibly trying to tempt young people by  using images of young adults having a lot of fun and they just all happen to be holding on to a glass or bottle filled with alcohol. (Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to the Internet, does it?) Researchers decided to do a study about magazine ads and teens to determine if the Wine Institute, the Beer Institute, and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States were being truthful with their claims of not targeting young people with their advertising. What they found was this was not true. The study was published in the Journal of ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3052106 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:51:45 +0100 3052106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023411&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fx7OkCwU8iGw%2F The price Medicaid paid for the bloodthinner rose 12 percent “immediately” after direct-to-consumer ads began in 2001, and those higher costs added $207 million to Medicaid spending in 27 states during the next four years, even as prescriptions rose at a constant rate, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Pharmacy data from Medicaid programs in 27 states revealed that Plavix sales rose steadily since it was launched and the trend remained constant between 1999 and 2005. But the cost to Medicaid rose by $207 million after ads started running in 2002. And guess what? The price of Plavix was hiked price 12 percent, or 40 cents a pill, when a $350 million ad campaign began. “Payers and policy makers should be very concerned about the potential for drug advertising ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023411 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:25:01 +0100 3023411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977569&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAJal4KDWV30%2F Judging by a recent survey, that may seem to be the case. Direct-to-consumer ads are mentioned mostly by docs to increase patient acceptance for a medicine that’s already been chosen. But unaided - or spontaneous - mention by patients or actual patient requests for a specific med is a rare phenomenon, according to the survey by Verilogue. The firm tracked brand requests coupled with a reference to specific ad campaigns across 12,500 doctor-patient conversations from 2008 and covered 20 disease states and 46 different branded prescription drugs. Overall, DTC ‘pull-through’ in conversations in a doc’s office is low - just 3 percent - and specific patient requests for advertised med are even lower - .002 percent. Significantly, the most frequently pulled-through brand... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977569 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:20:15 +0100 2977569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2963331&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMKV_4dafnTc%2F Two commercials for Flomax topped the ranking of the most recalled drug and vaccine ads during the 2008-09 TV season, according to a Nielsen analysis. The Boehringer-Ingelheim drug, which treats male urinary symptoms due to BPH, ran two ads that were recalled at a rate that was 42 percent greater than the average ad based on all newly-launched prescription drug ads. The latest installments of the Flomax DTC campaign feature men at a baseball game and men playing on a golf course. Lilly’s Cialis and Merck’s Gardasil tied for second on the list with 32 percent greater recall than the average drug ad launched last season. The Cialis ad was an extension of its “What are you waiting for?” campaign and featured outdoor tubs filled with various couples (you know the imagery by now... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2963331 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:53:45 +0100 2963331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883213&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSubygPH7xiY%2F The FDA meeting next month to review policies for Internet marketing are generating considerable interest and concern. You may recall the agency issued warning letters in March to 14 drug makers, which were tagged for identifying specific brands for violating fair balance guidelines - sponsored link ads for specific drugs were cited as misleading because risk info wasn’t included. Earlier this month, comScore found that sponsored link exposures to U.S. Internet users quickly plunged, even for brands not cited by the FDA. Sponsored link exposures dropped 59 percent from 10.5 million during the week ending March 29 to 4.3 million during the week ending April 5. Declines in sponsored link exposures not only occurred in the weeks immediately following the letters, but continued over the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883213 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:38:39 +0100 2883213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855834&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Freminder-dtc-ads-ok-in-canada-not-in-us.html According to Marketing News, Pfizer Canada just launched a 15-second TV ad that promotes Viagra as "an antidote for couples that choose leisurely pastimes over physical intimacy... the spot from Taxi Canada shows a husband confessing that redecorating was ruining their lives: Things like seasonal themes, colour palettes and Feng Shui were getting in the way. 'So I tried Viagra, and my redecorating practically disappeared,' he says" (see "Pfizer Canada Launches Latest 'Confession' Ad"). Click here to see the video, then come back to find out why I am confused as to how this ad is allowed in Canada, but "outlawed" in the US.Pfizer's "redecorating-vs-sex" Viagra ad is what the FDA and drug industry call a "reminder ad." According to the FDA, "Reminder advertisements are identified as an exemp... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855834 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:16:00 +0100 2855834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683915&cid=t_99933_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2009%2F08%2F09%2Fadam-and-eve-wore-too-much-makeup%2F Sarah Bellum says: It’s MY turn to play one of Mid Brain’s favorite games: Actual Cosmetic Ads from the Past! It’s a Beauty Brains feature we haven’t done in a while: We find actual ads for beauty care products and post them for your amusement. I found this ad for Mary Quant Cosmetics, a line of products from the ’70s that’s gotta be dead by now. (You just don’t see much Quant these days.) Anyway, this particular ad is apparently a reference to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In Quant’s version, however, there’s no snake in the garden. Just an obscene amount of mascara, eyeliner, blush, lipstick, and nail polish. And that’s just what Adam is wearing! We’re not sure how turning the “original man” into a tacky... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683915 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 06:01:24 +0100 2683915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570871&cid=t_99933_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2009%2F07%2F04%2Fbeauty-ads-fragrance-and-the-flag%2F For our U.S. readers who are celebrating the 4th of July, here’s a patriotic-themed post. Take a look at these 1970’s perfume ads. The first is for “Moon Drops: Not imported From Anywhere. It’s simply out of this world.” The second is for “Norell: The First Great Perfume Born in America.” Do you notice anything that they have in common? (Besides their sheer 1970’s-ishness, that is.) Apparently the advertising for both these products was designed to combat the “Only foreign nations like France can make great perfume” misconception that ruled the fragrance industry until the late 1970s. Discount Perfume Jennifer Lopez Perfume DKNY Perfume Versace Perfume Men`s Cologne Fendi Cologne Certainly this notion seems out of date today ... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570871 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:01:09 +0100 2570871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553227&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fwhat-pharma-should-not-learn-from-p-and.html My fellow blogger Jonathan Richman suggested that pharmaceutical marketers should follow the lead of P&G to create banner ads similar to the award-winning Pringles ad that Jonathan's agency created (see "What Pharma Can Learn from Pringles").Jon, Congrats on the Pringle banner ad award! (See and play with the ad here.)Jon suggests this ad could be a model for pharma:"Imagine that Pringles was a pharma product for a minute. There’s no fair balance here, but it wouldn’t require it. The brand name is mentioned (if you click a few times), but nowhere does it include the 'indication:' potato crisps. I guess this makes this banner a reminder ad then."We pharma people love and hate reminder ads. We love them because we can promote the brand without the clutter of fair balance, but we hate... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553227 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:14:00 +0100 2553227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477568&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7203 I like these: View all at Top 45 Creative Anti-smoking Ads (via StreetAnatomy, KevinMD.com) from the Malaysian Medical Resources Very Creative Anti-Smoking Ads (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477568 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473192&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQqViKH4nhqg%2F Last year the Ecuadorian government seized two TV channels broadcasting on public airwaves and one cable channel along with hundreds of other businesses supposedly owned by the Isaías family, an unpopular Ecuadorian business group that the government bailed out in the late nineties. In seizing those assets, the current government claimed to be cashing in on a long overdue debt owed to it by the Isaías family. Leaving the violations of due process aside, this was a significant attack on freedom of the press in Ecuador given that the two public access channels garnered almost half the country’s TV audience. Back then the government said it was going to sell off the seized channels but it has not done so yet. The last elections in my country, held on April 26, showed how government en... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473192 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:59:00 +0100 2473192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347892&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fnew-smoking-ads-too-far-or-not-far-enough%2F Image from flickr Ads about smoking have changed dramatically over the years. Once upon a time, when none knew any better, cigarettes were advertised as something that would make you feel good, strong, happy, even healthy. But as more and more evidence pointed to the dangers of smoking on your health, the ads changed. They were no longer put out by tobacco companies trying to entice people to buy their product. Instead, they were produced by government departments and non-profit health organizations trying to encourage people to quit (or not to start). And along the way, they’ve become increasing gruesome and graphic. For example, cigarette cartons with pictures of blackened lungs and rotting gums. But many of the television ads, such as this one recently released by the New York Ci... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347892 Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:28:49 +0100 2347892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2325195&cid=t_99933_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fdrug-ads-comparative-research-adding-value-or-wasting-cash.html As patients, we all know that millions (billions?) of dollars get thrown around in the Pharma and healthcare industries that may not ever touch us directly.  Are all those dollars spent on marketing and research really providing the value they propose?  Two related posts/discussions by industry insiders caught my eye lately:   The Downside (and Upside) of [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2325195 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:36 +0100 2325195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2290617&cid=t_99933_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2009%2F03%2F24%2Fhave-you-ever-heard-of-a-dry-shampoo%2F Mid Brain muses Here’s an interesting product - Frederic Fekkai’s Wash & Wear spray shampoo. You can simply spray this in your hair to keep it clean in between shampoos. Powder shampoo “What a novel, breakthough idea!” you must be saying to yourself. “Why has no one else in the history of hair care EVER thought of a spray on shampoo that doesn’t have to be rinsed off?” you’re probably pondering as you read this. “Only the advanced science of the new millennium could have possibly created a spray on product to keep your hair clean between shampoos,” you’re thinking. Is that what you’re thinking? If it is, you’re WRONG! It’s time you learned that, with the possible exception of the Internet, everything th... