Full page ads in major newspapers: Does pharma really spend twice on marketing what it spends on R&D?

At this post ("Merck and Vytorin ... Who, Exactly, is Confused?") I commented on a full page ad (actually it's a two page ad, where page 2 includes prescribing information) being run by Merck and Schering Plough in the Philadelphia Inquirer to defend drugs Ezetimibe and Vytorin. I predict it is running in other papers in other major markets as well.

I first saw the ad on Tuesday, Jan. 22. It has appeared in the Inquirer every day since, today included. That's at least four days; I don't know when the ad started.

The cost for the ad must be significant. It certainly gives life to the findings that pharma spends twice on marketing what it spends on R&D.

-- SS

Addendum: readers mentioned it also appeared in The Akron Beacon Journal, Boston Globe as well as The Wall Street Journal. I venture is has been in many others as well.

Post Title → Full page ads in major newspapers: Does pharma really spend twice on marketing what it spends on R&D?