1. Pink Sheet
  2. >>Compliance
  3. >>Marketing & Advertising

Tom Abrams’ Steady Leadership Guided US FDA Through Dramatic Changes In Rx Promotion

 
• By Brenda Sandburg

From the rise of DTC to the shadow of Caronia, Abrams, the long-time head of the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, monitored dramatic changes in the pharmaceutical marketplace and regulatory environment. He retired from FDA on 23 October after a tenure marked as much by careful research projects and copious guidances as it was by promotional and legal upheavals.

Time - Abstract illustration
FDA's Tom Abrams retires from FDA after 27 years regulating Rx drug promotions

Tom Abrams, whose name is synonymous with US Food and Drug Administration oversight of prescription drug promotions, retired from the agency on 23 October, marking the end of an era.

Abrams joined FDA’s nascent Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) in 1993, two years after its creation, and became director in 2000

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Marketing & Advertising

Mayne’s Nextstellis Promo Wrong To Suggest Better Safety Than Other Contraceptives, FDA Says

 
• By Sue Sutter

A professional slide deck for the drospirenone/estetrol oral contraceptive inappropriately suggests it is safer than other estrogen-containing products and understates risks, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion said in the first “untitled” letter issued since reductions-in-force.

Are Bigger Ad Policy Changes Coming After US FDA’s Drug Promotion Office Hit Hard By Layoffs?

 
• By Sue Sutter

The loss of policy analyst, legal, project manager and social scientist positions has experts wondering if the Trump Administration is eyeing a broader effort to limit DTC advertising. The OPDP layoffs are expected to result in delayed reviews of promotional pieces.

US FDA Cites Taiho’s Lytgobi Healthcare Provider Website For Misleading Efficacy Claims

 
• By Sue Sutter

Results from a single-arm study cannot support representations on overall survival, progression-free survival and disease control rate for the cancer drug, the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion said in another “untitled” letter implicating the agency’s CFL guidance.

How To Leverage US FDA’s ‘Consistent With Labeling’ Guidance In DTC Ads

 
• By Sue Sutter

Sponsors should review longstanding agency concepts on consumer-friendly language and claims limitations, along with Office of Prescription Drug Promotion research and enforcement, when applying the 2018 CFL guidance to direct-to-consumer advertising, Sidley Austin’s Cope says.

More from Compliance

US FDA’s Expanded Surprise Foreign Inspections: Impact And Enforcement Hoops

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

As the US FDA expands unannounced foreign inspections building on pilots in India and China, experts expect higher scrutiny of overseas sites and perhaps even an industry shakeout in the longer term, though staffing and enforcement challenges could slow things down.

Pharma Industry Argues Tax, Other Incentives Better Than Tariffs

 
• By Jessica Merrill

Pharmaceutical industry organizations offered alternatives to tariffs that could maintain a secure domestic supply chain in public comments filed in response to a federal 232 investigation.

US FDA Expands Surprise Foreign Inspections But Loses Associate Commissioner Michael Rogers

 
• By Sue Sutter

Commissioner Martin Makary’s repeated characterization of foreign facilities as being subject to lower standards than domestic counterparts may have contributed to Rogers’ decision to retire as head of the recently formed Office of Inspections and Investigations.