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2290617 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:01:17 +0100 2290617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256043&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6328 strWebsiteID = window.document.location.toString();strSplitWeb = strWebsiteID.split("/")strWebsiteID = strSplitWeb[2];document.write(”“); from the Malaysian Medical Resources VIDEO: Alcohol Raises Pancreatic Cancer Risk, High HIV Rates Among Older Adults, Alcohol Use in Movies and TV Ads Influences Drinking Behavior (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256043 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2256043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182583&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fbmss-oh-yes-i-can-ad-is-reminescent-of.html (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog) Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182583 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:01:00 +0100 2182583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2101917&cid=t_99933_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2F509753890%2F Click on the images to enlarge them. Trident Blancheur: Cinema Becel: Elevator Jin Si Ping: Tootbrush, Spoon, Pen “Stopping tremor, Jin Si Ping beats Parkinson’s disease effectively.” Smoke Free Home: Kid Tylenol: Wrecking Ball Modern Shoe Hospital: Band Aid CDR: Table “Strong bone formula.” Liga Contra el Cáncer: 15000 BC Lung Association: For More Information ACT Mouthwash: Bad “Bad breath is unforgiving.” Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: Sam, Charlotte, Molly Garmastan: Torn Nipple Mexican Association of Pediatricians: Soccer Cancer Association of North Rhine Westphalia: Breast Cancer Prevention Package The Lung Association: Hole Be sure to check out other creative health ads: Creative Health Advertising, part 6 Creative Health Advertising, part 5 Cre... Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2101917 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:12:32 +0100 2101917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027778&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F479674552%2F Let’s not overstate the case - advertising on pharmaceuticals has not disappeared. But there do appear to be fewer ads. Spending fell 6 percent in the first eight months of the year, to $3.2 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence, and that followed a decline of 3 percent for all of last year to $5.3 billion, Dow Jones reports. Why? Much of the decline came from a downturn in so-called non-branded advertising, including corporate promotion messages and disease-awareness spots, TNS tells the news service. Another factor appears to be the drop in FDA approvals of new drugs is another factor, since spending on new brands fell 7 percent last year while spending on established brands rose 5 percent. Before last year, direct-to-consumer advertising was generally increasing and peaked ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027778 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:34:16 +0100 2027778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027783&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F479449838%2F Henry Waxman, the California Democrat who will soon head the House Energy & Commerce Commitee, wants to give the FDA the power to ban direct-to-consumer ads when a new medicine first reaches the market and risks are not fully known, Reuters writes. The idea is one of several he hopes to pursue come January after a new Congress convenes, he told an industry conference yesterday. “It is in these first few years of a drug’s life that drug companies often aggressively market their products and engage in direct-to-consumer advertising. This increases the number of consumers exposed to safety risks of new products long before those risks are truly understood,” Waxman said at a conference sponsored by The Prescription Project, a group critical of industry marketing. He supp... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027783 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:34:33 +0100 2027783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021731&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F478395552%2F A planned reform of the European Union’s pharmaceutical industry no longer contains a ban on the repackaging of prescription drugs for resale, according to a draft document obtained by Reuters. Parallel traders, who buy and resell prescription drugs to exploit price differences among EU states, had faced a repackaging ban in an earlier version of the reform due for formal adoption this week. EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen faced pressure from parallel traders who argued a ban would have wiped them out, because they would have to repackage drugs so that explanatory leaflets to patients are in the right language. “Instead, a new article…has been added to allow manufacturing authorization holders such as parallel traders to replace safety features under strict co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021731 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:09:29 +0100 2021731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1991562&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F465356000%2F The FDA plans to interview more than 1,500 consumers to decide whether DTC TV ads should urge patients to report side effects, the Associated Press writes. However, some critics argue the toll-free number could distract viewers from other important safety info about prescription drugs. Print ads already include contact info for the FDA, as required by a law passed last September. The legislation ordered the FDA to report to Congress by late March whether that info should also be mandatory for TV ads. But the agency requested more time to complete its work and is expected to soon begin a formal study - more than a year after the safety legislation was signed into law (back story here and here). The agency has now made plans for a large-scale study to assess whether adding instructions about... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1991562 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:14:00 +0100 1991562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961218&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F452943304%2F Make it two years in a row. According to a new study by TNS Media Intelligence, DTC spending is down for the second consecutive year and likely will not reach the $5 billion mark by the end of 2008 that many media companies had counted on, Advertising Age reports. Through August, total measured DTC ad spending was down 6.3 percent to $3.175 billion compared with the same period last year. That projects to $4.76 billion in total spending through the end of 2008, compared with $5.26 billion in 2007, which would be a drop of more than 9 percent, AdAge writes. This is the second consecutive year spending fell after reaching a peak of $5.4 billion in 2006. “The pharmaceutical category is closely watched within the ad industry for indications of the health and direction of marketing budg... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961218 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:57:56 +0100 1961218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1926615&cid=t_99933_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F439102262%2Fmore-doctors-smoke-camels.html The good old days of tobacco advertising.The Transform Drug Policy Foundation of the U.K. has an absolutely first-rate collection of early cigarette advertising on display at their TDPF blog.I’ve always been a sucker for the ones featuring doctors:The TDPF blog calls this one “particularly awful, featuring a five year old girl proclaiming to her paternal looking doctor figure and radiant young mother that 'I'm going to grow a hundred years old'. It then goes on to inform us that ‘possibly she may - for the amazing strides of medical science have added years to life expectancy.' You can 'thank your doctor and thousands like him--toiling ceaselessly--that you and yours may enjoy a longer better life.’”It sounds like something Don Draper and his associates might have dreamed up on "... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926615 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:39:00 +0100 1926615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1880157&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F420811435%2F As part of its ongoing investigation into direct-to-consumer advertising, the House Energy & Commerce Committee is exploring two new lines of inquiry - why Bayer ignored FDA recommendations to refrain from marketing a version of its aspirin that is also a dietary supplement, and why the FDA hired a public relations firm that works for pharma to develop a consumer web site. The committee wants to know why Bayer promoted its Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage as safe and effective, when the FDA had warned against marketing such a combo. The tablet combines aspirin with a supplement Bayer claims can lower cholesterol. The FDA, however, only regulates the drug. In a letter to Bayer Healthcare prez Gary Balkema, committee chairman John Dingell and Bart Stupak, who heads the Oversight and I... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1880157 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:05:52 +0100 1880157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1865660&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F416366264%2Fattack_antics_or_tone_tactics.html    Have you encountered an opinionated or narrow-minded person lately?  Listen to political ads for the upcoming election and you’ll hear one side put down the other with attacks that spay toxins like pesticides. Read anonymous commenters on blog and you’ll feel that same acidic spray. Here’s my question:   If opposing views enable people to collaborate top solutions together, how do we rewire attack antics into tone tactics at work? What have you done when people at your firm attack, or when outspoken people lack tone skills to hear or communicate several sides of key issues?Do people speak and feel heard where you work?    (Source: BrainBasedBusiness) BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865660 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:33:10 +0100 1865660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856176&cid=t_99933_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2FtLOKtPCkwUc%2F This article does contain some interesting facts about stem cell research and Alzheimer’s. (c)2008 Mary Emma Allen Tags: Alzheimer's Notes, Alzheimer's Research, Alzheimers, Barack Obama, embryonic stem cells, health, men's health, mental health, Obama, political ads, stem cell research, women's healthShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes) Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856176 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:23:55 +0100 1856176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852675&cid=t_99933_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2F1836%2F The Green Party began running a series of ads today to be broadcast through to the end of the campaign, this as Harris/Decima released poll results for September 29 - October 2 showing that, in Ontario, the Green Party is tied for third place with the NDP at 17 percent (and higher in some areas, [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852675 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:31:56 +0100 1852675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1851071&cid=t_99933_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2F1836%2F The Green Party began running a series of ads today to be broadcast through to the end of the campaign, this as Harris/Decima released poll results for September 29 - October 2 showing that, in Ontario, the Green Party is tied for third place with the NDP at 17 percent (and higher in some areas, [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851071 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:34:26 +0100 1851071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852740&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F410212798%2F The proposal was endorsed by the European Union’s Pharmaceutical Forum as part of an effort to provide more reliable medical advice at a time when the Internet allows widespread dissemination of questionable info, even as companies that develop drugs are prevented from circulating data. However, the recommendation weakens current EU restrictions on contacts between drugmakers and patients, including a strict ban on US-style direct-to-consumer advertising, which critics say encourages the inappropriate use of medicines, The Financial Times writes. The forum statement echoes draft legislation set to be published this month by Gunther Verheugen, the EU’s enterprise and industry commissioner, which would ease marketing rules and allow drugmakers to communicate to the general public in ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852740 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:33:32 +0100 1852740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1851211&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F409395623%2F Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois Democrat, warned advertising industry leaders that the business-tax deduction for DTC spending could be taken away in 2009 tax legislation, according to DTC Perspectives. In a recent meeting with the government affairs committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the newsletter writes Emanuel presented two options for pharma in new tax legislation: retain the tax credit for R&D spending, or keep the business expense deduction for DTC ads - but not both. “He said this without any tinge of satire, so you have to accept him at his word,” one ad industry advocate familiar with the meeting tells DTC Perspectives, which claims an average drugmaker spends roughly 10 times more on R&D each year than on consumer promotion (although we recal... