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DTC Hearings Begin, FDA Just Wants Info

The two-day public hearings on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising convened by the FDA began yesterday, and three things became clear, writes AdAge. First, supporters of DTC understand that change is needed, and are willing to bend a bit. Opponents want complete reform and seem bolstered by the fact that the public and political climate seems to favor them - at the moment.

And, the FDA knows something must give in the $4 billion industry, but isn’t sure whether it can do anything. For now, the FDA panel stressed that its goal of the hearings was simply to gather information in order to answer pertinent questions surrounding DTC, including what action the FDA should take if companies violate guidelines.