• The Boston Globe, Wednesday, November 1, 2006 11:16 AM

Roche's biggest ad campaign for the prescription antiviral drug Tamiflu is drawing some fire for attempting to build demand for the drug, which is not very effective. The company will promote it heavily over the Thanksgiving weekend via ads in print, TV, movie theaters, online and in airports. The ads star the penguins that appear in the new animated movie "Happy Feet."

Roche says it is spending a "significant" amount of money and the unbranded advertising--that doesn't mention Tamiflu by name--is to raise awareness as flu season begins. "Flu is a serious illness that affects up to 40 million Americans every year," says a Roche spokesman.

But according to Dr. Jerry Avorn, a professor at Harvard Medical School, the effort is irresponsible--as it overstates the drug's "slender" benefits: "It's not as if this somehow cures the flu or treats the flu. It just will shorten the symptoms by a day or so," he says.

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