Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Alzheimer’s Disease Drugs

Abstract

Use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising by pharmaceutical manufacturers has skyrocketed in the past few decades as patients demand more information on drugs and the FDA has gotten more relaxed in its regulation of such marketing. In particular, television advertisements for prescription drugs for chronic conditions have dramatically increased. This paper will analyze the use of DTC advertising for prescription drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating disease which can last for more than a decade before it leads to death. The paper will start with a history of DTC advertising and the FDA’s regulation of such advertisements. It will then proceed to analyze issues of DTC advertising which are particularly pertinent for Alzheimer’s disease, with an in-depth look at Aricept, one FDA-approved drug for Alzheimer’s. The paper will conclude with suggestions for further studies in the area and a number of proposals for reform.