Johnson & Johnson is moving into a new genre of drug advertising, rolling out a documentary film about inflammatory diseases. But some health experts say the company may be blurring the lines between
patient education and self-interest. The effort, set to debut in New York this month, comes amid complaints that direct-to-consumer TV ads play down side effects of drugs and drive up costs.
The 60-minute film, dubbed "Innerstate," chronicles the lives of three people dealing with psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease -- and all find relief through costly drugs like
Johnson & Johnson's Remicade. Michael Parks, spokesman for J&J's and executive producer of the film, defends the approach: "This is definitely not a 60-minute infomercial. The intent is really to
educate patients in a meaningful way." He adds that traditional DTC ads do not provide enough time to cover complex diseases while the film lets patients discuss their decision to use advanced
therapies.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at Reuters via CNNMoney.com »