Personal Injury Law

Taking Mirapex or Requip for Restless Leg Syndrome? Beware of “Disease Mongering”

“Disease mongering” is a term coined by some drug-marketing critics to describe what they view as an effort by pharmaceutical companies to enlarge the market for a drug by convincing people that they are suffering from something that can be medically treated and encouraging them to ask their doctor to prescribe the drug in order to enlarge the market for drug treatment and promote a particular product. An example of such a tactic is advertising for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant feelings in the legs with an associated uncontrollable urge to move when resting because of the unpleasant sensation to the legs. Consumer Reports concluded that an advertisement for the drug Requip could leave anyone who ever suffered fidgetiness when trying to go to sleep to wonder whether they have RLS and should seek treatment.

Full post as published by Legal Blog on April 07, 2008 (boomark / email).