Direct-to-Consumer Stem Cell Marketing and Regulatory Responses

Direct-to-consumer marketing for genetic testing.

Direct-to-consumer Marketing to People with Hemophilia

Adriane Fugh-Berman and colleagues describe how strategies similar to those used to market drugs to physicians are directed towards people with hemophilia.

Stem cell clinics online: the direct-to-consumer portrayal of stem cell medicine.

Despite the immature state of stem cell medicine, patients are seeking and accessing putative stem cell therapies in an "early market" in which direct-to-consumer advertising via the internet likely plays an important role. We analyzed stem cell clinic websites and appraised the relevant published clinical evidence of stem cell therapies to address three questions about the direct-to-consumer p...

Direct-to-consumer marketing of durable medical equipment.

T commercials are pervasive. Every time I hear the line, “I got a new scooter, and it didn’t cost me a dime,” I get an uneasy feeling, since the main message comes across as how to get “free stuff” from Medicare. It’s not surprising that some of the companies that provide scooters, oxygen, diabetes supplies, and various durable medical equipment (DME) have been investigated for fraud and abuse....

Trade Agreements and Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Pharmaceuticals

There is growing international concern about the risks posed by direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription pharmaceuticals, including via the internet. Recent trade agreements negotiated by the United States, however, incorporate provisions that may constrain national regulation of DTCA. Some provisions explicitly mention DTCA; others enable foreign investors to seek compensation if ...