Trump’s plan for a drug advertising crackdown faces many hurdles
September 10, 2025
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials are vowing to crack down on deceptive drug ads, but they may encounter some major obstacles. President Donald Trump signed a memo Tuesday directing the FDA and other agencies to enforce transparency in pharmaceutical promotions. The FDA plans to issue warnings to drugmakers over misleading ads. However, the agency faces challenges, including legal pushback and staffing cuts. The administration also says it wants to reverse a 1997 rule allowing brief summaries of drug risks in TV ads, but that process could take years. The agency also has long struggled to police social media promotions.