In October 2008, the FDA issued a warning to Bayer claiming that two television commercials for Yaz were misleading. Two TV spots implied that Yaz was appropriate and effective for the treatment of PMS symptoms. Because Yaz was never approved for this use, the FDA demanded that the commercials be discontinued and corrections be made.
The FDA also cited Bayer for misleading in that the spots implied that Yaz was approved for treating acne of all degrees of severity when, in fact, it was approved only for use with moderate acne. The FDA also claimed that the commercials disguised the information about serious side effects, including abnormal blood clotting.
More than half of state attorneys general brought legal action against Bayer for the misleading spots, prompting Bayer to discontinue their use. In addition, Bayer launched a new advertising campaign intended to correct the misleading claims made in the offending Yaz spots. Most television viewers likely saw these new commercials, which were part of a $20 million dollar campaign. By the time these spots began to air, however, Yaz was among the most popular and best selling oral contraceptives on the market. |
