House Probes Artifical Heart Pioneer Jarvik's Role in Drug Ads

Fox News ^ | Wednesday, January 23, 2008 | Greg Simmons

[The_Victor]

WASHINGTON —  A House investigation is casting a wider net into whether artificial-heart pioneer Robert Jarvik improperly endorsed a cholesterol-reducing medication in a number of advertisements.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., and committee member Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., sent a letter Tuesday to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach demanding to see records housed in the FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising and Communications office regarding recent advertisements for the cholesterol-decreasing drug Lipitor.

Dingell and Stupak asked for all records relating to print, radio, TV or Internet advertisements for Lipitor featuring Jarvik, setting a Feb. 5 deadline. The letter follows a Jan. 7 letter to Pfizer Inc. — which markets Lipitor — also seeking records regarding the advertisement.

In the widely seen advertisements, Jarvik endorses Lipitor, which is the top-selling drug worldwide and accounts for about one-third of Pfizer's sales, according to Bloomberg News. Jarvik helped develop the first fully artificial heart and is known worldwide as an innovator in the field.

The lawmakers are concerned that Jarvik is blurring the lines between his professional experience and his endorsement of the product, said a committee spokeswoman who asked that her name not be published.

[The_Victor]

democRATs with too much time on their hands.

[traderrob6]

Maybe, but statins are one of the most over-prescribed under performing drugs of all time.

[Tax Government]

Democrats are slime.

[rellimpank]

—yep—after they get through fixing baseball they can move on to medicine—

[Niuhuru]

Doesn’t the government have more pressing things to worry about?

[carjic]

Maybe but Lipitor took me WAY down from dangerous to normal overnight. Exercise and diet was not working.

[HoosierHawk]

"There are questions that we would like to have answered," she said. She also said she was not aware of any specific statutes that were being applied in the investigation, but they likely will develop as the probe moves along.

Good thing I read the article. I thought Jarvik had done something wrong.

[massgopguy]

Doesn’t Jarvik endorse it in the ad because he is on it?

[The_Victor]

Maybe, but statins are one of the most over-prescribed under performing drugs of all time.

Which has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of congress investigating a private citizen's endorsement of a product.

[ConorMacNessa]

I’ve had great results with Lipitor. The House is making much ado over nothing, IMHO.

[ChuckShick]

Evey time I see that Boniva ad, I ask myself, “When is John Dingel going to go after Sally Field for that endorsement?”

I wonder...

[massgopguy]

When will congress hold hearings on Payton Manning’s endorsements?

[dead]

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., and committee member Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.,

This one is easy to solve. Check the political contributions to these two gentlemen from the pharmaceutical firms competing with Lipitor.

[SamuraiScot]

How’s about free speech?

[Tribune7]

What if he endorsed Hillary? Would they still investigate?

Dems motto on speech (and guns and everything else) is freedom for me but not for thee.

[CDHart]

And we get to pay for this foolishness. It's none of their business, anyway.

Carolyn

[Tijeras_Slim]

Dr. Jarvik should have made an artificial brain for these idiots.

[Delta 21]

Yeah. Making sure you can only watch Hi-Def TV and that all your light bulbs are CFLs.

[mkjessup]

Jarvik must not have contributed to the ‘Rat campaign for ‘08.

[HoosierHawk]

: )