Amgen announced it has agreed to the pharmaceutical industry’s “Guiding Principles” on direct-to-consumer advertising, which were approved by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America last Friday. The guidelines will go into effect by January 1, 2006. The principles will go beyond Food and Drug Administration guidelines, recommending that manufacturers educate physicians about a new product before launching new direct-to-consumer ad campaigns and to submit new television ads to the FDA. Amgen plans to pre-clear through the FDA all initial drug product television and print ads. “The intent of DTC advertising is to increase the likelihood that patients will receive appropriate care for conditions that are frequently under-diagnosed and under-treated,” said George Morrow, Amgen’s executive vice president, global commercial operations, in a news release “DTC is only part of Amgen’s patient education effort. Amgen has long served patients, physicians, and communities by supporting health education programs singularly or with partnerships with patient advocacy groups or health care providers.”