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851211 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:26:22 +0100 1851211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841254&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F406326804%2F The money spent on advertising is in decline for the first time ever, and this has caused a dramatic collapse in unbranded health education campaigns. You know, those are the ads that describe an illness without mentioning a med. Spending in this year’s first half on unbranded plugs fell 3 percent to $2.4 billion, according to BrandWeek, citing Nielsen Monitor-Plus data. The decline was expected, but the numbers mask a surprise: Unbranded campaigns have been cut by more than half in the last two years, the mag writes. In 2006, drugmakers spent $660 million on health education and corporate image ads. In 2007, they spent $341 million. In the first half of this year, spending was $138 million, a 22 percent dive. Unbranded spending on the Internet has also declined. The drop is unexpec... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841254 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:57:52 +0100 1841254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1834803&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F404125989%2F The Senate Special Committee on Aging sent a letter today to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations suggesting they collaborate on their investigations into direct-to-consumer advertising of both prescription drugs and medical devices. The Senate Aging committee recently held hearings on DTC ads for devices in a bid to get the FDA to apply the same level of scrutiny given DTC ads for prescription drugs (back story). A collaboration would allow the committtees to coordinate their efforts. “I’m aware that your subcommittee staff has done outstanding work in uncovering deceptive and misleading DTC ads sponsored by the drug industry, which has spent billions of dollars on such marketing efforts during the past decade or so,” Herb Kohl, wh... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834803 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:16:59 +0100 1834803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833426&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F402870703%2F Ask a human resource exec or benefit managers why drug prices keep rising and you’re likely to hear them blame direct-to-consumer advertising. And why not? The ads are not only ubiquitous, but promote meds that are, generally, expensive. This year, however, a survey of 100 companies with at least 1,000 employees finds that DTC advertising is generating fewer complaints. This year, 33 percent of the managers, vp’s and directors queried blamed ads for the higher prices their employee benefit plans paid for meds. That’s down from 45.5 percent in 2007 and 36 percent in 2006. Instead, the blame is shifting to manufacturer price hikes - 13.4 percent cited this as a problem, compared with 6.9 percent last year, according to Arxcel, a pharmacy benefits consultant that sponsored t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833426 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:06:56 +0100 1833426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826912&cid=t_99933_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2F399921296%2F Click on the images to enlarge them. AIDeS “Explore. Just protect yourself.” Hansaplast Earplugs: Morgue Médecins sans Frontières: Text A Coffin Away Fundación Hogar de la Divina Misericordia: EKG “You’ve got life in your hands. Make a donation today to Fundación Hogar de la Divina Misericordia.” Novartis Mebucaine “Mebucaine. Fight your sore throat” Be sure to check out other creative health ads: Creative Health Advertising, part 5 Creative Health Advertising, part 4 Creative Health Advertising, part 3 Creative Health Advertising, part 2 Creative Health Advertising, part 1 (Source: Ivor Kovic, M.D.) Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826912 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:09:32 +0100 1826912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826913&cid=t_99933_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2F399907865%2F Click on the images to enlarge them. Purell You are what you touch Reborn to be alive: Obituary “One organ donor can save 8 lives.” Nivea: Goodbye Cellulite Sofa Miradent oral care system Dental floss Hospital São Luiz: Rubik’s Cube “Newborn Care Classes.” Voltaren: Everyday movements “When everyday movements seem impossible.” ADESF: Lungs, Stomach, Heart “Stop consuming your body” Be sure to check out other creative health ads: Creative Health Advertising, part 4 Creative Health Advertising, part 3 Creative Health Advertising, part 2 Creative Health Advertising, part 1 (Source: Ivor Kovic, M.D.) Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826913 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:52:21 +0100 1826913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806288&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fdrug-ads-from-doctors-perspective.html While I often report on pharmaceutical print ads targeted to consumers (see, for example, "Print DTC: How Does It Measure Up?" [free]) I don't have direct access to print ads that doctors are subjected to (ie, professional print ads that appear in medical journals). But now -- thanks to the folks at the Association of Medical Media (AMM) -- I have a chance to view the drug ads that doctors like the best.Yes, dear reader, I'm off to yet another awards ceremony in New York -- The Doctors' Choice (TDC) awards ceremony at the Palace Hotel on September 24, 2008. If you are there (see the ad in the left hand column), be sure to say hello and perhaps meet me for a drink at the fancy-schmancy hotel bar.Thanks AMM for the invite, free lunch, and especially the preview of the ads that you sent me.Th... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806288 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:06:00 +0100 1806288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802930&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F394684642%2F Normally, when you hear someone complain about direct-to-consumer advertising, it has to do with prescription drugs. But the Senate Special Committee on Aging believes there are just as many troubling issues when it comes to DTC ads for medical devices. So a hearing is scheduled for Wedneday morning. The committee’s chairman, Herb Kohl, a Democrat from Wisconsin, tells The New York Times he’s holding the hearing because he believes the FDA may have to increase scrutiny of device ads, much as it has done for drugs. “The medical device industry is just beginning to get into the game,” he says. DTC ads on TV and on the Internet amounted to $193 million last year, a small fraction of spending on drug ads, according to TNS Media Intelligence, a consulting firm, the paper writes.... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802930 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:23:40 +0100 1802930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798526&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F393208721%2F The agency hired a non-profit that is run by Michael Shaw, an advertising consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, to help design a new consumer campaign about direct-to-consumer advertising, Integrity in Science Watch reports. (Here is the press release). The FDA’s new website, “Be Smart About Prescription Drug Advertising: A Guide for Consumers,” was developed by EthicAd, a non-profit based in Atlanta that, on its web site, claims to be independent and does not accept industry funding. However, ISW notes the organization is based in the same offices as Shaw Science Partners. The client list includes many familiar big pharma names and the site takes credit for helping to launch numerous drugs, including Viagra, Celebrex, Zoloft, Abilify and Avastin. The new FDA, which claims DTC ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798526 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:37:37 +0100 1798526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790485&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F390772450%2F We have to make a presentation shortly to some folks interested in the Pharmalot way of doing things. No, we are not paid for such engagements. And we are equal opportunity informers - we talk about what we do to all manner of interested groups. So until we return, we thought it may be helpful to offer a few tidbits that we came across before heading out. See you shortly… Pfizer will restart TV advertising for its Chantix anti-smoking drug on Sunday, nine months after voluntarily putting the campaign on hold as worries about a link between the medicine and suicidal thoughts and actions grew, Forbes points out. Look for slightly longer, 90-second spots featuring the familiar hare and tortoise - and 41 seconds of side-effect info. Novartis is opening a new facility devoted to vaccine r... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790485 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:56:58 +0100 1790485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779681&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F386603651%2F You may recall that Sanofi-Aventis recently launched a 15-second ad using a rooster to promote its Ambien sleeping pill, without mentioning the drug. The move is part of a renewed trend toward running so-called unbranded ads that avoid citing a drugmaker or a med, but steer viewers toward web sites where specific info is available. But how did Sanofi-Aventis come up SilenceYourRooster.com? Doug Farrago of The Placebo Journal has the scoop, and more medical insights… Hat tip to Pharmagossip (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779681 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:38:05 +0100 1779681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1760171&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F381287167%2F File this under fanfare for the common man. Bruised and battered by the controversy over ads featuring Robert Jarvik - known for inventing the artificial heart but not for writing prescriptions - Pfizer today debuts a new ad featuring someone with a lower profile. In this case, it’s John Erlendson, a 58-year-old talent agent who suffered a heart attack and hadn’t been taking a cholesterol pill. “When we did testing with consumers, what we found out was John really resonated with them,” Jim Sage, senior director and leader of the Lipitor marketing team at Pfizer, tells The Wall Street Journal. He declined to say how much is being spent on the new campaign but it will have a wide presence on TV and in print. “This ad is going to run for a while on a national bas... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1760171 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:34:53 +0100 1760171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1760174&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F381267368%2F Even though drugmakers spent an estimated $3 billion in 2005 on those DTC ads in the US, the effort apparently failed to result in more prescriptions, according to researchers at Harvard University and the University of Alberta. “People tend to think that if direct-to-consumer advertising wasn’t effective, pharma wouldn’t be doing it,” Harvard Medical School’s Stephen Soumerai says in a statement. “But as it turns out, decisions to market directly to consumers are based on scant data.” The researchers used French-speaking Quebec residents as their control group. Although DTC ads are illegal in Canada, English-dominant Canadians see a great deal of US advertising, but French-speaking Quebecois see far less and get most of their news from French-lang... