Commercials for erectile dysfunction drugs have become a mainstay of the nightly TV roundup, and none more so than Cialis
(tadalafil), Eli Lilly's answer to Pfizer's blockbuster ED remedy Viagra (sildenafil). Lilly spent more than $150 million
advertising Cialis directly to consumers in 2007, up more than 250 percent since 2006. That made Cialis the No. 7 advertised
drug in the country last year.
A spurting kitchen faucet, a grove of rather phallic-looking trees: These are the not-so-subtle reminders of sex interspersed
through the latest TV spot for Cialis, even as the ad ostensibly gives the straight talk on ED-a very real condition, by the
way, and one that for a percentage of men who have it, may indeed merit medication. But the way the ad presented the condition
prompted us to take a closer look. For one thing, it seems geared toward awfully young guys; for another, it makes zero mention
of the non-drug remedies many men should try first, nor does it address the other possible causes behind erectile problems,
including other medications and heart disease.
Curious about how men might view this ad, we asked our colleagues at the Consumer Reports National Research Center to conduct
an online survey of men age 18 and older. A total of 2,511 respondents were interviewed and a randomly chosen sample of 1,549
were exposed to the Cialis ad. Of those 1,549 respondents, 610 were men with ED who were taking an oral prescription drug
for it; the other 939 were a random male sample, about 10 percent of whom reported suffering from ED. Participants watched
the Cialis ad on their computers and then answered questions related to the ad; and all respondents answered other questions
about ED and ED drugs.
Among the key results (some may raise your eyebrows):
Ads, ads, everywhere. Six in 10 men in the random sample said they'd seen or heard an ad for a prescription ED drug in the last month; 70 percent
recognized this particular ad. Recognition was even higher among the sample of men with ED, at 81 percent.
The men least likely to have it… are the most likely to ask their doctors about it. In the panel of random men, those younger than 40 expressed the highest
propensity to speak with their doctors about taking Cialis after watching the ad. We think the age of the actors in the commercial
may have something to do with that: Despite that fact that ED is most common in men older than 60, about half the guys we
surveyed said the actors appeared to be in their 40s or younger.
Ask and you shall receive. Among men who'd previously asked their doctor about an ED medication they saw advertised, nearly two-thirds (63 percent)
got a prescription.
Recreational use? Ten percent of men in the random sample said they or someone they know have taken ED medications without being diagnosed
with ED; this was most common among younger men. Five percent of guys in the random sample said they or someone they know
has ordered ED meds through the Internet without a prescription. And 14 percent of men who took oral ED drugs admitted they've
sometimes taken more than the recommended dosage.
Effectiveness: Ehh. Among men taking oral drugs for ED, less than half (49 percent) felt their drugs were "very effective" or "effective" at
managing their ED. And one-third reported experiencing side effects.
And finally…
Cialis for everyone! About one-quarter of men thought the ad conveyed that Cialis is a drug that can benefit all men-not just those diagnosed
with erectile dysfunction. That may be music to drugmakers' ears, but we found it a little scary. However, about three-quarters
stated that Cialis is only for men diagnosed with ED.
To view the Cialis commercial for yourself and see our deconstruction of it, click the video link at right. To learn more
about treatments for erectile problems, both drug and non-drug, see our treatments for erectile problems at www.consumerreportshealth.org. And for a viewpoint on Cialis' new once-daily formulation from one of our resident experts,
check out this blog post by Dr. Marvin Lipman.
