Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19930

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Leighton G, Telford ME
Evidence based advertising?: Reply from manufactuter
BMJ 1997 Dec 13; 315:1621

Abstract:

Editor – Blondeel’s concerns about the advertisement for nifedipine raise several issues. The advertisement was placed to highlight the first study to be published in a peer reviewed journal with an international reputation (the Journal of Hypertension) that describes the first intervention trial in hypertensive patients to show that a dihydropyridine calcuim channel blocker (nifedipine) may confer long term benefits in terms of morbidity and mortality. 1 The findings of this study have recently been supported by the results of the systolic hypertension in Europe trial for the dihydropyridine nitrendipine. 2
These studies give the first indication that, in common with thiazides diuretics and ß blockers, 3 dihydropyridine calcium antagonists also confer long term benefits for hypertensive patients. There are further ongoing prospective outcome studies in hypertension, including one reported by Brown et al, which will provide more evidence of the influence that this class of compounds has on outcomes. 4
As with all advertisements in medical journals, it is the responsibility of pharmaceutical companies to comply with the Medicines Act and the code of practice of the Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry. Bayer takes all these responsibilities very seriously, and the code of practice is rigorously applied to all such advertisements.
Nevertheless, it is important that ethical pharmaceutical companies should communicate important developments in medical science to the medical profession. The medical information department at Bayer will be pleased to supply scientific and technical information relating to such developments to any member of the profession in Britain so that individual doctors can assess such information and formulate their own prescribing policies.

1. Gong L, Zhang W, Zhu J, et al. Shanghai trial of nifedipine in the elderly (STONE). J Hyperts 1996; 14; 1237-45
2. Staessan JA, Fagard R, Thijs L, Celis H, Arabidze GG, Birkenhager WH, et al for the Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) Trial Investigators. Randomised double-blind comparison of placebo and active treatment for older patients with isolated systolic hypertension. Lancet 1997; 350; 757-764.
3. Medical Research Council Working Party. MRC trial of treatment of mild hypertension: principal results. BMJ 1985; 291; 97-104.
4. Brown MJ. Castaigne A. Ruilape LM, Mancia G, Rosenthal T, de Leeuw PW, et al. INSIGHT: international nifedipine GITS study intervention as a goal in hypertension treatment. J Hum Hypertens 1996; 10 (supp 3); S157-60