Novartis Maalox one minute onset of action, not heartburn relief, is ad message, firm says.
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
NOVARTIS MAALOX FASTER ONSET OF ACTION, NOT HEARTBURN RELIEF claim, is the message of the "One Minute Maalox" hospital ad challenged by Pepcid AC and Mylanta marketer J&J/Merck, Novartis asserts in a case report issued by the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus April 6. The ad does not claim Maalox can relieve heartburn symptoms in one minute, Novartis says, but rather that its "onset of action" occurs in one minute. The commercial in question also does not state that hospitals choose Maalox solely because of faster onset of action, the company maintains.