Glaxo Stops TV Ads for Levitra to Improve Image - WSJ.com

By PETER LOFTUS

Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC has suspended U.S. television advertisements for anti-impotence pill Levitra.

Deirdre Connelly, president of Glaxo's North American pharmaceuticals unit, said the company has stepped up its commitment to operate with integrity, to be more respectful of patients and more transparent in how it conducts business. She cited Glaxo's recent elimination of individual sales targets from the bonus criteria for sales representatives, a move aimed at reassuring doctors that Glaxo reps aren't primarily focused on pushing pills.

"When we walk into a doctor's office, when we walk into your home through television, we have to do it in a respectful way" that matches the seriousness of medicine, Ms. Connelly said.

Her remarks follow a series of legal woes that have tarnished the image of Glaxo and other drug makers in recent years. Over the past year, Glaxo has set aside more than $5 billion to cover the costs of settling government investigations of its marketing and manufacturing practices, product-liability lawsuits and other matters. Other drug makers including Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca PLC also have paid hefty amounts to settle legal cases in recent years.

via online.wsj.com

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