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1760174 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:46:03 +0100 1760174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742938&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F378360108%2F Several weeks ago, Pfizer returned its Chantix ads to television, although the drugmaker chose not to run typical ads touting the name of the controversial anti-smoking pill, which has been linked to suicidal thoughts and other side effects. Instead, Pfizer is trying unbranded advertising, which means the product name isn’t used and, therefore, costly ad time needed to list side effects can be avoided. Here is the MyTimeToQuit site. The idea, writes The Wall Street Journal, appears to be undergoing a revival for drugs with chequered pasts, especially as drugmakers come under attack from some lawmakers over direct-to-consumer advertising. Sanofi-Aventis, for instance, just launched a 15-second ad that uses a rooster to promote a web site called silenceyourrooster.com, which promotes A... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742938 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:01:47 +0100 1742938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739449&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F377636852%2Fquiet_please_while_we_wait_on.html Whoever thought of running ads on phone menus while clients wait? Here’s a burning disconnect between business brains … and telephone service ads that could transform your answering system. Busy brains work against your ads while people wait. Why does it matter? It could help you to ratchet up more brainpower at work, as well as more client power to pony up for your services, if you cut telephone ads from looping while callers wait for a living person on your phone lines. Think about this increasing practice from a brain based perspective and then ask: How do ads on answering service menu work against your clients’ brains?It’s important to note new research here, that affirms why the human brain cannot multitask well. Your brain comes equipped w... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739449 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:02:07 +0100 1739449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1683437&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F356781500%2F Why? So the agency can determine whether the images in the ads actually distract consumers from paying attention to required safety warnings. After the ads run, the FDA plans to survey 2,400 consumers who 40 years and older to gauge their responses. The FDA intends to create several ads for the fictitious high blood pressure drug using different images and text on the screen while a narrator reads risk info. Some visuals will focus on benefits to determine if that diverts attention from safety warnings, Bloomberg News writes, adding participants will be asked questions about the ads and their attitudes toward what will appear to be a new med. You may recall that, last May, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on direct-to-consumer advertising in which Duke University ling... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1683437 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:11:29 +0100 1683437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1594004&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F329135608%2F Pharma, as you know, has an image problem. Those of who us have followed the industry for several years could see it coming, but the generals and many of their troops missed, or perhaps ignored, the warning signs. In a chat with DTC Perspectives, Bob Garfield, Advertising Age columnist and host of National Public Radio’s On The Media, says lack of trust allowed the infamous Bob Jarvik ads for Pfizer’s Lipitor to be come a scandal when, he speculates, it may have amounted to nothing in years past. You can watch by clicking right here. Regarding online social networking: “If you’re scientists, and not just marketers, and you’re in the public health business, you should want those reports (by consumers from online sites)…even if that artificially inflates ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1594004 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:18:59 +0100 1594004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522434&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F313428042%2F Under pressure from Washington, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are agreeing a six-month moratorium on advertising new drugs to consumers and will limit how docs are used in their ads, Advertising Age reports. The changes were unveiled today in letters they sent the House Energy and Commerce Committee responding to a request from committee the chairman John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat and, Bart Stupak, another Michigan Democrat who heads the committee’s oversight and investigations panel, according to the mag. Dingell and Stupak had wanted a two-year voluntary moratorium on advertising new meds to consumers, and possibly even longer in the case of drugs for which not all studies have been completed, Ad Age ads. The lawmakers also asked the drugmakers to limit the use of d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522434 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:06:52 +0100 1522434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497504&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F305271708%2Fapplication By: Jenny Walters Everyday, as we watch television, whether it is the home and garden or sports channel, we cannot help but be confronted with an infinite number of drug ads. In a recent article... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497504 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:36:52 +0100 1497504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1494561&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F304588988%2F CanWest Mediaworks, Canada’s largest newspaper publisher and owner of more than 30 TV stations, is suing the federal government for not permitting DTC ads for prescription drugs, arguing the ban breaches freedom of expression under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, PharmaTimes writes. A three-day hearing begins June 16. (Look here for affidavits and other background). Like other countries, except the US and New Zealand, Canada does not permit DTC for meds. But CanWest believes the prohibition places it at a competitive disadvantage to US publications sold on Canadian newsstands, because this prevents it from selling ad space to drugmakers. CanWest also notes that Canada permits OTC meds to be advertised consumers, although these carry risks. CanWest launched its challenge in Dec... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1494561 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:32:23 +0100 1494561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492322&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F303973122%2F Spending was off slightly - $1.2927 billion compared with $1.2935 billion - according to DTC Perspectives, citing Nielsen Monitor-Plus data. In other words, no growth. However, the consulting firm notes that the results marked a turnaround from last year’s fourth quarter, when spending declined 15.2 percent, which marked the first quarterly drop since DTC began 10 years ago. The two top media channels struggled as DTC advertising on network TV fell 3.3 percent, excluding pharma corporate advertising, and print DTC in consumer magazines dropping 2.5 percent, also excluding corporate ads, according to DTC Perspectives. Network TV, the consulting firm adds, captured almost 34 percent of all measured DTC advertising in the period. Among brands, a decline in spending by the leading slee... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492322 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:09:06 +0100 1492322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458859&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F294545250%2F That’s what two Congressmen are asking the ceo’s at Pfizer, Schering-Plough, Merck and Johnson & Johnson. John Dingell and Bart Stupak, Michigan Democrats who run the House Energy and Commerce Committee, also sent a letter to PhRMA’s Billy Tauzin asking if the trade group will update its guidelines. The move comes less than two weeks after the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on DTC advertising, which focused specifically on the infamous Lipitor ads featuring Robert Jarvik, as well as ads for Vytorin and J&J’s Procrit. During the hearing, execs from the drugmakers failed to promise Dingell they would implement changes to their advertising practices, citing a lack of authority. But they did invoke PhRMA guidelines, although Din... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458859 Tue, 20 May 2008 21:03:32 +0100 1458859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446426&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F291130518%2F Right now, that call won’t go through, but an FDA advisory committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the possibility of including in televised DTC ads a statement encouraging consumers to report negative side effects to MedWatch. Right now, such statements are only required for DTC print ads. The meeting comes amid ongoing debate over DTC ads. A growing chorus of critics say that risks are regularly minimized in favor of feel-good messages that can lead to over-prescribing. Some lawmakers and consumer advocates want toll-free phone numbers placed in the ads in hopes of helping the FDA spot warning signs sooner. A recent Consumers Union poll found that 81 percent of Americans reported seeing or hearing an ad within 30 days of being questioned. The same poll found that one in six America... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446426 Thu, 15 May 2008 18:59:56 +0100 1446426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446427&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F291029557%2F The big debate about drug promotion may focus on DTC advertising, but a pair of UCLA medical school professors believes product placement should be considered a distinct form of promotion that requires new FDA guidelines. After all, there may well be more restrictions on DTC after the presidential elections, and consumers are increasingly using TiVo and remote controls to ignore commericals. In general, the UCLA researchers note that the overall market for product placement rose 30.5 percent to $3.5 billion in 2004, according to their paper in The Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. And in 2006, there were 462 mentions of prescription meds on TV shows. So far, placements haven’t been widely used. Examples include Pfizer’s Zoloft antidepressant showing up in The Sixth Sen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446427 Thu, 15 May 2008 16:21:44 +0100 1446427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1440012&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F289358497%2F The FDA continues to be slow in sending warning or untitled letters when the agency suspects drugmakers violated DTC rules, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office, FDAnews reports. Last year, the agency took an average of six months to issue regulatory letters citing DTC violations, Marcia Crosse, who heads the GAO’s healthcare division, told a House subcommittee last week. In one case, the agency took more than three years to issue a regulatory letter, FDAnews notes. Before 2002, when the FDA decided that all draft warning or untitled letters had to undergo legal review — a policy for which there was no apparent need — it took less than a month to send such letters, Crosse told the committee. (Here’s her testimony). The FDA hasn’t improved since 2... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1440012 Tue, 13 May 2008 10:59:47 +0100 1440012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1437097&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F288646842%2F This was either clever or not too bright. A magnet distributed by Novartis for the past couple of years to promote its Tripleptal drug for epilepsy placed all of the safety and risk info on the back. As a practical matter, this meant the safety and risk info was obscured. (Take a look). Think about it - when you place a magnet on the refrigerator, how often do you look at the other side? If you answered once in awhile, you must move your magnets around a lot, because the FDA believes most people simply don’t see the back side of a magnet and sent Novartis a warning letter. The magnet “because it omits the full indication for Trileptal and omits information about the risks associated with its use,” the FDA wrote. Of course, the FDA wants Novartis to stop distributing the ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1437097 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:16:10 +0100 1437097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429314&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F286061159%2F Yes, we are trying something new today. With the enormous interest in DTC ads, in general, and the controversies surrounding the Lipitor and Vytorin advertising, in particular, we thought you would enjoy watching the hearing as it takes place. Not only that - special just for you - we are including another feature that allows you to write some comments as the events unfold. For instance, if Deepak Khanna, senior vp of the Merck/Schering-Plough joint venture says something incredible, you can chime in. Sounds like fun, yes? Here’s the witness list. It’s over now - hope you enjoyed it. We’ll try it again some time. The hearing is now over, and our live stream has ended. We’ll post archived video when it becomes available. This is the live recap as the hearing was go... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429314 Thu, 08 May 2008 16:26:27 +0100 1429314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420661&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F284103078%2F The new campaign appears to replace the “My Time To Quit” ads that ran after links to suicide were reported earlier this year. A Pfizer spokesman tells us the drugmaker is “exploring” advertising Chantix again in various print and TV outlets after holding talks with the FDA, and claims the ads are being revived because smoking is a public health problem and the ads prompt smokers to talk to docs about quitting. This comes just three months after the FDA issued a health advisory about abnormal behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior with Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug, new ads have started to appear. Chantix, you may recall, was associated with 491 cases of suicidal thinking or behavior, including 420 in the US. And of those there 39 suici... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420661 Mon, 05 May 2008 18:19:25 +0100 1420661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413593&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F281682816%2F Want to know the full story behind those famous Bob Jarvik ads for Lipitor? How about the rationale for heavily promoting Vytorin? Then tune in next Thursday May 8 to the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on direct-to-consumer advertising. It promises to be a good show. The subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is chaired by Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat and fierce industry critic who, you may recall, launched the probe of DTC ads and, more recently, called for FDA commish Andy von Eschenbach to resign. Here’s a Stupak quote: drugmakers “should know that they will be held accountable for the representations made in their ads.” Who will be there? Folks from Pfizer, Merck, Schering-Plough and Johnson & Johnson, according to Bob Ehrlich of DTC Perspecti... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413593 Thu, 01 May 2008 21:18:46 +0100 1413593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1399358&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F277802387%2F The drugmaker is urging Congress to revive a program for those who want to voluntarily submit their television commercials for regulatory review, according to a letter provided to Reuters. Congress created the program last year but it has not taken effect, and lawmakers failed to give the FDA full authority to collect and spend industry fees that would fund the reviews. AstraZeneca wrote to four senior lawmakers asking them to encourage their colleagues to provide the necessary FDA power for ad reviews to get under way. “Without such resources, (FDA’s advertising division) cannot timely review ads and some biopharmaceutical companies, regrettably, may forgo advisory reviews,” according to the letter. Some lawmakers, however, oppose having the industry fund more FDA activi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1399358 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:18:05 +0100 1399358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1396423&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F277126509%2F An industry that usually favors Republicans voted in favor of Barack Obama during a mock election held this week at the annual DTC National Conference. The Democratic hopeful won a “primary” vote against Hillary Clinton by a wide margin of 59 percent to 40 percent. And against John McCain, the Republican nominee, Obama garnered a 53 percent majority. “Given the Republican leanings of the drug industry, it is somewhat surprising to see Barack Obama so handily defeat John McCain,” Bob Ehrlich, ceo DTC Perspectives, which hosted the conference, says in a statement. “Of course, that could be an indication that McCain’s frequent anti-industry comments have made him unpopular with drug company marketers. Or, it could reflect that drug industry marketers do not... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1396423 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:11:58 +0100 1396423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389194&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F274943012%2F An Internet video ad for the Pfizer impotence pill was tagged by the FDA for failing to include the necessary info about the risk of heart attacks or vision loss. In an April 16 letter to the drugmaker, the FDA writes the video ad that appeared on CNN.com “raises public health and safety concerns through its complete omission of risk information for Viagra by suggesting that Viagra is safer than has been demonstrated.” The ad was a 30-second video that featured a group of musicians in a Nashville recording studio as they sang the ‘Viva Viagra’ song, and ends with a voiceover telling people to talk to their doc. Although the ad began with a superimposed image telling viewers to “see the important safety information on this page,” the safety info didn&#821... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389194 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:52:37 +0100 1389194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1376716&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fzyrtec-reminder-print-ad-is-it-legal.html Jack Friday (aka "Insider") over at PharmaGossip blog asks if the Zyrtec print reminder ad shown on the left is legal (see "DTC -- Is It Legal?"). This consumer print ad was found in the April 21, 2008 issue of TIME Magazine.Sure it's legal! Why not?Jack is probably thinking that it violates Principle #10 of PhRMA's Guiding Principles for Direct To Consumer Advertising for Prescription Medicines that calls for the elimination of so-called "Reminder Ads," which are usually 30-second TV commercials that mention a drug's name without stating the health conditions for which the medicine is approved and without listing the major risks associated with the drug.Here's why this Zyrtec print ad is not illegal: Reminder prescription drug ads are perfectly legal from a regulatory point of view, PhRMA... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1376716 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:33:00 +0100 1376716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1370871&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F269975440%2F On January 22, Schering-Plough and Merck announced they would briefly suspend Vytorin ads after the uproar over the disclosure the previous week of the Enhance trial. A spokesman blamed “mischaracterization and misinterpretation” of the study results, which found Vytorin failed to show any benefit over the much cheaper Zocor in reducing plaque in the carotid artery, and even showed a statistically insignificant buildup, although it did a better job of lowering LDL in a small group of patients with inherited high cholesterol. However, FDA officials had already begun signaling that consumer ads and promotional materials distributed to docs had to be changed. Although the agency had noted certain issues in 2005, they committed an oversight that now had to be corrected - in a prio... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1370871 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:08:30 +0100 1370871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353120&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F264778389%2F If you have a blog or other website, there is an easy and fun way to support World Breastfeeding Week 2008. A whole page of banner ads can be found on the LLL in the USA site. I simply right-clicked on each ad, saved a copy to my computer, uploaded it to my site, and linked it to the LLL in the USA WBW 2008 home page. (Really, that’s the best explanation I can give. The banner ads page has a link to contact someone for help putting an ad on your own page). Here are the available ads: If you would like, leave a comment with your web address to let everyone know you put up an ad and are a WBW supporter! Tags: banner ads, breastfeeding, free, lactation, WBW, WBW 2008, World Breastfeeding Week 2008, World-Breastfeeding-WeekShare This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353120 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:04:33 +0100 1353120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1340916&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F262078894%2F “It’s way too recognizable,” Adrian Adams, Sepracor’s ceo, told us the other day about his fluttering friend. “You’ll continue to see it for some time to come.” Why did this come up? There was speculation last week that the drugmaker may phase out the famous moth, since its latest ad barely featured the winged wonder and a new ad agency is now working for Sepracor. We will, however, see less of the moth on our TV screens, but not because the moth has flamed out. The real story is that Sepracor is openly questioning the value of DTC ads. At an industry conference yesterday, David Lapinski, Sepracor’s associate director of commercial analytics, noted that the moth has become an “iconic marketing symbol,” but Sepracor wasn’t t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1340916 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:00:56 +0100 1340916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1278311&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F245620478%2F To be precise, 53 percent say the advertising is mostly a good thing, and 67 percent agree that these ads educate people about treatments and encourage them to get help for conditions they might not have been aware of, according to a survey conducted by USA Today and public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. They polled 1,695 adults ages 18 and older this past January. (Look here). On the negative side, the biggest complaint has to do with cost - more than three-quarters say the cost of the ads makes meds too expensive, and four in ten say this bothers them “a lot.” While 68 percent say there are too many prescription drug ads on television and 66 percent believe ads encourage people to take meds they don’t need, fewer say the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1278311 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:05:22 +0100 1278311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1270579&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F243969174%2F47c999a65d15c271 On a dark and snowy winter's day in New England, with spring nowhere in sight, and in desperate need for something that would lift my spirits (other than dark chocolate or coffee), I stumbled across... