Pharmaceutical Industry's Largest Campaign Ever: Ad Focuses On Science & Researcher's Heroism Rather Than Drug Pricing

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The pharmaceutical industry's lobbying group has just launched a gigantic ad campaign aiming to rebrand drug companies image -- without the topic being mentioned. This happened two weeks after US President Donald Trump stated that the industry is "getting away with murder" in relation to the drug prices.

Drug prices have been the multiple congressional hearings' subject recently, and it has been an issue argued during the presidential campaign and consumer's top concern. However, rather than focusing on it, the first television ad centered "on science, patients and the heroism of researchers."

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)confirmed that its latest campaign will cost in the maximum of tens of million of dollars per yer. It will emphasize the areas that involve true scientific excitement such as the potency of personalized medicine, immunotherapies for disease such as cancer, genomics to aim medicines to its patients. PhRMA President Steve Ubl stated at a press event that the pharmaceutical industry has not properly given its scientific story and that the TV, print and online ads would suffice the missing links, giving an explanation to consumers about the new age of medicine.

However, according to medicine's historians, highlighting the development instead of the pricing is a familiar strategy. "Today's "new era of medicine" is yesterday's antibiotics, antituberculosis drugs, psychotropic drugs or antidiabetic medicines." The tactic may have worked previously but it may be risky to repeat the message.

The campaign that deals with health care's affordability have become a concern for the majority of Americans as it remains unknown what will take place the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, a historian of medicine from Johns Hopkins University Jeremy Greene questioned the new treatments for cancer as most patients cannot simply have access to it or afford the treatments, as per The Washington Post.