21 C.F.R. § 202.1 : Food and Drugs — FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES — DRUGS: GENERAL — PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADVERTISING — Prescription-drug advertisements — Prescription-drug advertisements

(a)
(1) The ingredient information required by section 502(n) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act shall appear together, without any intervening written, printed, or graphic matter, except the proprietary names of ingredients, which may be included with the listing of established names.
(2) The order of listing of ingredients in the advertisement shall be the same as the order of listing of ingredients on the label of the product, and the information presented in the advertisement concerning the quantity of each such ingredient shall be the same as the corresponding information on the label of the product.
(3) The advertisement shall not employ a fanciful proprietary name for the drug or any ingredient in such a manner as to imply that the drug or ingredient has some unique effectiveness or composition, when, in fact, the drug or ingredient is a common substance, the limitations of which are readily recognized when the drug or ingredient is listed by its established name.
(4) The advertisement shall not feature inert or inactive ingredients in a manner that creates an impression of value greater than their true functional role in the formulation.
(5) The advertisement shall not designate a drug or ingredient by a proprietary name that, because of similarity in spelling or pronunciation, may be confused with the proprietary name or the established name of a different drug or ingredient.
(b)
(1) If an advertisement for a prescription drug bears a proprietary name or designation for the drug or any ingredient thereof, the established name, if such there be, corresponding to such proprietary name or designation shall accompany such proprietary name or designation each time it is featured in the advertisement for the drug; but, except as provided below in this subparagraph, the established name need not be used with the proprietary name or designation in the running text of the advertisement. On any page of an advertisement in which the proprietary name or designation is not featured but is used in the running text, the established name shall be used at least once in the running text in association with such proprietary name or designation and in the same type size used in the running text: Provided, however, That if the proprietary name or designation is used in the running text in larger size type, the established name shall be used at least once in association with, and in type at least half as large as the type used for, the most prominent presentation of the proprietary name or designation in such running text. If any advertisement includes a column with running text containing detailed information as to composition, prescribing, side effects, or contraindications and the proprietary name or designation is used in such column but is not featured above or below the column, the established name shall be used at least once in such column of running text in association with such proprietary name or designation and in the same type size used in such column of running text: Provided, however, That if the proprietary name or designation is used in such column of running text in larger size type, the established name shall be used at least once in association with, and in type at least half as large as the type used for, the most prominent presentation of the proprietary name or designation in such column of running text. Where the established name is required to accompany or to be used in association with the proprietary name or designation, the established name shall be placed in direct conjunction with the proprietary name or designation, and the relationship between the proprietary name or designation and the established name shall be made clear by use of a phrase such as "brand of" preceding the established name, by brackets surrounding the established name, or by other suitable means.
(2) The established name shall be printed in letters that are at least half as large as the letters comprising the proprietary name or designation with which it is joined, and the established name shall have a prominence commensurate with the prominence with which such proprietary name or designation appears, taking into account all pertinent factors, including typography, layout, contrast, and other printing features.
(c) In the case of a prescription drug containing two or more active ingredients, if the advertisement bears a proprietary name or designation for such mixture and there is no established name corresponding to such proprietary name or designation, the quantitative ingredient information required in the advertisement by section 502(n) of the act shall be placed in direct conjunction with the most prominent display of the proprietary name or designation. The prominence of the quantitative ingredient information shall bear a reasonable relationship to the prominence of the proprietary name.
(d)
(1) If the advertisement employs one proprietary name or designation to refer to a combination of active ingredients present in more than one preparation (the individual preparations differing from each other as to quantities of active ingredients and/or the form of the finished preparation) and there is no established name corresponding to such proprietary name or designation, a listing showing the established names of the active ingredients shall be placed in direct conjunction with the most prominent display of such proprietary name or designation. The prominence of this listing of active ingredients shall bear a reasonable relationship to the prominence of the proprietary name and the relationship between such proprietary name or designation, and the listing of active ingredients shall be made clear by use of such phrase as "brand of", preceding the listing of active ingredients.
(2) The advertisement shall prominently display the name of at least one specific dosage form and shall have the quantitative ingredient information required by section 502(n) of the act in direct conjunction with such display. If other dosage forms are listed in the advertisement, the quantitative ingredient information for such dosage forms shall appear in direct conjunction and in equal prominence with the most prominent listing of the names of such dosage forms.
(e) True statement of information in brief summary relating to side effects, contraindications, and effectiveness:
