West Virginia drug ad regulation "all but dead"

According to local reports in the US state of West Virginia, a law requiring drugmakers to disclose their advertising and marketing expenditure in the state is likely to lapse.

Before going into holiday recess, West Virginia's Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee failed to adopt provisions of the 2004 Pharmaceutical Availability and Affordability Act. Unless the committee can find time to review the legislation in early January, the law will become void.

Phil Reale, a representative for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), after raising a number of objections, persuaded the review committee to leave the new regulations pending. In particular, Mr Reale pointed out that the 2004 law "sends a terrible message to the manufacturing community and the business community at large," concerning confidentiality provisions.