Edwards: 2-year ban on new drug ads

[babylonsister]

Edwards: 2-year ban on new drug ads

By HOLLY RAMER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 33 minutes ago

LACONIA, N.H. - Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Sunday that prescription drug companies should wait two years to begin advertising their new products to consumers.

Outlining a plan to regulate what he views as misleading drug ads, Edwards noted that annual spending on such ads nearly has quadrupled to $4 billion in the decade since the government relaxed rules on advertising directly to consumers.

"You've seen these ads. You know who's paying for them, right? You are," said Edwards, who for years has derided ads that promise after one pill, "You'll be skipping through the fields holding hands with your spouse."

Top companies spend twice as much on marketing and administration as they do on research and development, he said at a town-hall meeting at Laconia High School.

"Basically, they do what they want, and they're driving up demand for the most expensive and most profitable drugs," he said. "The next president needs to deal with this issue."

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071028/ap_po/edwards