(1) When required. All advertisements for any prescription drug ("prescription drug" as used in this section means drugs defined in section 503(b)(1) of the act and §201.105, applicable to drugs for use by man and veterinary drugs, respectively), except advertisements described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, shall present a true statement of information in brief summary relating to side effects, contraindications (when used in this section "side effects, contraindications" include side effects, warnings, precautions, and contraindications and include any such information under such headings as cautions, special considerations, important notes, etc.) and effectiveness. Advertisements broadcast through media such as radio, television, or telephone communications systems shall include information relating to the major side effects and contraindications of the advertised drugs in the audio or audio and visual parts of the presentation and unless adequate provision is made for dissemination of the approved or permitted package labeling in connection with the broadcast presentation shall contain a brief summary of all necessary information related to side effects and contraindications.
(2) Exempt advertisements. The following advertisements are exempt from the requirements of paragraph (e)(1) of this section under the conditions specified:
(i) Reminder advertisements. Reminder advertisements are those which call attention to the name of the drug product but do not include indications or dosage recommendations for use of the drug product. These reminder advertisements shall contain only the proprietary name of the drug product, if any; the established name of the drug product, if any; the established name of each active ingredient in the drug product; and, optionally, information relating to quantitative ingredient statements, dosage form, quantity of package contents, price, the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor or other written, printed, or graphic matter containing no representation or suggestion relating to the advertised drug product. If the Commissioner finds that there is evidence of significant incidence of fatalities or serious injury associated with the use of a particular prescription drug, he may withdraw this exemption by so notifying the manufacturer, packer, or distributor of the drug by letter. Reminder advertisements, other than those solely intended to convey price information including, but not limited to, those subject to the requirements of §200.200 of this chapter, are not permitted for a prescription drug product whose labeling contains a boxed warning relating to a serious hazard associated with the use of the drug product. Reminder advertisements which are intended to provide consumers with information concerning the price charged for a prescription for a drug product are exempt from the requirements of this section if they meet all of the conditions contained in §200.200 of this chapter. Reminder advertisements, other than those subject to the requirements of §200.200 of this chapter, are not permitted for a drug for which an announcement has been published pursuant to a review on the labeling claims for the drug by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council (NAS/NRC), Drug Efficacy Study Group, and for which no claim has been evaluated as higher than "possibly effective." If the Commissioner finds the circumstances are such that a reminder advertisement may be misleading to prescribers of drugs subject to NAS/NRC evaluation, such advertisements will not be allowed and the manufacturer, packer, or distributor will be notified either in the publication of the conclusions on the effectiveness of the drug or by letter.
(ii) Advertisements of bulk-sale drugs. Advertisements of bulk-sale drugs that promote sale of the drug in bulk packages in accordance with the practice of the trade solely to be processed, manufactured, labeled, or repackaged in substantial quantities and that contain no claims for the therapeutic safety or effectiveness of the drug.
(iii) Advertisements of prescription-compounding drugs. Advertisements of prescription-compounding drugs that promote sale of a drug for use as a prescription chemical or other compound for use by registered pharmacists in compounding prescriptions if the drug otherwise complies with the conditions for the labeling exemption contained in §201.120 and the advertisement contains no claims for the therapeutic safety or effectiveness of the drug.
(3) Scope of information to be included; applicability to the entire advertisement.
(i) The requirement of a true statement of information relating to side effects, contraindications, and effectiveness applies to the entire advertisement. Untrue or misleading information in any part of the advertisement will not be corrected by the inclusion in another distinct part of the advertisement of a brief statement containing true information relating to side effects, contraindications, and effectiveness of the drug. If any part or theme of the advertisement would make the advertisement false or misleading by reason of the omission of appropriate qualification or pertinent information, that part or theme shall include the appropriate qualification or pertinent information, which may be concise if it is supplemented by a prominent reference on each page to the presence and location elsewhere in the advertisement of a more complete discussion of such qualification or information.
(ii) The information relating to effectiveness is not required to include information relating to all purposes for which the drug is intended but may optionally be limited to a true statement of the effectiveness of the drug for the selected purpose(s) for which the drug is recommended or suggested in the advertisement. The information relating to effectiveness shall include specific indications for use of the drug for purposes claimed in the advertisement; for example, when an advertisement contains a broad claim that a drug is an antibacterial agent, the advertisement shall name a type or types of infections and microorganisms for which the drug is effective clinically as specifically as required, approved, or permitted in the drug package labeling.
(iii) The information relating to side effects and contraindications shall disclose each specific side effect and contraindication (which include side effects, warnings, precautions, and contraindications and include any such information under such headings as cautions, special considerations, important notes, etc.; see paragraph (e)(1) of this section) contained in required, approved, or permitted labeling for the advertised drug dosage form(s): Provided, however,

