Marketing Medical Devices on YouTube

[Harrison]

Last week, I noticed an interesting article in the WSJ. It mentioned some work a Boston firm is doing to oversee overzealous marketing by both big pharma and device companies. Their blog is current and well-written, see:

Pigs Fly, Hell Freezes Over: Prescription Project and Peter Pitts agree on device ad compliance with FDA rules

December 5th, 2008

http://blog.prescriptionproject.org/

Frankly, I would be very happy if all parties concerned would find a way to STOP all the drug ads! They are everywhere.

[trkdoc714]

On one hand I agree with a ban or strong restrictions on drug ads. My brother worked for a major drug manufacturer in Indiana. Their erectile dysfunction drug used advertising to boost sales. The demand was so strong I think the FDA was compelled to speed up their usually sluggish approval system.

On the other hand, I wonder what would happen if the ADR manufacturers would appeal to the public in the same way to pressure the FDA into speeding up the process on artificial discs and other biomechanical devices?

Bob