PhRMA sent a delegation of lawyers to meet with House Energy and Commerce Committee staffers to try and head off new regulations and discuss recent work on an update of PhRMA's DTC guidelines.

Warner Chilcott said it would "make much more limited use of DTC in support of our existing brands," relying instead on reps to drive market share gains

The FDA will test broadcast-style ads for a bogus blood pressure drug as part of a survey aimed at determining how visuals may distract viewers from risk information.

Johnson & Johnson is considering consolidating advertising and marketing for its pharmaceutical brands into one or possibly two companies, a J&J spokesperson told MM&M.

Parade Magazine's monthly health supplement, HealthyStyle, debuts Sept. 17, and the publisher hopes it will prove a lure for pharma advertisers.

A report by West Virginia's Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council said pharmas spent $16 million on DTC advertising in the state from July 2007 through December 2007.

Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak, who chair the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee thereof, respectively, praised Merck, Schering-Plough, Pfizer and J&J for agreeing to follow AMA guidelines regarding the use of docs in ads and to not advertise off-label uses of drugs.

Pfizer gathered capabilities info from its US consumer and professional advertising and PR agencies while issuing RFIs to some non-roster agencies, AdWeek reported.

The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into the possible deceptive advertising and marketing of DTC genetic tests, according to The New York Times

All the fury over DTC drug ads emanating from Washington hasn't dented their credibility with consumers, according to Rodale's 11th annual Survey on Consumer Reaction to DTC Advertising of Prescription Drugs.