( The side effects and contraindications disclosed may be limited to those pertinent to the indications for which the drug is recommended or suggested in the advertisement to the extent that such limited disclosure has previously been approved or permitted in drug labeling conforming to the provisions of §§201.100 or 201.105; and

( The use of a single term for a group of side effects and contraindications (for example, "blood dyscrasias" for disclosure of "leukopenia," "agranulocytosis," and "neutropenia") is permitted only to the extent that the use of such a single term in place of disclosure of each specific side effect and contraindication has been previously approved or permitted in drug labeling conforming to the provisions of §§201.100 or 201.105.

(4) Substance of information to be included in brief summary .
(i)
(a) An advertisement for a prescription drug covered by a new-drug application approved pursuant to section 505 of the act after October 10, 1962, or a prescription drug covered by a new animal drug application approved pursuant to section 512 of the act after August 1, 1969, or any approved supplement thereto, or for a prescription drug listed in the index pursuant to section 572 of the act, or any granted modification thereto, shall not recommend or suggest any use that is not in the labeling accepted in such approved new-drug application or supplement, new animal drug application or supplement, or new animal drug index listing or modification. The advertisement shall present information from labeling required, approved, permitted, or granted in a new-drug or new animal drug application or new animal drug index listing relating to each specific side effect and contraindication in such labeling that relates to the uses of the advertised drug dosage form(s) or shall otherwise conform to the provisions of paragraph (e)(3)(iii) of this section.

( If a prescription drug was covered by a new-drug application or a supplement thereto that became effective prior to October 10, 1962, an advertisement may recommend or suggest:

( Uses contained in the labeling accepted in such new-drug application and any effective, approved, or permitted supplement thereto.

( Additional uses contained in labeling in commercial use on October 9, 1962, to the extent that such uses did not cause the drug to be an unapproved "new drug" as "new drug" was defined in section 201(p) of the act as then in force, and to the extent that such uses would be permitted were the drug subject to paragraph (e)(4)(iii) of this section.

( Additional uses contained in labeling in current commercial use to the extent that such uses do not cause the drug to be an unapproved "new drug" as defined in section 201(p) of the act as amended or a "new animal drug" as defined in section 201(v) of the act as amended.

The advertisement shall present information from labeling required, approved, or permitted in a new-drug application relating to each specific side effect and contraindication in such labeling that relates to the uses of the advertised drug dosage form(s) or shall otherwise conform to the provisions of paragraph (e)(3)(iii) of this section.

(ii) In the case of an advertisement for a prescription drug other than a drug the labeling of which causes it to be an unapproved "new drug" and other than drugs covered by paragraph (e)(4)(i) of this section, an advertisement may recommend and suggest the drug only for those uses contained in the labeling thereof:

( For which the drug is generally recognized as safe and effective among experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of such drugs; or

( For which there exists substantial evidence of safety and effectiveness, consisting of adequate and well-controlled investigations, including clinical investigations (as used in this section "clinical investigations," "clinical experience," and "clinical significance" mean in the case of drugs intended for administration to man, investigations, experience, or significance in humans, and in the case of drugs intended for administration to other animals, investigations, experience, or significance in the specie or species for which the drug is advertised), by experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the drug involved, on the basis of which it can fairly and responsibly be concluded by such experts that the drug is safe and effective for such uses; or

( For which there exists substantial clinical experience (as used in this section this means substantial clinical experience adequately documented in medical literature or by other data (to be supplied to the Food and Drug Administration, if requested)), on the basis of which it can fairly and responsibly be concluded by qualified experts that the drug is safe and effective for such uses; or

( For which safety is supported under any of the preceding clauses in paragraphs (e)(4)(iii) ( a ), ( b ), and ( c ) of this section and effectiveness is supported under any other of such clauses.

The advertisement shall present information relating to each specific side effect and contraindication that is required, approved, or permitted in the package labeling by §§201.100 or 201.105 of this chapter of the drug dosage form(s) or shall otherwise conform to the provisions of paragraph (e)(3)(iii) of this section.

