Big Pharma’s Newest Marketing Tactic: Infiltrating Soap Operas Like General Hospital – Vox

Read article - Quotes Lisa Schwartz, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, about a new study published in JAMA that found the rare cancer polycythemia vera got a mention on America's oldest soap opera, "General Hospital," because the drug company Incyte asked it to. Incyte's only FDA-approved drug, ruxolitinib, happens to treat the cancer, and the "General Hospital" appearance was the company's attempt to raise awareness about the rare disease — and possibly to sell more of its drug. With a message this subtle, "there's no way you would ever know it was connected to the drug company," says Schwartz, who was not involved in the study. "Your natural skepticism that comes up when you see advertising is totally down because you don't know the drug company has any role in the message you're getting."