Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18274

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

Moynihan R
Company launches campaign to 'counter' BMJ claims
BMJ 2003 Jan 18; 326:(7381):120
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/326/7381/120/a

Abstract:

A public relations company with clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry has launched a global campaign to “counter” a recent BMJ article on “female sexual dysfunction” that detailed drug company sponsorship of medical meetings where the condition was defined (4 January, p 45).

London based HCC De Facto this week sent email messages to women’s health groups in Canada and Australia seeking volunteers to speak to the press and help generate media coverage to counter the journal article.

HCC De Facto, which describes its brief as “full service PR and communications,” is currently working on recruitment and publicity for an unnamed pharmaceutical company running phase III trials of a “PDE5 inhibitor” for “female sexual dysfunction.” Pfizer, Bayer, and Lilly-ICOS all make these Viagra type drugs, but it is not known which company—-if any of these three—-is working with HCC De Facto.

In an email message about the phase . . .