FDA Plans Study on How DTC Ad Frequency Affects Perception

The FDA wants to know how differing levels of exposure to a drug advertisement affect a person’s perception of a product’s risks and benefits.

The agency said it is planning a study to assess whether memory, judgment and intention to use a drug will change depending on how often an ad is viewed.

While past studies suggest that multiple viewings lead to greater retention of an ad’s message, those studies were not performed on prescription drug ads, which are unique in having to present risk information as well as benefit information, the agency said.

The new study will examine adult patients who have been diagnosed with seasonal allergies and who do not work in healthcare or marketing. Participants will be asked a series of perception questions after being randomized to view ads either once, three times or six times throughout a 42-minute TV program.

The FDA has shown an increasing interest in the effect of such ads this year, announcing studies aimed at determining whether long risk statements or distracting elements such as moving visuals and music had any effect on participants’ recall of benefit and risk information, as well as studies in adolescent populations. — Lena Freund

Originally appeared in Drug Industry Daily, the pharmaceutical industry’s number one source for regulatory news and information. Click here for more information.