Majorly English

I’ve written in the past that Dr. Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart and Lipitor shill, makes me a little antsy in the pantsy. Well, it turns out that the American public (and more importantly, Lipitor) agree: you won’t have his gigantic bald dome to enjoy anymore during commercial breaks for To Tell the Truth, hosted by that guy that’s in stuff (What did he used to do? Host a dating show? A sportscaster? I know I’ve seen him before, but I could not guess his name with a million tries).

Lipitor dropped Jarvik as their official spokesperson, saying the “way in which we presented Dr. Jarvik in these ads has, unfortunately, led to misimpressions and distractions.” I just think it’s morally murky to have a physician endorsing a specific drug, when anyone with experience in the field can tell you that nearly every pharmaceutical product has a competitor that does essentially the same thing.

Oh, and there was also the slight issue with the fact that Jarvik isn’t technically a doctor licensed to practice medicine on humans. He defended his inability to whack strangers on the knee with relatively soft hammers in a statement:

As a medical doctor who chose a career in artificial heart
technology rather than clinical practice, I decided not to take an
internship, which is required for licensing. Instead, I work with
invention, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical application
of artificial hearts. I also work directly with many leading
cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, as an advisor concerning management
of their patients. My credibility as a heart expert is fully justified
and is fairly represented. As an MD medical scientist I am well
qualified to understand the conclusions of the extensive clinical
trials and FDA review by which Lipitor was proven safe and effective.
In the ads I educate the public about the risks and benefits of Lipitor.

Fair enough, but I think it goes without saying that when Dr. Robert Jarvik introduces himself in these ads, the general public expects he would be certified to slice you open and tinker with your gooey parts.

I leave you with those quote from Jarvik:

I am in fact a medical doctor;

Health Blog : Jarvik: My Credibility Was Justified and Fairly Represented