Johnson & Johnson, maker of the drug-coated stent, Cypher, is being advertised in a first-of-its kind television commercial aimed at millions of people who are ill-equipped to make judgments about the device, according to two cardiologists who wrote in to The New England Journal of Medicine.

The doctors claim the stent ad called "Life Wide Open," could be potentially deceptive because it leaves out many of the stent's possible side effects. They are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to take a "critical" look at the commercial.

The ads prompt patients to request by name a prescription from their doctor; however, the authors of the article contend that the idea of someone going to a physician to ask for a specific stent brand or model is "frightening, if not utterly absurd."
Johnson & Johnson released a statement stating that the ad contains the appropriate amount of side effect information for a TV commercial, and it was reviewed by the FDA before it aired. They say that the spot is designed to encourage patients to talk to their doctors -- a worthwhile goal -- according to the statement.

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