Inside STAT: Direct-to-consumer drug advertising, explained

(ALEX HOGAN/STAT)

Ever wonder why the U.S. is one of only two countries around the world that allows pharma companies to advertise drugs on television? In the first of a new video series called “The Facts, STAT!”, our national biotech reporter Damian Garde looks at the history behind the unique phenomenon, including how a Claritin ad in 1997 forced the FDA’s hand into allowing companies to begin airing TV drug ads for so long as they followed certain criteria. Watch the short video here.