FDA launches crackdown on deceptive drug advertising

The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday announced sweeping reforms to rein in misleading direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements.

The FDA is sending thousands of letters warning pharmaceutical companies to remove misleading ads and issuing approximately 100 cease-and-desist letters to companies with deceptive ads.

In addition to enforcing existing law, the FDA is initiating rulemaking to close the “adequate provision” loophole created in 1997, which drug companies have used to conceal critical safety risks in broadcast and digital ads, fueling inappropriate drug use and eroding public trust.