Direct-to-consumer advertising by the pharmaceutical industry lets drugmakers tout the latest advances in medications to the general public.
Serendipitously, Viagra made its debut only a year after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1997 significantly relaxed the regulations governing direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising by the pharmaceutical industry.
Although such advertising had been permitted since the 1960s, stringent and hard-to-understand regulations limited its use by the industry.
Thanks to the newly relaxed rules governing direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, Pfizer in 1998 was able to bring its message about Viagra’s unique ability to relieve the symptoms of erectile dysfunction directly to its target audience.
The relaxation of the regulations also cast U.S. Senator Bob Dole in the unlikely role of TV spokesman for a drug that optimized blood flow to the penis, thus overcoming vascular-related erection problems.
Dole, a prostate cancer survivor, had participated in clinical trials for Viagra and found that the drug helped him to overcome the erectile dysfunction caused by his cancer treatment.
TV Quickly Spread the Word
So revolutionary a product was Viagra that it was probably inevitable it would become a big-seller. However, there can be little doubt that broad TV advertising helped to spread the word about this new treatment for ED more quickly than otherwise might have been the case.
Pfizer’s Viagra wasn’t the only early beneficiary of the relaxed regulations. According to an article that appeared in a 2000 edition of “Health Affairs,” other drugs reaping the benefits of DTC advertising included Claritin (Schering-Plough), Pravachol (Bristol-Myers Squibb), and Fosamax (Merck).
Ads Changed Public Conversation
By taking its case to the television-viewing public, Pfizer popularized the use of the term “erectile dysfunction” for erection problems that previously were referred to as impotence. It also helped the public understand that ED was most often caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis and not psychological factors, as was widely believed previously.
Perhaps most importantly, it suddenly took the wraps off a topic that had been largely taboo in polite conversation. After all, if Bob Dole could go on TV and tell millions of Americans about his erectile dysfunction, it no longer seemed to be a topic that was off-limits for public discussion.
The commercials for Viagra on TV also helped men to open up to their doctors about such problems. Previously, many had suffered in silence rather than admit that they were unable to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse.
DTC Spending Soars
As more pharmaceutical companies realized the benefits of DTC advertising, spending on TV spots quickly increased, totaling $667 million in its first year. By 2005, such spending soared to more than $3 billion, and it is estimated to exceed $5 billion today, according to an article in “The Los Angeles Times.”
Never a big fan of DTC advertising of prescription drugs, the American Medical Association has consistently called for an end to the practice. Its opposition to such advertising is sure to grow as the pharmaceutical industry pushes for permission to promote off-label uses for some drugs.
In most cases, the argument for off-label use is based primarily on anecdotal evidence and not necessarily supported by data from clinical testing.
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