ORTHO's RETIN-A "WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW" ADS TO PHYSICIANS

ORTHO's RETIN-A "WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW" ADS TO PHYSICIANS discussing "important Retin-A prescribing information" have been appearing in medical journals since April. The Ortho Pharmaceutical ads, one in Dear Doctor letter format, refer to the "considerable attention" given to Retin-A (tretinoin) in the medical and lay press in recent months following the publication of a small-scale study indicating that the prescription topical anti-acne cream may also be an effective anti-wrinkling treatment. The drug's anti-wrinkling potential is not mentioned in the ads, which state that Ortho "wishes to emphasize that Retin-A is currently indicated only for use in the topical treatment of acne vulgaris." The ads focus on describing the proper application procedures, underlining the importance of prescribing Retin-A for once-a-day use, or every other day use for sensitive skin. The proper application size is described as a "pea-size" amount of Retin-A at night, following with a moisturizer and sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 the next morning. Retin-A can cause skin dryness and redness and is a photosensitizer. Ortho advises physicians that their patients "may need reassurance" during the first several weeks of treatment when a "sudden increase in lesions, redness and peeling" is likely to occur. Such reactions are "in fact an indication Retin-A is working and that therapy should not be interrupted," one of the ads states. More detailed prescribing information appears in smaller print on the second page of the ads. Professional journals in which the adds have appeared include The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association and Medical Economics.