Concerned that Lipitor ads featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik could be misleading, a congressional committee wants to interview him about his role as the drug's pitchman. Jarvik pioneered an artificial heart
more than 25 years ago, but had toiled in relative obscurity until he began appearing in the television ads two years ago.
Even though Jarvik holds a medical degree, he is not a
cardiologist and is not licensed to practice medicine. And, for that matter, what qualifies him to pose as a rowing enthusiast? The ads have depicted him--among other outdoorsy pursuits--rowing a
one-man racing shell swiftly across a mountain lake. As it turns out, Dr. Jarvik, 61, does not actually practice the sport. The ad agency hired a stunt double.
The House Committee on
Energy and Commerce is looking into when and why Jarvik began taking Lipitor and whether the ads give the public a false impression, according to John D. Dingell, the Michigan Democrat who is the
committee's chairman. "It seems that Pfizer's No. 1 priority is to sell lots of Lipitor," Dingell says.
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