Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has announced plans to update the regulation of pharmaceutical advertising in the US in order to prevent deceptive messages being sent to patients by developers. On 9 September, the agency issued warning letters to pharmaceutical companies to remove misleading advertisements. Approximately 100 cease-and desist letters were sent to companies judged to have issued misleading ads.
“For far too long, the FDA has permitted misleading drug advertisements, distorting the doctor-patient relationship and creating increased demand for medications regardless of clinical appropriateness,” he said in a statement. “Drug companies spend up to 25% of their budget on advertising. Those billions of dollars would be better spend on lowering drug prices for everyday Americans,” he added.
Prescription drug advertising is regulated in the US under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 202. In 1997, the FDA issued guidance allowing direct-to-consumer advertising. This was before the expansion of social media. Dr Makary cited research showing that while 100% of pharmaceutical social media posts highlight drug benefits, only 33% mention potential harms.
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