FDA has issued warning to 14 pharmaceutical companies over their sponsored search advertising (aka pay-per-click advertising) practices. These sponsored search results appear on search engines such as Google when users search for a search term. In one of the warning letters to Biogen Idec for advertising it’s drug, TYSABRI, FDA said:
The sponsored links are misleading because they make representations and/or suggestions about the efficacy of TYSABRI, but fail to communicate any risk information associated with the use of this product. In addition, the sponsored links inadequately communicate TYSABRI’s indication and fail to use the required established name. Thus, the sponsored links misbrand TYSABRI in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) and FDA implementing regulations.
The letter went on to say:
These sponsored links, however, fail to communicate any risk information, and their casual approach to TYSABRI treatment is extraordinary in light of the potentially lethal risks of the drug and the stringent controls over its distribution.
Sponsored links that appear beside search results on Google, for example, have a limited number for characters for the advertisers to display their message. With some of the drugs carrying a long list of warnings, I wonder how the pharmaceutical companies can list all the side effects. CNN was able to get a reply from a Google spokeswoman:
Google Inc. (GOOG) spokeswoman Sandra Heikkinen said the Internet-search company has been working with the pharmaceutical companies to make sure their ads align with FDA regulations. She said the companies have control over what appears in the sponsored ads.
Google can, for instance, provide a link under the ads by pharmaceutical companies to display the side effects and warnings, but in that case I wonder how it’s different from the landing page that is linked to by the ads and displays the warnings? It seems from the letters that warnings and information on the side effects placed on a landing page isn’t enough to communicate the risks.
Companies receiving the letter included: Forest Laboratories, Cephalon, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Merck, Eli Lilly, Roche Holding AG, Genentech, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Tags: fda, google, pay-per-click, pharmaceutical, search advertising
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