Under Siege I

NJBIZ, Jan 17, 2005

Pity Pfizer, taking hits above and below the belt. First, in November 2004 the FDA warned it about making claims concerning the performance-enhancement capabilities of its erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. Then in early January, a lawsuit filed by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil-PPC was settled with Judge Denny Chin of the Southern District of New York ruling that Pfizer can't claim its Listerine mouthwash is as effective as flossing.

Finally, a January 10 letter from the FDA takes issue with "the omission or minimization of risk information" in promotions for Pfizer pain relievers CeIebrex and Bextra. The company says it will work with the FDA to ensure that Viagra and painkiller ads meet the agency's standards and will abide by Judge Chin's order to relabel Listcrine products on store shelves and in warehouses-an effort that will reportedly cost about $2 million.