Trump Signs Order to Tighten Drug Advertising Regulations

President Trump signed a memorandum directing the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to increase enforcement of existing regulations on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and to ensure greater transparency, particularly regarding drug risks. This action aims to reinstate a policy that could significantly restrict TV drug ads, reversing a 1997 change that allowed an increase in such advertisements, a move championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who supports curbing pharmaceutical advertising. The administration plans to require more comprehensive risk disclosures in pharmaceutical ads and to send numerous warning and cease-and-desist letters to companies violating advertising rules. The crackdown targets misleading or incomplete advertisements that may favor expensive brand-name drugs over generics and mislead consumers about risks, potentially impacting billions in pharmaceutical ad spending on TV and social media. While the policy stops short of banning drug ads outright, it reflects the administration’s priority to provide patients with more balanced information and possibly reduce the influence of pharma advertising on consumer behavior. The pharmaceutical industry and major TV networks are expected to oppose these changes due to their financial implications.