AdvaMed Creates Device Advertising Principles

In response to threats of regulation by lawmakers in the U.S. Senate, a trade association has created a list of voluntary advertising principles for medical device makers, which includes submitting ads to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prior review.

The list by the the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) says advertisements should not be deceiving, easy for consumers to understand and not distract them from possible risks.

“We see a lot of value in direct-to-consumer advertising, but you have to make sure that the information is useful and accurate,” said AdvaMed President and CEO Steve Ubl.

The move comes while a growing number of consumer-directed ads for medical devices are targeting the elderly population.

In December, the industry watchdog group Prescription Project petitioned the FDA over six company videos posted to YouTube. The videos included four for Abbott Laboratories’ XIENCE-V drug eluting stent, one for Medtronic’s Prestige Cervical Disc and one for Stryker’s Cormet Hip Resurfacing product.

Ubl said the move to submit video to the FDA does not apply to online videos posted to copy-owned sites or third-party sites such as YouTube.

He said he believes the voluntary guidelines address the concerns raised by lawmakers including Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging.