FDA’s Makary takes a strong stand against drug advertising

But why not end them entirely?

I am boarding a plane to begin three weeks of travel when my postings will be infrequent at best. But this morning I read FDA commissioner Marty Makary op-ed in yesterday’s New York Times calling the pharmaceutical industry to task for its incessant, misinforming and health care-undermining drug advertising.

You can read it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/opinion/i-run-the-fda-pharma-ads-are-hurting-americans.html

Three cheers for the 100 warning letters he says will be sent out today.

Here’s what I would like my readers to do: If you see a drug ad that appears to violate the principles he lays out, which in short can be summarized as more singing and dancing patients than a helpful balancing of risks and rewards, please let me know by posting a comment to this post or sending me an email. Name the drug and the television show or publication in which it appears.

I promise to compile your reports and send them on to the FDA. Let’s help Makary keep his promises to step up policing of misleading ads and pass a new rule requiring full disclosure of all risks in every ad.

But it was his last sentence that motivated me to write this morning as I board a plane: “The billions of dollars drug companies spend on advertising would be better spent on lowering drug prices for American consumers.”

So true. So why not simply ban drug ads, which serve no useful medical purpose? What Supreme Court decision stands in the way of that, which, let us not forget, was the status quo until only a few decades ago?