More on Merck's "Tell Someone" HPV awareness program

Earlier this week, we wrote about the intriguing ad campaign launched by Merck to stress the link between HPV and cervical cancer. With the imminent arrival of the company's HPV vaccine, Gardasil, it seemed obvious that the print, TV, and web presence were the first steps in the rollout of promotion for Gardasil. Not so, says Merck, in this Bloomberg.com story:

"Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert, a consumer group based in Portland, Oregon, that is critical of drug company advertising, said Merck's promotional Web site on the viral connection to cervical cancer is 'deceptive and dishonest.''

'Merck doesn't tell you why the site exists, which is to sell Gardasil,' Ruskin said.

[Kelley] Dougherty, the Merck spokeswoman, said the campaign isn't about Gardasil.

'This campaign is part of a broad and longstanding Merck public health commitment to encourage education about the disease,' Dougherty said in an e-mail."

Merck launches a costly, multi-platform ad campaign bringing attention to a virus for which the company just happens to have a vaccine set to arrive in the next month, and one has nothing to do with the other? More likely is that the spokesperson is trying to prevent Merck from running afoul of laws prohibiting advertising for medications (and vaccines) not yet approved for use in the U.S., a category that would include Gardasil -- at least until June 8.

That said, the Bloomberg story suggests that there is plenty of need for education about the link between HPV and cervical cancer. According to data from Merck, fewer than 20% of women in the U.S. are aware of the connection.

Health education is crucial, but many in the medical community continue to be wary of this responsibility falling to the pharmaceutical industry, whether through visits from drug reps, free meals, sponsored conferences or lectures, or direct-to-consumer advertising such as the "Tell Someone" campaign.

***Update: November 14, 2006 -- For more recent perspectives on Merck's "One Less" advertising campaign, click here.***