FDA to Yaz: Stop Misleading Consumers!
Have you seen the new Yaz commercial? You know, the one that begins with the main actress saying:
You may have seen some Yaz commercials recently that were not clear. The F.D.A. wants us to correct a few points in those ads.
It turns out that the “Yaz commercials” the actress is talking about are the very ads that were the subject of an FDA warning letter (PDF) in 2008 to Bayer (the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin). The FDA’s letter addressed two of Bayer’s Yaz commercials, entitled "Not Gonna Take it" and "Balloons.”
The warning letter stated that these commercials were “misleading” and “over-promised the benefits while minimizing the risks associated with Yaz.” The FDA also said that the ads were misleading because they implied that Yaz could treat PMS and “help keep skin clear.” In fact, Yaz was only approved to treat the more severe symptoms of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) and moderate acne, as opposed to more severe or less severe forms of acne..
The FDA also noted that, in addition to overstating the benefits of Yaz, Bayer also minimized the risks, which the FDA said was “particularly troubling as some of the risks being conveyed are serious, even life-threatening.”
The warning letter concluded that Bayer should stop running the ads immediately, and work on putting together a corrective campaign about the real uses and risks of Yaz that were both truthful and non-misleading.
So, it was actually in response to this warning letter that the makers of Yaz and Yasmin began to air the new commercial to “clear up” misconceptions! Check out that commercial below.
