Summary
The FDA stopped the production of all television and print ads for painkillers Celebrex and Bextra, stating did not emphasize the drugs' health risks to consumers. Both drugs are associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Drug company Pfizer spent $70 million on Celebrex advertisements in the U.S. last year. Few ads were launched for Bextra.
Original source:
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/01/13/fda_calls_pfizer_ads_misleading/
Details
Advertisements for painkillers Celebrex and Bextra were misleading and unsubstantiated, overstating the drugs' benefits and understating the risks, the government said yesterday.
The Food and Drug Administration asked for an immediate halt to all ads for Celebrex, which Pfizer Inc. did last month in advance of the agency's letter.
A study in December found high doses of Celebrex were associated with an increased risk of heart attack.
The letter, sent Monday and released yesterday, details the misleading and unsubstantiated claims in ads for Celebrex and a related drug, Bextra, that appeared on television, in print, on TV infomercials, and in direct-mail brochures.
The government said the claims represent serious violations of federal law.
Pfizer spokeswoman Mariann Caprino told Reuters the company would discuss "appropriate" next steps with the FDA.
New York-based Pfizer spent more than $70 million advertising best-selling Celebrex to US consumers in the first nine months of last year.
It has run minimal consumer ads promoting Bextra.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, February 02, 2005
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