Lipitor Spokesman "Dr." Jarvik being investigated by congress

Lipitor Spokesman "Dr." Jarvik being investigated by congress

www.newstarget.com

NewsTarget) On January 7th, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations sent a letter to Pfizer, Inc. CEO Jeffrey Kindler regarding the direct to consumer (DTC) advertising Lipitor campaign featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik.

Anyone that watches TV or reads newspapers has seen Dr. Jarvik's ads, promoting Lipitor directly to consumers. Did you think that Dr. Jarvik was licensed in the US to practice and prescribe medications? If so, you aren't alone.

According to a Wall Street Journal Health Blog, posted on the website Pharma Marketing Network Forums, NBC Science editor Robert Bazell questioned Jarvik's credentials a year ago.

Apparently Jarvik was unable to get into medical school in the U.S., went to school in Italy and returned to the U.S. to graduate from the University Of Utah School Of Medicine. He did not complete an internship or practice medicine after graduation according to Mr. Bazell.

(visit the link for the full news article)

LOL! This guy is all over the TV ads pimping Lipitor, and he's not even a LICENSED doctor in the U.S.!

Pfizer's got some 'splainin to do!

Although I'm not really suprised, the pharmaceutical industry is overridden with greedy scum.

www.newstarget.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm glad to see our government working to keep us safe from TV commercials. It makes up for allowing our country to amass record debt, failure to regulate the subprime banking industry, control the dollar's freefall and pull the troops out of Iraq. See, I knew things would improve with the democrats.

The entire cholesterol drug market is a total scam. Even the AMA has stated that taking Statins like Lipator are useless in preventing heart disease deaths.

Big Pharm pushes Statins in any way they can because they are huge profit makers. Learn the truth and avoid taking medications to lower your cholesterol.

Dr Jarvik is just another shill pushing poison.

reply to post by Terapin


My doctor has been trying to push this drugs for years, I have argue with her over again when she tries to bring the life saving card.

I have been doing very much research on statin, they goal of pharmacy is to start this statin drug to target the the population at a younger age as a prevention measure due to the obesity problem in this nation.

Rather than target the reason for obesity the target is to keep you fat but make sure your cholesterol is control.

This drugs target the stain in the body, it deplete CQ10 and cause muscle degeneration.

WE know that it already target the liver, but what they don't want to tell you is that when this drugs degenerate the muscle tissue it also degenerate you hart as a muscles.

The brain needs cholesterol to function so when it attack statins it attacks the brain ability to function.

They are poisons and their were to be used only when hart failure was imminent and cholesterol was out of control.

And they are just until cholesterol is regulated not for a long time treatment but temporarily.

My mother now is suffering from swollen ankles and knees to the point of no been able to walk.

Yes is only 64, lipitor was given to her for temporary treatment after having a stent.

She is now off the drug but still having problems with the legs.

Even she said to me to avoid the drugs if necessary.



[edit on 26-1-2008 by marg6043]

Um, yes- Jarvik not being a doctor is bizarre-
just for the simple reason that you would suspect a
large company like that would better vet out the credentials of a spokesman.

But weirder still...

This is the guy who INVENTED THE ARTIFICIAL HEART!

When he did that, I remember him being referred to as "Dr. Jarvik" then...


So- how does a non-doctor invent an artificial heart-
and how does HISTORY record the inventor as a doctor- when he isn't?

Weird.

A conspiracy? Or an oversight? Or an ego-based lie?


TPM

Big Pharmas skew data and lie all the time. There was recently just an article detailing how many of the biggies in the industry who are running studies on various drugs will toss out the less than favorable (or adverse) effects reported, and focus on one or two studies that looked positive. And some of those cases the adverse effects were VERY serious.

These people are right up there with the oil industry in terms of greed.

Muchado about nothing perhaps?

Why would anyone be swayed to take a drug solely based on the person hawking it? Think Bob Dole and his Viagra - Sally Field and her calcium med or better yet, the little cartoon toenail fungus critters.

Fact of the matter is medical decisions -especially those involving long term pharmaceuticals - should be made between a patient and their doctor and NOT because you saw four guys sitting around singing "viva viagra."

To me whether Dr. Jarvik was a practicing physician or just a medical device inventor is irrelevant - he doesn't know squat about "your" individual medical problems (or lack thereof) and you shouldn't even be paying attention to drug commercials.

B.

[edit on 1/26/08 by Bleys]

I agree Bleys, but in my case I have a doctor that sounds just like the marketers in TV.

I am ready to dump her for another doctor, the problem is that I already have a record of dumping my doctors when I disagree with them.

Looks like Pfizer ended up having to get rid of their Jarvik ads. They got themselves in hot water over their 'stretching things'....Wouldn't be the first time a pharmaceutical giant has done so, by any means. Tsk-tsk.


Pfizer pulls TV ads with heart expert Jarvik

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it was pulling television advertisements for its Lipitor cholesterol drug featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart, because they created "misimpressions."

news.yahoo.com...;_ylt=AsDKFR19o7n3k8Eht_bLE.s0NUE

Unreal....

Its all about money,we are all dispensable and its a free for all while on earth.

Too bad big pharma doesn't actually care about the people taking their drugs.

so what. a lot of drug ads have many different folks in them. Of course they are actors, they don't need to be a licensed doctor to talk to a camera in a commercial. If Jarvic is not a licensed doctor, who cares? Is he practicing medicine in a hospital? That might be a big deal.

Ya know, a while ago, in another relationship, I was involved with a phycisian...a person who had their own Family Practice, very very successful...

I used to see and hear how the 'drug reps' would come in and adamantly 'talk up' their particular product. Samples, samples galore!!!
There seemed to be a competition, within a class of drug, to 'improve' upon one that already existed, and corner the market....

Whenever I needed something, it was 'Here, take these samples, we have plenty of 'em...'

The pharms are in a competitive business, a marketing business, and I think it's a little like the battle between Burger King and McDonald's...

Not sure if that is a fair comparison, just an observation from my point of view. Anyone else think so?

reply to post by weedwhacker



Your are right, they are drug dealers. The reps really have no clue of what the drugs do other that what their informational pamphlet tells them.

Its still not OK to put someone on TV saying he is a doctor and that he backs a certain drug when he is not. Id say thats false advertisement among other things.

Sure its stupid to do so but some people see the commercial and believe that he is a doctor and trust what the pharmaceutical company is saying and decide to take these drugs.

If they will lie about something that small right out in the open what do you think they would lie about behind closed doors?? Clinical trials?

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


Ok, so he's not a doctor, but he did invent the artificial heart. That's why they have him on the commercial.