Article Figures & Data
Tables
- Table 1
Types of Content Presented in Product Claim Ads in the 2004 Sample Compared With the 2016 Sample
Content Category 2004 Sample (n = 31) 2016 Sample (n = 61) Factual claims Any factual information (eg, symptoms) 82.0 77.4 Biologic nature or mechanism of disease 53.9 24.5 Risk factors or cause of condition 25.8 16.3 Prevalence of condition 24.7 15.8 Subpopulation at risk of condition 7.9 9.1 Appeals Rational 100.0 100.0 Positive emotional 94.4 94.1 Negative emotional 75.3 50.8 Humor 36.0 8.9 Fantasy 22.5 13.7 Sex 4.5 6.2 Nostalgia 3.4 11.1 Lifestyle portrayals Condition interferes with healthy or recreational activities 30.3 47.5 Product enables healthy or recreational activities 56.2 68.8 Lifestyle change is alternative to product use 0.0 0.0 Lifestyle change is insufficient 21.3 19.9 Lifestyle change is adjunct to product 22.5 7.4 Medication portrayals Loss of control caused by condition 67.4 59.7 Regaining control as result of product use 88.8 95.7 Social approval as a result of product use 83.1 90.8 Distress caused by condition 53.9 58.9 Breakthrough 67.4 69.5 Endurance increased as a result of product 12.4 23.5 Protection as a result of product use 11.2 24.5 Note: All data presented as weighted percentages.
Brand Name Manufacturer Advertised Indication Breo GlaxoSmithKline Asthma Brilinta AstraZeneca Acute coronary syndrome Chantix Pfizer Smoking cessation Cialisa Eli Lilly Erectile dysfunction, enlarged prostate Cosentyx Novartis Plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis Eliquis Bristol-Myers Squibb Deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism Enbrela Amgen Rheumatoid arthritis Entresto Novartis Chronic heart failure Farxiga AstraZeneca Type 2 diabetes Harvoni Gilead Sciences Hepatitis C Humira AbbVie Crohn’s disease, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis Invokana Janssen Type 2 diabetes Jardiance Boehringer Ingelheim Type 2 diabetes Kybella Allergan Submental fullness Latuda Sumitomo Dainippon Bipolar depression Linzess Allergan; Ironwood Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation Lyrica Pfizer Diabetic nerve pain, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, post herpetic neuralgia Myrbetriq Astellas Overactive bladder Namenda XR Allergan Dementia with Alzheimer Opdivo Bristol-Myers Squibb Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lung cancer, melanoma, metastatic melanoma across BRAF status Pradaxa Boehringer Ingelheim Deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism Prevnar 13 Wyeth; Pfizer Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine Symbicort AstraZeneca Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Taltz Eli Lilly Plaque psoriasis Toujeo Sanofi Type 2 diabetes Tresiba Novo Nordisk Type 1 or 2 diabetes Trintellix Takeda Major depressive disorder Trulicity Eli Lilly Type 2 diabetes Trumenba Pfizer Meningitis B vaccine Viagra Pfizer Erectile dysfunction Viberzi Allergan Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea Victoza Novo Nordisk Type 2 diabetes Xarelto Janssen Acute coronary syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, stent thrombosis Xeljanz Pfizer Rheumatoid arthritis Xiidra Shire Pharmaceuticals Chronic dry eye BRAF = human gene that encodes the B-Raf protein.
↵a Product also featured in 2004 sample.
Brand Name Manufacturer Advertised Indication Actonela Procter & Gamble Osteoporosis Allegraa,b Aventis Allergy Ambienc,d Sanofi-Synthelabo Insomnia Celebrexc,d Pfizer Overactive bladder Cialisc,e Eli Lilly Erectile dysfunction Crestora,d AstraZeneca Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) Detrol LAa,d Pfizer Overactive bladder Diovana,d,f Novartis Hypertension Diovan HCTd Novartis Hypertension Enbrela,e Immunex Rheumatoid arthritis Fosamaxa,d Merck Osteoporosis Lamisila,d Novartis Onychomycosis (nail fungus) Levitraa Bayer Erectile dysfunction Lipitorc,d Pfizer Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) Lotrel Novartis Hypertension Nexiuma,b AstraZeneca Gastresophageal reflux disease (acid reflux) Plavixa,d Bristol-Myers Squibb Acute coronary syndrome Prevacidb,c TAP Gastresophageal reflux disease (acid reflux) Procritc,d Amgen Chemotherapy-related anemia Singulaira,d Merck Allergy Valtrexc,d GlaxoSmithKline Genital herpes Zelnorma Novartis Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation Zocora,d Merck Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) Zolofta,d Pfizer Depression, social anxiety disorder ↵a Product claim advertisements.
↵b Product switched to over-the-counter availability (prescription no longer required) since study’s publication.
↵c Product claim and reminder advertisement.
↵d Patent for product expired since study’s publication, opening up the market to generic equivalents.
↵e Product also featured in 2016 sample.
↵f Advertisement promoted unnamed products that were identified on corresponding website.
Additional Files
The Article in Brief
An Updated Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Television Advertisements for Prescription Drugs
Janelle Applequist , and colleagues
Background In 2015, the American Medical Association called for a ban of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising. Yet, the prescription drug industry continues to spend more than ever on broadcast advertisements, with national health care costs largely driven by drug spending. This study analyzes direct-to-consumer television ads using a similar 2007 study as a model and benchmark.
What This Study Found The new analysis finds that the potential educational value of direct-to-consumer television advertising has declined. Compared to the 2007 analysis, this study found a significant decrease in the percentage of ads conveying information about the conditions being targeted, such as risk factors (decreased from 26 percent to 16 percent) and prevalence (decreased from 25 percent to 16 percent). Positive emotional appeals continued to be emphasized (94 percent of ads), with a decrease in the use of negative emotional appeals (from 75 percent to 51 percent), resulting in a more positive portrayal of the medication experience. Lifestyles portrayed in the ads emphasized how products can enable more recreational activities (69 percent of ads), while fewer ads suggested lifestyle change in addition to the product (decreased from 23 percent to seven percent).
Implications
- The authors suggest that portraying positive aspects of the post-medication experience, such as recreational activities, endurance, and social approval, may have motivational value, but may also imply off-label outcomes and encourage an inappropriately broad population to seek the advertised drug.
- According to the authors, improving the educational value of direct-to-consumer advertising is likely to require further regulatory action by the FDA, rather than reliance on self-regulation by the pharmaceutical industry.
