WASHINGTON — When “diet and exercise isn’t enough,” Pfizer still wants consumers to ask their doctor about Lipitor — just not Dr. Robert Jarvik.
On Monday, Pfizer took the doctor and inventor of the artificial heart off the mound as pitchman for the cholesterol-lowering drug after his credentials — in medicine and in his own exercise regimen — came under fire.
House Democrats said the ads could be misleading because Jarvik appeared to be giving medical advice, even though he is not licensed to practice medicine. While Jarvik holds a medical degree, he did not complete the certification requirements to practice medicine.
The New York Times reported this month that Pfizer used a stunt double in an ad in which Jarvik appeared to be rowing. The company replaced that ad with one showing Jarvik jogging with his son.
