The Advertising Doctor

The Advertising Doctor

"You won't be seeing any more of those Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) ads featuring Robert Jarvik, M.D., who invented the artificial heart." Drugmaker "Pfizer said it's pulling the ads for the cholesterol-lowering drug because they led to 'misimpressions.'"

"Questions about Dr. Jarvik's credibility as a spokesman were first raised on msnbc.com by our chief science correspondent, Robert Bazell, then by a congressional committee and some newspaper reports."

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

"Dr. Jarvik has starred in six campaigns for Pfizer." For example, "[o]ne ad depicts him at a lake discussing why he takes Lipitor." The ad "plays up the fact that he is a physician, saying, 'Just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean I don't worry about my cholesterol,'" and adding, "Lipitor is one of the most researched medicines. You don't have to be a doctor to appreciate that."

"House Democrats said the ads could be misleading to consumers because Jarvik is not licensed to practice medicine." On Monday, Pfizer pledged that "it would provide 'greater clarity in our advertising regarding the presentation of spokespeople'" in future marketing campaigns.

       

"Reps. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, have been investigating the drugmakers's advertisements. Reacting to Pfizer's announcement, Stupak said, "[w]e will continue to investigate the deception that occurs in direct-to-consumer advertising of medications, including Pfizer's Lipitor campaign."