Monday, March 06, 2006

Pfizer - drug reps squeal on Bextra marketing

Two Pfizer drug reps recently told ABC News channel 7, Reporter Andrea McCarren in a TV interview, that they were told to promote Bextra for: "Heel pain, back pain, pain from orthopedic surgeries, any kind of pain."

Way beyond their licenced indications.

"Going into hospitals getting in on pain protocols and that's completely illegal," the first sales rep said.

Another rep told Ms McCarren: "We were expected to sell it for pre-operative pain and post-operative pain, which is totally out of indication."

"And there is a huge amount of money that can be made for a drug that gets sold for that," the second rep said in the interview.

Read more here.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you sure it was NZ rather than the states?

Benedict 16th said...

Well, Anon, NZ is the only other country that allows direct to consumer marketing of prescriptions drugs (aside from the US), mind you, with "go see your doctor if you have erection difficulties, or see this US web site where we are allowed to advertise to you" makes DTC marketing pretty universal.

Benedict

Anonymous said...

I think this is where it originated
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0206/302724.html ie US not NZ

insider said...

Thanks. I will amend the story.
Insider

Anonymous said...

Here's the solution
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/46032