Marketing

Sugary Deals Tempt Health Care Charities

by Jonathan Rosenblum — December 4, 2006 - 5:51pm

Public health charities are under intense pressure from potential or ongoing commercial sponsors to boost their budgets with product promotion schemes. For example, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) currently has a $1.5 million sponsorship deal with Cadbury Schweppes, maker of Dr. Pepper and the Cadbury Creme egg.

Main Source:

The New York Times, November 25, 2006

Implant Flacks

by Bob Burton — November 23, 2006 - 5:55am

On November 17 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved silicone breast implants manufactured by Mentor Corporation and Allergan. PR Week reports that the PR firm MS&L "began working with Inamed Corp.

Main Source:

PR Week (sub req'd), November 21, 2006

Big Pharma Poised to Pay For Faster FDA Ad Approval

by Jonathan Rosenblum — November 22, 2006 - 10:51am

Negotiators representing Big Pharma and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are close to a deal on raising fees paid by industry to speed up reviews of direct-to-consumer advertising. A spokesperson for the trade group BioCentury said that the FDA is seeking to raise about $6.2 million per year, putting individual application review fees at about $41,000.

Main Source:

Marketplace, November 21, 2006

Drug Industry's Glory Days May Be Over

by Bob Burton — November 22, 2006 - 4:24am

The drug industry is bracing itself for major legislative changes once the new Congress sits. Forbes journalist Matthew Herper notes that, following the mid-term elections, major drug company shares have dropped by over 5%.

Main Source:

Forbes November 16, 2006

U.S. Fake News Sales Slide

by Bob Burton — November 21, 2006 - 9:33pm

Topics: Advertising, Video News Releases, International, Marketing, Propaganda, Public Relations, U.S. Government

One indication that the controversy over the unattributed use of video news releases (VNRs) is beginning to bite is buried in the latest quarterly financial report of Medialink Worldwide, the $30 million a year behemoth of the fake news industry.

FCC Commissioners Pledge Expanded Inquiry Into Fake News

by Bob Burton — November 15, 2006 - 4:19am

Federal Communication Commissioners (FCC) Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein have promised an investigation into each of the 46 television stations revealed by the Center for Media and Democracy's report, Still Not the News to have used undisclosed

Main Source:

Democracy Now (US), November 14th, 2006

U.S. Lobbies Against U.K. Drug System

by Bob Burton — November 15, 2006 - 12:26am

US Deputy Health Secretary, Alex Azar, is lobbying the Britain's Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, to ease restrictions on the drug industry. In particular, the U.S. drug companies want the ban on direct-to-consumer advertising dropped and to increase the prices the government pays for drugs.

Main Source:

Guardian (UK), November 14, 2006

Drugging Kids

by Bob Burton — November 13, 2006 - 4:37am

Even though the European Medicines Agency has endorsed the use of Prozac and similar drugs in children over eight, medical researchers doubt the appropriateness of prescribing such powerful drugs in all but rare cases.

Main Source:

The Sunday Times (UK), November 12, 2006

Hyping Heart Attacks

by Bob Burton — November 3, 2006 - 4:34am

Alan Cassels notes that disease mongering advertisements for cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as for Pfizer's Lipitor, hype the risk of heart attacks for those people with 'high' cholesterol.

Main Source:

Common Ground (Canada), November 2006