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1270579 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:19:37 +0100 1270579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1268594&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F243439776%2F Last September, Congress approved a major drug safety bill requiring that all drug print ads include adverse event reporting info, such as a toll-free telephone number and an easy-to-use web site. But as Consumers Union notes, the FDA must conduct a study to be completed in March to determine whether the same info should also be included in TV ads. And so the consumer-advocacy group is circulating a petition that it hopes will attract at least 50,000 signatures, which will then be sent to the FDA to “demand” the agency include the same adverse-event reporting info on TV ads. “If the FDA is really serious about finding out how drugs work in the millions of people who take them each day, it should make it as easy as possible for consumers to report side effects,” Kim Wi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268594 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:39:31 +0100 1268594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1261810&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F242276871%2F Over the past month, direct-to-consumer ads have been yanked by different drugmakers. The Vytorin ads were pulled by Schering-Plough and Merck after a firestorm erupted over their handling of a Vytorin clinical trial. And Pfizer earlier this week ended its Lipitor ads featuring artificial heart inventor Bob Jarvik over allegations that the campaign contained misinformation. The backdrop to this activity, of course, comes amid ongoing scrutiny of DTC ads. Congress, for instance, is investigating celebrity ads, prompted in part by the Jarvik ads. And there is growing speculation that a Democrat in the White House will work with Congress to change the rules that have allowed DTC advertising to flourish since 1997. So we spoke with Bob Ehrlich, a former Warner-Lambert marketing exec who heads ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1261810 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:21:17 +0100 1261810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1255187&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F241052669%2F Succumbing to criticism that its ads featuring the controversial doctor were disingenous, the drugmaker has stopped running the ads and Jarvik will no longer be used to promote the best-selling cholesterol pill or any other Pfizer med. You may recall that the celebrated physician, known for inventing the artificial heart, became the focus of attention because he isn’t licensed to practice medicine. As a result, he can’t write a prescription for Lipitor, which Pfizer pays him a reported $1.35 million to promote in widely circulated televisions ads. Then we learned that, even though Jarvik looks good in one of those ads rowing across a beautiful lake, it wasn’t really him in that boat. The ad agency used a sit-in. The revelation further whet the appetite of one Congressional committee... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1255187 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:34:26 +0100 1255187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1251790&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F239875674%2F By now you’ve probably heard about the remarks by Adam Jasinski on CBS’ Big Brother reality TV show in which he referred to autistic children as “retards.” The offensiveness of Jasinski’s remark was all the greater because—-as he said—-he works as the is the PR Manager for the United Autism Foundation (UNIAF) (last September, I reported on UNIAF’s plans to build a dental hospital for autistic children) . Lowe’s has pulled ads from the show. CBS, as a commenter notes, has still refused to issue an apology, and some questions have been raised about the validity of UNIAF: See this CBS4.com video report. The controversy thickens………. Tags: ads, asd, asperger, autism, big brother, lowe's, Media, offensive language, Parenting... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1251790 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:20:30 +0100 1251790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250424&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F239558763%2F That’s the question Bob Ehrlich, a former Warner-Lambert exec who now runs a consulting firm, mulls over in his weekly blog. In his view, the odds are against a big change in the use of mass media. For the moment, he ballparks the odds on a momentous shift at only 30 percent. But he doesn’t take much comfort in the age-old defense that the First Amendment will preserve DTC. And lobbyists won’t save the day, either. Here’s why… “What if a ‘change’ election occurs, as seems entirely likely? With a likely expansion in Americans covered by health insurance and the resulting costs to do so, what changes might occur to limit cost increases? Hmm, let me think! Drug costs will be a key component. Drug marketing affects cost by emphasizing newer and m... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250424 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:53:52 +0100 1250424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1243534&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F237811851%2F Bees and beavers had the edge last year - but Bob Jarvik wasn’t far behind. The animated Nasonex bee edged out Rozerem’s Abe Lincoln and the talking beaver as the TV drug ad recalled more often than any other, according to IAG Research. As the chart indicates (please click to make it bigger), third place went to Vytorin, the controversial cholesterol pill sold by Schering-Plough and Merck. You may recall that Congress is now investigating such ads as part of its investigation into the handling of Vytorin clinical-trial data. The drugmakers responded by pulling the Vytorin ads. And which ad was in fourth place? The Bob Jarvik ad for Pfizer’s Lipitor. Although the ad that caused considerable controversy - the one in which someone other than the good doctor is rowing a boat... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1243534 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:24:12 +0100 1243534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1192901&cid=t_99933_93_f&fid=36200&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.jammedph.com%2Fam-i-ready-to-dump-my-textlinkads-account%2F Text Link Ads (TLA) has helped me a lot on my hosting and domain dues and other online transactions. Adding funds to Paypal was still not possible in the Philippines so my TLA payments are what I use to pay my hosting and domain. I don’t have a credit card (except for my mom’s GSIS e-card) so I have to depend on my Paypal balance to pay for these things. I was earning at least $100/month with TLA and the links to this blog generate most of my earnings (>60%). For a starter in blog monetization, 100 bucks really mean a huge amount. However, after reading some of Google PR drops and sites getting banned from Google results because of paid links, I had to reconsider things. John Chow’s blog for example was number 1 in Google results for “make money online” keywo... Jammed: Full into Capacity blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1192901 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:35:00 +0100 1192901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191454&cid=t_99933_85_f&fid=36194&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftesstermulo.com%2F2008%2F01%2F31%2Faudio-ads%2F Most bloggers are already utilizing pay-per-post and affiliate programs that requires you to place their text and image ads in the sidebars. However, after a while, this practice can really clutter the sidebars and will make it difficult for readers to focus on your content because of the “distractions” in your sidebars. What to do about this? An alternative is to try on PPP (pay-per-play) or Net Audio ads. This kind of ad will play 5-second audio ads whenever visitors access your blogs or websites. There are no clicking of links needed. The audio ads are not obtrusive in your blog’s content. What’s more interesting is that it has a free affiliate program that, unfortunately, is going to cease being free on February 1, 2008 (that soon!). Of course, those who’d sign up before that... Prudence and Madness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191454 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:04:50 +0100 1191454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173455&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F221749968%2F File this under ‘Mixed Messages.’ A new survey of 1,028 young adults between 18 and 26 years old that conducted for the New York Institute of Technology found they have confidence in meds prescribed by their docs, meds they’ve previously heard about and, in general, the ability of meds to improve their lives. At the same time, they say drugmakers are more concerned with making money than helping people (so much for those feel-good ads) and they trust pharma less than in the past. [Please click on the chart.] Meanwhile, drug ads don’t fare so well, either. Large majorities say ads should should tell how to obtain more info, provide more info about side effects and celebrities should not appear (something Congress is investigating). To top if off, they say drug advert... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173455 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:13:06 +0100 1173455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152855&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F217116770%2F Yesterday, we wrote how Pfizer may have made an end run around FDA regs with a pair of TV ads this past Sunday night. The first one was a quick flash of the Chantix logo during an NFL update, which was also sponsored by Pfizer. After the segment on football scores ended, a regular ad appeared for a Pfizer site devoted to quitting smoking, which links you to the official Chantix site. The issue: the first ad smelled like a reminder ad. After all, a logo is there to remind you of something, yes? And the second ad, while not suggesting anyone visit a doc, was about as close as one get to running a so-called ‘help seeking’ ad without actually doing so. By themselves, neither require any product risk info. But taken together, it would appear risk info is required and the ads, there... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152855 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:23:59 +0100 1152855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149832&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F216470997%2F There was an interesting moment during CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ last night that had nothing to do with the news programming. First, there was a brief NFL update break that featured the logo for Chantix, the drug that is pitched to help you quit smoking. The announcer also noted the update was sponsored by Chantix. Then, after the rundown, there was an ad for, yes, Chantix. Well, sort of. The ad actually promoted a web site called MyTimeToQuit, which of course takes you to the Chantix site. As John Mack at PharmaMarketing blog points out, this raises an interesting question about whether Pfizer skirted FDA regs. Here’s why: the logo and sponsorship at the front end of the NFL update smells like a reminder ad, which mentions the Chantix name but not the indication (some may ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149832 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:07:32 +0100 1149832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149698&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fdid-pfizer-run-chantix-bookend-ad.html Last night, while watching 60 Minutes on CBS, there was an "NFL Today" playoff update break with James Brown.As the spot came on, Brown first mentioned that the break was sponsored by CHANTIX, Pfizer's smoking cessation pill and program (see "A Pill, a Plan, a Profit? -- Chantix!"). He did NOT mention its indication, however. The CHANTIX logo was right next to him, very visible, fairly large, and near the center of the screen (see my representation at left).After about 30 seconds of playoff scores came the ad, which was a "non-branded" Pfizer ad for the "My Time to Quit" web site (http://www.mytimetoquit.com).My question is this: is the sequence [brand sponsorship message -- 30 seconds of show -- non-branded ad associated with the previously mentioned brand] a "Bookend Ad"?FDA has issued g... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149698 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:02:00 +0100 1149698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1138047&cid=t_99933_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2008%2F01%2F09%2Ffacial-flaws-try-torture%2F In a previous post we told you about the real Max Factor, the chemist behind the famous cosmetic brand. Here’s a picture of him with one of his less successful cosmetic creations, the “Beauty Micrometer.” Somehow I don’t think this will make our list of beauty gadgets that really work. Is it just me, or does woman look like that creepy Hellraiser character? Thanks to the gals at Ask The Blondes for tipping us off to this one. What’s the most painful or uncomfortable thing you’ve done in the name of beauty? Leave a comment and share your story with the Beauty Brains community. (Source: thebeautybrains.com) thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1138047 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:02:06 +0100 1138047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1134001&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F212844334%2F 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 tak... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1134001 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:35:13 +0100 1134001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1120787&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F207607596%2F The Ransom Notes “public awareness” campaign is over but the notion that autistic children have been “kidnapped” remains: See the December 28th Palm Beach Daily News (which also comments on the “epidemic nature of autism”). (Last time I checked my autistic was right here beside me—-on a Southwest Airlines flight from California back to Philadelphia.) Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1120787 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:20:28 +0100 1120787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1111887&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F204245467%2F “Ransom Notes” has come and gone: Some in the advertising world are noting that the ads were just “too hot to handle.” The December 20th The Scientist posts that Psychiatrist kills ads to pay ransom. And now, as Club 166 reminds us, comes the hard part. As one commenter asked, what would be an “effective public awareness campaign for child mental health”—-a campaign that would not only address issues of treatment, but of access to care? What about medication for children? Furious Seasons notes that the FDA’s psychopharmacologic drugs advisory committee lacks a consumer representative: Do parents of autistic children and autistic persons think they should have a say in this? (Just yesterday morning, after a holiday party with Charlie’s... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1111887 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:29:38 +0100 1111887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106271&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F203085156%2F From an interview with Dr. Harold Koplewicz, director of the NYU Child Study Center in today’s Wall Street Journal Health Blog: Today, Koplewicz told the Health Blog that he decided to pull the ads because “the debate began to become focused on the ads themselves” rather than on the disorders that they were intended to highlight. Yes, it was. Koplewicz insists there wasn’t a particular incident that spurred the decision, but told us that “many intelligent individuals and reasonable individuals were telling me they were reading the ads in a different way” than they were meant to be read. Many parents said they felt blamed for their child’s illness even though they were getting their child the best treatment they could, which was not the intention of the ads, says Kopl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106271 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:29:32 +0100 1106271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106272&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F202929527%2F UPDATE: Please go here to read a statement from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network: “Nothing About Us, Without Us!” From Dr. Harold Koplewicz on the NYU Child Study Center’s website: The campaign succeeded in getting people’s attention and sparking dialogue, but much of the debate centered on the ads instead of the issues. We’ve received thousands of calls and letters from parents, mental health professionals, educators, advocates, and concerned third parties, all of whom are passionate about helping children. While many people praised the campaign and urged us to stay the course, others were troubled by it. Though we meant well, we’ve come to realize that we unintentionally hurt and offended some people. We’ve read all the emails, both pro and con, lis... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106272 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:07:29 +0100 1106272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1103501&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F202442435%2F I just got off the phone with a TV producer who wants to do a segment on the by-now-beyond infamous “Ransom Notes” ad campaign that the New York York University Child Study Center has created to raise what it deems “public awareness” about six childhood psychiatric disorders” that are (it says) “one of America’s last remaining silent public health epidemics.” The producer wished to interview someone who is critical of the campaign in northern New Jersey (that more or less describes me) and also to film an autistic child at home with his or her family. That won’t be us. I obviously write a lot about Charlie here, but, aside from a very occasional photo, my son is represented here through words alone. I especially like to describe our adv... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1103501 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:32:14 +0100 1103501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1100165&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F201826937%2F I don’t mean that kind of campaign, though one mother from Iowa has gotten Senator John McCain’s attention for her “autism campaign“; along with Senator Joe Lieberman, Senator McCain is calling for Senate hearings to consider “potential causes of autism.” The “Ransom Notes” public awareness “campaign” continues to generate much talk: Nancy L. Brown, Senior Research Associate at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) Research Institute, hopes that “Ransom Notes” will come to California (where I’m headed to see my family at the end of the week and where more than a few parents and disability advocates have already gotten to work responding to “Ransom Notes”; now we won’t be traveling as we did BB... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1100165 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:30:22 +0100 1100165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097695&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F201359897%2F Updated 7.56pm EST with a link to a new post on “Ransom Notes.” Retailers face an ominous holiday sign is the headline for a just-posted story in the New York Times about slow sales of women’s clothing so far this holiday season: But the signs with the really chilling message are already up and around New York. We went to a friend’s party in Brooklyn last night and then onto lower Manhattan (more on that later….) and saw nary a Ransom Notes ad. But I think if we had gone to some more well-traveled places we would have seen them; friends in NYC note that they have definitely seen them. And while the ads seem to have been removed from the New York University Child Study Center’s website as of yesterday, they are now (as of approximately 5.40pm EST) bac... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097695 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:00:15 +0100 1097695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096203&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F200426185%2F “Only when you really accept does the healing start.” So Mary Ward, a teacher at Southeast Halifax High School in North Carolina and the mother of Marvin, who is 3 years old and autistic, said to a special education advisory group about her experience raising her son. Ward is further quoted in the Independent-Messenger: “It’s very difficult for a mother to acknowledge that her beautiful child’s brain is wired different…and yet only when you really accept does the healing start.” ……. “One of the things I realized early on is I could be resentful the rest of my life and my child would still be autistic.” ……….. “He has the right to be autistic,” Ward said of her son. “And you have the right to respect that he is ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096203 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:49:25 +0100 1096203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1094212&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F200146495%2F Campaign on Childhood Illness Succeeds at Being Provocative is the headline for an article in today’s New York Times by Joanne Kaufman about the New York University Child Study Center’s “Ransom Notes” public service campaign. “Provocative” is the right word: Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, founder and director of the center, notes that the campaign was intentionally “edgy” and “harsh and upsetting.” He further notes: “the facts of mental illness are even more upsetting. “I am disappointed. I thought the people we’d be arguing with are the people who believe psychiatric illness doesn’t exist”or those who believe children are being overmedicated, he said. “I thought we’d be fighting ignorance. I didn’t think we’d ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1094212 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:37:06 +0100 1094212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1090649&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F199384362%2F The increased oversight that was baked into the recently enacted FDA Amendments Act comes with a price. For those who didn’t track this topic, this is the tab for an ad submitted voluntarily for review, and the price is set for fiscal year 2008, according to the latest Federal Register notice. How did the FDA arrive at this figure? The revenue to be generated by review fees is $6.25 million, which was divided by 151, the number of TV ads that companies indicated previously they would submit for review. A drugmaker must also pay a one-time operating reserve fee, which is based on the number of submissions in its first year in the program. So if a company plans to submit two ads for review, there would be fee of $41,390 for each ad, plus a one-time operating reserve fee of $82,780. To... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1090649 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:56:32 +0100 1090649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085665&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F198422911%2F Rescue me: That is the essence of the message of the “Ransom Notes” “public awareness campaign” that the New York University Child Study Center is launching. I’ve noted the use of shocking and alarmist language in the ads, which feature fictional “ransom notes,” with the captors being “untreated psychiatric disorders,” including autism, Asperger Syndrome, bulimia, depression, ADHD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The image of these conditions as kidnappers, abductors, criminals—normal child snatchers—who have gotten hold of our children is troubling and, further, harmful and offensive—and many autistic self-advocates and parents have been blogging about why: Action for Autism Crimson Thoughts Autista Whose Planet ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085665 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:51:06 +0100 1085665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1076926&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F196623139%2F Several associations have accused the European Commission of supporting pharma companies in trying to make direct-to-consumer advertising for medicinal products legal. Four groups representing complementary health insurers, independent medical bulletins and patient advocates have issued a joint press release claiming: “The European Commission is supportive of the industry’s moves: its ‘consultations’ are little more than an attempt to sway public opinion.” The press release was issued on Wednesday by the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), the Medicines in Europe Forum, Health Action International (HAI) and the Association internationale de la mutualité (AIM) and charge that the EC is trying to overlook the “underlying risks to health”... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1076926 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:55:41 +0100 1076926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072418&cid=t_99933_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F195724329%2F The New York University Child Study Center is launching a “Ransom Notes” public awareness campaign with the message that Millions Of Children [are] Held Hostage By Psychiatric Disorders. The ad for autism says:  We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning… and the ad for Asperger Syndrome says  We have your son. We are destroying his ability for social interaction and driving him into a life of complete isolation. It’s up to you now… and the ad for ADHD says  We are in possession of your son. We are making him squirm and fidget until he is a detriment to himself and those around him. Ignore this and your kid will pay… and the ad for bulimia says ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072418 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:20:27 +0100 1072418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072491&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F195629667%2F After a long run of quarterly spending growth, the reported spending for DTC advertising fell 7.1 percent in the third quarter to $1.13 billion, according to DTC Insights, which cites data released this week by Nielsen Monitor-Plus. The decline represented “reported” dollars of $86 million. (For the first nine months of 2007, the reported spending data shows an increase of 2.6 percent to $3.85 billion.) The shift in the third-quarter DTC spending hit network television hard, DTC Insights writes. According to Nielsen data, network TV saw its DTC ad dollars fall 10.1 percent in the quarter to $314.5 million (a drop of more than $35 million). As a result, the firm notes that cable TV surpassed network as the market-share media leader for DTC in the period (28.9 percent market share for c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072491 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:53:02 +0100 1072491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027237&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F184840385%2F That’s what some wags are saying about the provision in the recently enacted FDA Amendments Act. One item in the legislation allows the FDA to delay a TV ad while agency staffers conduct a review and decide whether anything must be changed, such as disclosing serious risks. This language was inserted in favor tougher wording that, originally, would have given the FDA authority to block a drugmaker from advertising a med that carried serious safety concerns. But that was removed over constitutional concerns. Now, though, some lawyers tell FDALegislativeWatch that the softer provision may also have trouble passing constitutional muster. The FDA’s authority “likely will be tested at some point in the courts,” David Ogden of WilmerHale tells the newsletter (subscription... