Congress investigating marketing, advertising of anemia drugs
Pharma Compliance Alert, April 9, 2008
Did Johnson & Johnson and Amgen improperly market their erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs)? Enquiring lawmakers want to know.
Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce are looking into advertising and promotional practices J&J and Amgen used to promote ESAs directly to consumers and to physicians.
In a letter to J&J, the lawmakers requested information about the advertising campaign for Procrit. Specifically, they want to know how much money J&J spent on direct-to-consumer TV and print ads for Procrit from 2001 to 2005. J&J no longer markets the drugs directly to consumers.
The lawmakers also sent a letter to Amgen requesting copies of its TV and print advertisements for Neupogen and Neulasta. Lawmakers want to know if Amgen discounted its price on Neupogen and Neulasta for physicians who prescribed Aranesp. The lawmakers are concerned “such ‘bundling’ practices have helped fuel excessive and dangerous off-label use of Aranesp.”
Amgen never promoted Aranesp directly to consumers, but did market it to physicians in conjunction with Neupogen and Neulasta.
ESAs have been under federal scrutiny for more than a year, in part because of safety concerns. The FDA is currently considering advice from an outside panel to ban the use of ESAs in people with potentially curable cancers and those with advanced breast cancer or head and neck cancer.
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