(5) "True statement" of information. An advertisement does not satisfy the requirement that it present a "true statement" of information in brief summary relating to side effects, contraindications, and effectiveness if:
(i) It is false or misleading with respect to side effects, contraindications, or effectiveness; or
(ii) It fails to present a fair balance between information relating to side effects and contraindications and information relating to effectiveness of the drug in that the information relating to effectiveness is presented in greater scope, depth, or detail than is required by section 502(n) of the act and this information is not fairly balanced by a presentation of a summary of true information relating to side effects and contraindications of the drug; Provided, however, That no advertisement shall be considered to be in violation of this section if the presentation of true information relating to side effects and contraindications is comparable in depth and detail with the claims for effectiveness or safety.
(iii) It fails to reveal facts material in the light of its representations or material with respect to consequences that may result from the use of the drug as recommended or suggested in the advertisement.
(6) Advertisements that are false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading. An advertisement for a prescription drug is false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading, or otherwise violative of section 502(n) of the act, among other reasons, if it:
(i) Contains a representation or suggestion, not approved or permitted for use in the labeling, that a drug is better, more effective, useful in a broader range of conditions or patients (as used in this section patients means humans and in the case of veterinary drugs, other animals), safer, has fewer, or less incidence of, or less serious side effects or contraindications than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience (as described in paragraphs (e)(4)(ii) ( b ) and ( c ) of this section) whether or not such representations are made by comparison with other drugs or treatments, and whether or not such a representation or suggestion is made directly or through use of published or unpublished literature, quotations, or other references.
(ii) Contains a drug comparison that represents or suggests that a drug is safer or more effective than another drug in some particular when it has not been demonstrated to be safer or more effective in such particular by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience.
(iii) Contains favorable information or opinions about a drug previously regarded as valid but which have been rendered invalid by contrary and more credible recent information, or contains literature references or quotations that are significantly more favorable to the drug than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience.
(iv) Contains a representation or suggestion that a drug is safer than it has been demonstrated to be by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience, by selective presentation of information from published articles or other references that report no side effects or minimal side effects with the drug or otherwise selects information from any source in a way that makes a drug appear to be safer than has been demonstrated.
(v) Presents information from a study in a way that implies that the study represents larger or more general experience with the drug than it actually does.
(vi) Contains references to literature or studies that misrepresent the effectiveness of a drug by failure to disclose that claimed results may be due to concomitant therapy, or by failure to disclose the credible information available concerning the extent to which claimed results may be due to placebo effect (information concerning placebo effect is not required unless the advertisement promotes the drug for use by man).
(vii) Contains favorable data or conclusions from nonclinical studies of a drug, such as in laboratory animals or in vitro, in a way that suggests they have clinical significance when in fact no such clinical significance has been demonstrated.
(viii) Uses a statement by a recognized authority that is apparently favorable about a drug but fails to refer to concurrent or more recent unfavorable data or statements from the same authority on the same subject or subjects.
(ix) Uses a quote or paraphrase out of context to convey a false or misleading idea.
(x) Uses literature, quotations, or references that purport to support an advertising claim but in fact do not support the claim or have relevance to the claim.
(xi) Uses literature, quotations, or references for the purpose of recommending or suggesting conditions of drug use that are not approved or permitted in the drug package labeling.
(xii) Offers a combination of drugs for the treatment of patients suffering from a condition amenable to treatment by any of the components rather than limiting the indications for use to patients for whom concomitant therapy as provided by the fixed combination drug is indicated, unless such condition is included in the uses permitted under paragraph (e)(4) of this section.
(xiii) Uses a study on normal individuals without disclosing that the subjects were normal, unless the drug is intended for use on normal individuals.
(xiv) Uses "statistics" on numbers of patients, or counts of favorable results or side effects, derived from pooling data from various insignificant or dissimilar studies in a way that suggests either that such "statistics" are valid if they are not or that they are derived from large or significant studies supporting favorable conclusions when such is not the case.
(xv) Uses erroneously a statistical finding of "no significant difference" to claim clinical equivalence or to deny or conceal the potential existence of a real clinical difference.
(xvi) Uses statements or representations that a drug differs from or does not contain a named drug or category of drugs, or that it has a greater potency per unit of weight, in a way that suggests falsely or misleadingly or without substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience that the advertised drug is safer or more effective than such other drug or drugs.
(xvii) Uses data favorable to a drug derived from patients treated with dosages different from those recommended in approved or permitted labeling if the drug advertised is subject to section 505 of the act, or, in the case of other drugs, if the dosages employed were different from those recommended in the labeling and generally recognized as safe and effective. This provision is not intended to prevent citation of reports of studies that include some patients treated with dosages different from those authorized, if the results in such patients are not used.
(xviii) Uses headline, subheadline, or pictorial or other graphic matter in a way that is misleading.
(xix) Represents or suggests that drug dosages properly recommended for use in the treatment of certain classes of patients or disease conditions are safe and effective for the treatment of other classes of patients or disease conditions when such is not the case.
(xx) Presents required information relating to side effects or contraindications by means of a general term for a group in place of disclosing each specific side effect and contraindication (for example employs the term blood dyscrasias instead of "leukopenia," "agranulocytosis," "neutropenia," etc.) unless the use of such general term conforms to the provisions of paragraph (e)(3)(iii) of this section.