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027237 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:13:30 +0100 1027237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1013515&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F181626155%2F The health care giant’s Scios unit was distributing a computer mouse pad and pen promoting its Natrecor heart failure drug, and the tchotchkes listed not only the name but also depicted a man sitting in a hospital bed with water up to his shoulders. What’s wrong with that picture? As an FDA warning letter points out, this “evokes the concept of a sedentary hospital patient drowning,” the FDA writes. And combining that with the Natrecor logo “suggests that Natrecor treatment would be appropriate for this patient and others like him” who have trouble breathing because of fluid build-up in the lungs. Look here to see the drowning patient. The FDA says the promotional items go beyond so-called “reminder” promotions, which don’t have to incl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1013515 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:18:06 +0100 1013515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1012487&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F181140626%2F Hard to believe, isn’t it? Perhaps they were smitten with Dorothy Hamill. In any event, China’s drug regulators are threatening to pull the licenses of 16 drugmakers that allegedly ran ads exaggerating the benefits of their products. Nope, warning letters just won’t do. The State Food and Drug Administration claims the ads contained “a large amount of unscientific assertion and pledges on the products’ benefits and effects,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported. And customers have been misled and laws broken, and the state FDA has ordered its local branches to ensure the companies remove the offending ads, according to the Associated Press. Among the alleged exaggerations was a claim by Tonghua Shenlong Pharmaceutical that its Naoxintong medication c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1012487 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:39:30 +0100 1012487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1001028&cid=t_99933_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F178973314%2Fiag_researchs_list_of_most_mem.html  Last week IAG Research released its list of the most memorable pharmaceutical drug commericals of the 2006-2007 tv season.The obvious top winner was Lunesta's moth commercials which was recalled 50% more often that the average new prescription ad launched in the season. 1 Lunesta Sepracor 7-Night Challenge; luna moth flies over bridge and water and into people's homes/tents. 2 Lunesta Sepracor 7-Night Challenge; luna moth flies over a lake into couple's home, then onto woman's pillow. 3 Zyrtec Pfizer Story #43; clothes falls on woman and she sneezes. 4 Nasonex Schering-Plough Animated bee talks about prevention of nasal allergy symptoms while buzzing next to Nasonex bottle. 5 Rozerem Takeda Abraham Lincoln, talking beaver, man in suit and man in diving suit at a ... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1001028 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:15:12 +0100 1001028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941977&cid=t_99933_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F167951342%2Fhow_ads_mess_with_minds.html  What advertisers may not have told you is that Neuromarketers now create mind-bending ads … based on how they can direct your brain to work in their favor. Yikes!Have you noticed yourself buying what you don’t need or really want, lately?Brain-imaging technology shows brain based responses that make you buy faster ... think about decisions for less time ... and entice you to sales you don’t need. Rather than give over your brain's competitive advantage to marketers ... why not use these mental insights to your own advantage? It's all about how people tend to respond to specific stimuli. Check out the new research to see how you could become victim to the next ad. More importantly, check out tactics that... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941977 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:17:24 +0100 941977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=966603&cid=t_99933_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHealth%2F%7E3%2F165036461%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=966603 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:14:56 +0100 966603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=889713&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F159448143%2F As the FDA Reform bill, which nows goes to President Bush for signing, is studied and debated, it may be easy to forget that just a few months ago there was a push to include tough restrictions on DTC advertising in the legislation. But that didn’t happen. The reason - intense lobbying by advertising agencies and broadcasters, as well as drugmakers, of course. The toughest restrictions in early drafts of the bill gave the FDA authority to block a drugmaker from advertising a med that carried serious safety concerns, writes The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). That was omitted. Instead, the FDA will get new power to require drugmakers to submit TV ads for review before they run, but can only recommend changes, not require them. The bill lets the agency levy fines for false... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=889713 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:23:55 +0100 889713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=872190&cid=t_99933_134_f&fid=35137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiabetesupdate.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Finvasion-of-blog-stealers.html Some readers have expressed concern about the copyright violation notice I went and stuck on the bottom of my last ten posts. Here's the reason it's there. Some bottom feeding web site hosted in a Far Eastern country has set up something that sucks in other people's blog postings and republishes them as if they were the blogger's own content. The point of all this appears to be to make money off the many Google Ads that top the page. When I checked my blog in Technorati recently, I saw dozens of my blog posts being copied in full this way by one site with the only clue as to where they came from buried in very fine print. Since these weasels seem to strip content on a daily basis, I figured I'd include the copyright violation note so that it would appear on their scum sucking site.I love b... Diabetes Update blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=872190 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:13:00 +0100 872190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=865394&cid=t_99933_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2007%2F09%2F12%2Fwho-wants-whiter-nurse-noses%2F Can someone please explain this product to me? Lusidina 18K Gold Nurse Whitener Nose Mask. It’s new from Guangzhou Danjia Cosmetics in China and it claims to “penetrate into skin around the nose area removing dirt, grease, blackheads and ageing skin.” It also provides whitening nourishment” whatever that is. It’s made with the finest Yulan oil, pure fresh milk, vitamin E, vegetable protein, collagen, arbutin and dangerously high levels of lead. (Ok, I made up the part about lead but the rest is true). Normally I’d stop here to comment on the obvious ridiculousness of the ingredients but right now I’m having trouble even getting past the name: Lusidina 18K Gold Nurse Whitener Nose Mask. Nose mask? Ok, I get that part. I can even sort of grasp the concept of a whitening no... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=865394 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:01:28 +0100 865394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814343&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F146604916%2F The agency acknowledges having little insight into how images and text contained in TV ads affects consumer understanding of the associated risks of the med being promoted. And in a long overdue nod to criticism and concerns, the FDA will undertake a study of 1,020 people over the age of 40 in hopes of gauging meaningful reactions to a DTC ad for a high blood pressure drug. “Many assert that the visuals present during the product risk presentation are virtually always positive in tone and often depict product benefits,” according to a notice posted today the FDA web site. “A consistently raised question is whether advertising visuals of benefits interferes with consumers’ understanding and processing of the risk information in the ad’s audio or text.” &#... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814343 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:38:22 +0100 814343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814129&cid=t_99933_112_f&fid=34614&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fcondom-bindaas-bol-and-bill-donohue.html "Say Condoms Freely", the slogan for an Indian public awareness campaign designed to encourage the use of condoms has won this year's UN Grand Award, a UN public relations award.You have to admit "Condom Bindaas Bol" is beyond catchy, it's cool. [No, I don't speak the language, so my pronunciation is probably off but I still love it.] As is the message behind the slogan that 'condom' is not a delicate word and it should be discussed freely.Which brings us to Bill Donohue and his reaction to Manhattan Mini Storage's temerity to run a billboard with a a factual reproductive health message: There is a billboard on Manhattan’s West Side Highway, at 44th Street and 12th Avenue, that shows a large wire hanger with the inscription, “Your closet space is shrinking as fast as her right to choos... The Well-Timed Period blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814129 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:16:00 +0100 814129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=801638&cid=t_99933_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F144549873%2F A decade has come and gone since the FDA opened the floodgates to direct-to-consumer advertising. Since then, the amount spent to sell drugs rose 2.6 times what it was in 1996, the last full year before DTC began, according to a study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers wrote that DTC advertising, which increased by 330 percent during that period, only accounted for 14 percent of the nearly $30 billion the companies spent to promote their drugs - total spending reached $29.9 billion in 2005, up from $11.4 billion in 1996, an average annual growth rate of 10.6 percent. But the FDA isn’t doing as much monitoring as in the past - the number of letters sent to drugmakers about violations fell from 142 in 1997 to only 21 in 2006. Why? “In 2004, fo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=801638 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:56:57 +0100 801638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716525&cid=t_99933_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F05%2Fa-history-of-cigarette-commercials%2F Filed under: Television, SmokingThe television industry just might owe a bit of its success to the tobacco industry. Cigarette producers were one of the earliest and most consistent advertisers on TV. Big tobacco had large pools of money and were able to take a chance on the new medium of television when it first debuted in the 1940's. At a time when many sponsors were financially unable to buy advertising spots or unwilling to try TV ads, tobacco companies found opportunities to attach strings to their endorsements. Many shows were required to feature characters smoking during the shows. Stars were expected to use cigarettes and show their enthusiasm for the products. Popular shows such as I Love Lucy showed Lucy happily fetching a smoke for husband and exclaiming, "You see how easy it ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716525 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 716525