WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will convene a two-day meeting today to hear the drug industry’s position on Internet marketing.
The agency has agreed to consider developing rules for online advertising after companies complained that the current guidelines for traditional media — which require a detailed list of possible side effects — have left them hamstrung trying to market themselves via Google, Twitter and other websites.
An estimated 83 percent of Internet users search for health information online, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
A few drugmakers have begun trying to reach patients via social- networking sites. But overall, the industry’s online presence is just 4 percent of the $10.9 billion spent on Internet advertising, trailing other sectors, including retail, financial services and computer makers.
Observers say companies have largely steered clear for fear of running afoul of regulators, who have not defined the rules of operating online. The Associated Press
