FDA slapped Jazz Pharmaceuticals with a warning letter for a DTC patient brochure plugging schizophrenia drug FazaClo. The brochure, said FDA, omits and minimizes important risk info, broadens the approved indication, presents unsubstantiated superiority claims and overstates efficacy in a way that is “concerning from a public health perspective because they suggest that FazaClo is safer and more effective than has been demonstrated.” FazaClo is a legacy product of Azur, which Jazz acquired last year.
A survey by Makovsky Health and Kelton found consumers overwhelmingly prefer to search for health info on PCs (90%) rather than smartphones (7%) or tablets (4%). The survey of 1,000 consumers also found that consumers regard user-generated content on Wikipedia as a credible source, and that more than half use WebMD, while nearly a third visit online health mags like Prevention and Women’s Health. Social networks are far less popular for health info, with Facebook used by 17% of those polled and YouTube by 15%.