Provided, however, That any provision of this paragraph shall be waived with respect to a specified advertisement as set forth in a written communication from the Food and Drug Administration on a petition for such a waiver from a person who would be adversely affected by the enforcement of such provision on the basis of a showing that the advertisement is not false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading, or otherwise violative of section 502(n) of the act. A petition for such a waiver shall set forth clearly and concisely the petitioner's interest in the advertisement, the specific provision of this paragraph from which a waiver is sought, a complete copy of the advertisement, and a showing that the advertisement is not false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading, or otherwise violative of section 502(n) of the act.

(7) Advertisements that may be false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading. An advertisement may be false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading or otherwise violative of section 502(n) of the act if it:
(i) Contains favorable information or conclusions from a study that is inadequate in design, scope, or conduct to furnish significant support for such information or conclusions.
(ii) Uses the concept of "statistical significance" to support a claim that has not been demonstrated to have clinical significance or validity, or fails to reveal the range of variations around the quoted average results.
(iii) Uses statistical analyses and techniques on a retrospective basis to discover and cite findings not soundly supported by the study, or to suggest scientific validity and rigor for data from studies the design or protocol of which are not amenable to formal statistical evaluations.
(iv) Uses tables or graphs to distort or misrepresent the relationships, trends, differences, or changes among the variables or products studied; for example, by failing to label abscissa and ordinate so that the graph creates a misleading impression.
(v) Uses reports or statements represented to be statistical analyses, interpretations, or evaluations that are inconsistent with or violate the established principles of statistical theory, methodology, applied practice, and inference, or that are derived from clinical studies the design, data, or conduct of which substantially invalidate the application of statistical analyses, interpretations, or evaluations.
(vi) Contains claims concerning the mechanism or site of drug action that are not generally regarded as established by scientific evidence by experts qualified by scientific training and experience without disclosing that the claims are not established and the limitations of the supporting evidence.
(vii) Fails to provide sufficient emphasis for the information relating to side effects and contraindications, when such information is contained in a distinct part of an advertisement, because of repetition or other emphasis in that part of the advertisement of claims for effectiveness or safety of the drug.
(viii) Fails to present information relating to side effects and contraindications with a prominence and readability reasonably comparable with the presentation of information relating to effectiveness of the drug, taking into account all implementing factors such as typography, layout, contrast, headlines, paragraphing, white space, and any other techniques apt to achieve emphasis.
(ix) Fails to provide adequate emphasis (for example, by the use of color scheme, borders, headlines, or copy that extends across the gutter) for the fact that two facing pages are part of the same advertisement when one page contains information relating to side effects and contraindications.
(x) In an advertisement promoting use of the drug in a selected class of patients (for example, geriatric patients or depressed patients), fails to present with adequate emphasis the significant side effects and contraindications or the significant dosage considerations, when dosage recommendations are included in an advertisement, especially applicable to that selected class of patients.
(xi) Fails to present on a page facing another page (or on another full page) of an advertisement on more than one page, information relating to side effects and contraindications when such information is in a distinct part of the advertisement.
(xii) Fails to include on each page or spread of an advertisement the information relating to side effects and contraindications or a prominent reference to its presence and location when it is presented as a distinct part of an advertisement.
(xiii) Contains information from published or unpublished reports or opinions falsely or misleadingly represented or suggested to be authentic or authoritative.

21 C.F.R. § 202.1

40 FR 14016, 3/27/1975, as amended at 40 FR 58799, 12/18/1975; 41 FR 48266, 11/2/1976; 42 FR 15674, 3/22/1977; 60 FR 38480, 7/27/1995; 72 FR 69119, 12/6/2007

Effective Date Note: At 44 FR 37467, June 26, 1979, § 202.1 (ii) and (vii) were revised. At 44 FR 74817, Dec. 18, 1979, paragraphs (e)(6) (ii) and (vii) were stayed indefinitely. At 64 FR 400, Jan. 5, 1999, these paragraphs were amended. For the convenience of the user, paragraphs (e)(6) (ii) and (vii), published at 44 FR 37467, are set forth below: