The suit, which was filed on behalf of the non-profit AIDS group in Los Angeles, accuses Pfizer of using deliberately misleading ads which encourages the use of Viagra as a so-called "party drug" and furthers the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
In a press conference announcing the lawsuit, Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, tells reporters, "We are filing this lawsuit today to seek an injunction against Pfizer to force it to stop advertising this prescription medication in the reckless manner it has been doing, and to require Pfizer to undertake an immediate public information/education campaign."
AIDS Healthcare Foundation General Counsel Tom Myers explained his group's legal position saying, "By marketing Viagra to men with 'mild' erectile dysfunction or as a way to 'improve your sex life' -- as many of the ads state -- Pfizer is selling the drug as a way to enhance sexual experience, not as a treatment for an illness."
"Through our lawsuit, we are urging Pfizer to not only end this dangerous marketing tactic, but also to fund a national educational campaign on the dangers of Viagra and crystal meth in order to mitigate the negative impact their advertising has had -- and continues to have," Myers said.
Pfizer, which posted $860 million in Viagra sales in the U.S. in 2005, denies that it promotes its blockbuster erectile dysfunction drug for recreational use, citing among other reasons, its three-year $6 million dollar AIDS prevention project undertaken in 2003.
The lawsuit against Pfizer comes as the pharmaceutical company announced a major reduction in its personnel, cutting 10,000 jobs in an effort to reduce annual costs around $2 billion dollars.
