The head of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee is calling for tougher restrictions on DTC television advertising for prescription drugs.

Sudler & Hennessey (S&H) has been selected by AstraZeneca as the global agency partner of record for the developmental arthritis treatment PN400.

Once a product has been positioned and its brand story told, it's time to develop a creative concept. Cathy Su and Noah Pines look at marketing research techniques that help evolve visual executions, resulting in truly effective ads

There is no point in running a great journal ad if no one notices it. But how do you truly determine if the signal is cutting through the noise? Stephen Hellebusch tests the theory of signal detectability on a group of primary care physicians

Pfizer pulled Lipitor ads featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik and vowed that it is "committing to ensuring greater clarity in the roles and responsibilities of its spokespeople in its consumer advertising and promotion."

DTC TV prescription drug ads featuring an animated bee and a talking beaver were most recalled by consumers during 2007, according to ad performance tracking firm IAG Research.

Merck/Schering-Plough launched patient education ads for Vytorin and Zetia in newspapers over the weekend while temporarily suspending broadcast advertising for the brands.

Congress is investigating the use of celebrity endorsements in pharmaceutical advertising - starting with a "celebrity physician," artificial heart inventor Dr. Robert Jarvik.

The Medical Advertising Hall of Fame (MAHF) will induct Robert Baldini, John Corcoran and Richard Cliggott at a special celebration dinner on February 12 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. The MAHF will also honor Audrey Girard with a lifetime achievement award and M. James Dougherty with a service to industry award.

If unbranded direct-to-consumer ads in support of Pfizer's Lyrica for fibromyalgia moved the needle on prescriptions, branded creative could boost uptake even more.