corner
Healthy Skepticism
Join us to help reduce harm from misleading health information.
Increase font size   Decrease font size   Print-friendly view   Print
Register Log in

Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6091

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

Brouneus F, Dahlin A, Beermann B.
Press coverage and sales of Xenical in Sweden, 1998-2000.
Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2005 Jun 01; 61:(4):285-9
http://www.springerlink.com/content/h74829p313380064/


Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The anti-obesity drug Xenical (orlistat, Roche) was launched on the Swedish market in February 1999. The sales peaked in May 1999 and then declined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the press coverage of Xenical during the period 1998-2000 and, if possible, relate press attention to Xenical sales during this period. METHODS: We analysed all articles published in Sweden’s four biggest-selling newspapers mentioning Xenical during the period 1998-2000. Promotion activities aimed at healthcare professionals were measured by registering the number of advertisements in the Journal of the Swedish Medical Association. Sales figures for Xenical were obtained from the National Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies. RESULTS: Approximately twice as many positive-effect messages were published than negative or neutral messages. Only six out of 42 positive messages referred to results from scientific studies. The initial high peaks for sales and positive-effect articles coincided with the launch of Xenical on the Swedish market. CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to discern a causal relationship between press coverage and sales; however, it seems safe to say that the large number of positive articles published before and during the launch greatly increased public awareness of Xenical, thus promoting sales.

Keywords:
Advertising* Anti-Obesity Agents/economics* Anti-Obesity Agents/therapeutic use Economics, Pharmaceutical Lactones/economics* Lactones/therapeutic use Mass Media* Newspapers Periodicals Sweden

 

  Healthy Skepticism on RSS   Healthy Skepticism on Facebook   Healthy Skepticism on Twitter

Please
Click to Register

(read more)

then
Click to Log in
for free access to more features of this website.

Forgot your username or password?

You are invited to
apply for membership
of Healthy Skepticism,
if you support our aims.

Pay a subscription

Support our work with a donation

Buy Healthy Skepticism T Shirts


If there is something you don't like, please tell us. If you like our work, please tell others.

Email a Friend








...to influence multinational corporations effectively, the efforts of governments will have to be complemented by others, notably the many voluntary organisations that have shown they can effectively represent society’s public-health interests…
A small group known as Healthy Skepticism; formerly the Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing) has consistently and insistently drawn the attention of producers to promotional malpractice, calling for (and often securing) correction. These organisations [Healthy Skepticism, Médecins Sans Frontières and Health Action International] are small, but they are capable; they bear malice towards no one, and they are inscrutably honest. If industry is indeed persuaded to face up to its social responsibilities in the coming years it may well be because of these associations and others like them.
- Dukes MN. Accountability of the pharmaceutical industry. Lancet. 2002 Nov 23; 360(9346)1682-4.