Search Ad Warnings Leave Pharma in Online Void

The pharma industry is still reeling over the flurry of warning letters sent out by FDA last month to 14 pharma companies regarding their search engine advertising practices. In truth, few pharma companies have been vocal about their tactics when it comes to Internet search advertising.

"What FDA has done has had a chilling effect on pharma e-marketers, and certainly has been a major slapdown to the handful of innovators within pharma that have been pushing FDA to acknowledge Web 2.0 and social media," David Ormesher, CEO of CloserLook, said.

"Pharma has been asking the FDA and the search engine executives for guidance for several years," said Mark Bard, president of Manhattan Research. "While a majority of the industry settled on the One click rule' appropriate risK information one click away- it's clear that is not going to be accepted as the industry standard."