Correspondence
Deceptive X-Ray Films in an Advertisement
N Engl J Med 1993; 329:1207October 14, 1993
- Article
To the Editor:
A new tool in our armamentarium against opportunistic infections in AIDS is always welcome, and the recent trial of atovaquone by Hughes et al. (May 27 issue)1 demonstrates that this drug will have its place in that struggle. I am disturbed, however, by the months of glossy advertisements for atovaquone (one of which appears in the same issue) that contain a pair of chest radiographs presumably demonstrating the response of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia to therapy with the drug. The nearly opaque lungs in the first radiograph are replaced by a gratifyingly black translucence in the post-therapy film. Interestingly, the heart has also all but disappeared. A closer look reveals that the second film is markedly overpenetrated as compared with the first, making any judgment of the true improvement shown in the films impossible at the dimensions at which they were reproduced, and perhaps even in their original dimensions. I hope that this simply represents an unfortunate choice of films and was not premeditated, but the result is misleading and gives the impression of an intentional deception. Burroughs Wellcome Company has an outstanding reputation, and it has consistently been at the forefront of the fight against AIDS; I trust that it will take steps to correct this potentially misleading advertisement.
1 ReferencesRichard Finley, M.D.
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216Author/Editor Response
A spokesman for Burroughs Wellcome replies:
To the Editor: We would like to thank Dr. Finley for his critique of our advertising material. It is the policy of Burroughs Wellcome to give accurate and balanced information to physicians in all advertisements of our products. We agree with Dr. Finley that the radiographs as shown may make any judgment of true improvement difficult. Unfortunately, they were mistakenly placed, and we regret this error. Nevertheless, the key information in the advertisement is the data from trials comparing Mepron (atovaquone) with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and comparing Mepron with intravenous pentamidine. This information is presented prominently in the advertisement to help clinicians judge the therapeutic value of Mepron. The introductory advertisement in question ran during the launch period for Mepron and was discontinued in June 1993. We will take every measure to ensure that future advertisements including radiographic reproductions are more clearly presented.
Lloyd G. Millstein, Ph.D.
Burroughs Wellcome Company, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
