• by Karl Greenberg , February 27, 2008

Robert Jarvik, whose presence in ads for cholesterol medication Lipitor is no more, has released a statement of his own.

The medical doctor and cardiac bioengineering pioneer who is president and CEO of Jarvik Heart, Inc. said that his role as spokesperson wasn't theatrical. "I remain deeply committed to alleviating suffering from heart disease, and I assure the public, from the bottom of my heart, that I have been sincere and honest in my role as Lipitor spokesman," he wrote in the statement, which hit the wires Tuesday afternoon.

"The record needs to show that the ad campaign Pfizer tastefully presented to the public, using beautiful natural settings and high-tech modern architecture, fairly represents me as a world-recognized heart expert."

Jarvik's former role as Lipitor pitchman may have been the first time a physician had been paid to tout a pharmaceutical product in an ad push. But what raised the hackles of a Congressional drug committee was that the ads may be misleading: Jarvik is not a cardiologist, nor is he currently licensed to practice medicine. For those reasons, Pfizer pulled the ads.

Jarvik touted his credibility in matters cardiac--and touted his latest artificial heart, the Jarvik 2000 Heart--which, he says, "has rescued people from death and sustained a patient with a normal, mobile lifestyle for seven and a half years--the longest in the world. The Jarvik 2000 Heart is in clinical trials at 18 medical centers in the U.S., is fully approved for use in Europe, and is also used in Australia and Japan."

He also argues that complaints about his not being a licensed cardiologist, and about ads using a double to suggest Jarvik is an avid rower, are moot. "I am in fact a medical doctor; I am a world expert in mechanical heart technology; and I am an athletically fit man who takes care of his own health through diet and exercise, including frequent five-mile runs.

"As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart technology rather than clinical practice, I decided not to take an internship, which is required for licensing. Instead, I work with invention, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical application of artificial hearts," he writes.

"My credibility as a heart expert is fully justified and is fairly represented. As an MD medical scientist I am well qualified to understand the conclusions of the extensive clinical trials and FDA review by which Lipitor was proven safe and effective."

He also makes specific mention of the ad in which he appears to be rowing a boa, saying that at the last minute someone subbed for him because of insurance company worries. "It never occurred to me that anyone would consider this dishonest."