Why Trump is targeting pharmaceutical ads with new executive action

Why Trump is targeting pharmaceutical ads with new executive action

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive action directing regulators to tighten enforcement of rules governing pharmaceutical advertising. The Food and Drug Administration announced it was sending enforcement letters to about 100 companies over noncompliant ads, with thousands more notices expected. The action zeroes in on TV drug ads, social media promotions, and the booming world of telehealth advertising, where side effects are often downplayed or ignored, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Closing a decades-old loophole

At the heart of the administration’s plan is an effort to close what officials see as a loophole dating back to 1997. That FDA guidance allowed drugmakers to list only major side effects in broadcast ads, with full information provided elsewhere. The rule paved the way for a boom in televised drug commercials. Now the administration wants all ads to provide a fuller picture of risks, saying consumers deserve more balance between benefits and dangers.

A tougher FDA stance

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who oversees the effort, framed the crackdown as long overdue. “Drug companies spend 20% to 25% of their budgets on marketing and ads. I’d like them to spend that money on lowering drug prices,” he said. The FDA has been relatively quiet in recent years, issuing just one warning letter in 2023 and none in 2024. By contrast, the new action signals a dramatic increase in oversight, with regulators promising to monitor not just TV ads but also influencer marketing campaigns on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms.

Industry response and resistance

The pharmaceutical industry defended its advertising, arguing that it helps patients make informed decisions. A spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said direct-to-consumer advertising plays a valuable role in connecting patients with treatments. Drugmakers also point out that most large companies already submit ads to the FDA for review before airing. But critics argue that the rise of digital ads, especially from telehealth startups promoting weight-loss drugs and wellness treatments, has created an uneven playing field where rules are often skirted.

The money behind the message

Pharmaceutical advertising is a multibillion-dollar business. Drug companies spent more than $10 billion on ads in 2024, with the top 10 brands alone accounting for $3.3 billion, according to MediaRadar data. That includes TV spots, streaming ads, and digital promotions. The enormous sums help explain why regulators say misleading campaigns have an outsized impact on consumer health decisions—and why the White House is eager to rein them in.

A political push under MAHA

The crackdown is part of the administration’s broader “Make America Healthy Again” strategy, unveiled earlier this year. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been an outspoken critic of pharmaceutical advertising, arguing that it inflates drug costs and exerts undue influence over media companies. “Pharmaceutical ads hooked this country on prescription drugs,” he said Tuesday. “We will shut down that pipeline of deception.”

What comes next

The immediate effect will be warning letters and cease-and-desist orders requiring companies to pull or revise misleading ads. Longer term, regulators aim to change the rules for broadcast ads entirely, ensuring side effects are presented in full rather than in abbreviated form. That could reshape the look and feel of drug commercials after nearly three decades of dominance on American airwaves—and test how far a White House is willing to go in challenging one of the most powerful industries in Washington.