FDA enters (fake) advertising business

The FDA might be creating some faux direct-to-consumer commercials for a pretend blood pressure medication, which it plans to follow with an internet survey of 2,400 adults to gauge the response of consumers aged 40 and older to the ads.

The agency wants to test whether the safety warnings it requires in ads take a backseat to the images in the ads, and says it issues warnings to multiple companies every year about misleading ads and ads that overstate a products safety or efficacy.

If approved, the fake ads will have various images and text onscreen while a narrator reads warnings. Then the follow-up surveys will attempt to gauge viewer attitudes and perceptions regarding the adds. The FDA submitted the study to its Office of Management and Budget for approval. Stay tuned.

- read the Pharmalot blog post
- get the story at the Star-Ledger

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