Merck In $60 Million DTC Ads For Propecia

Merck & Co has begun a $60 million direct-to-consumer advertisingcampaign to promote its treatment for male pattern baldness Propecia (finasteride 1mg), which will include a 45-second television commercial using the slogan "Helping Make Hair Loss History." Propecia ads will also run in US national daily newspapers and 12 "male-oriented" magazines, according to Advertising Age.

As it will take about three months for any significant data to emerge concerning the progress of Propecia, Merck has also created a program to give updates of estimated sales to help manage consumer expectations during that period.

Paul Kelly of Silvermine Consulting said that Propecia still has some problems to overcome, and noted that, for a cosmetic problem, taking a treatment internally will cause some consumer resistance. He added that it should still provide serious competition for Pharmacia & Upjohn's Rogaine (minoxidil).