Sens. Sanders, King introduce bill to end prescription drug advertising

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) have introduced legislation that would ban direct-to-consumer drug ads.

The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms, and social media.

A news release noted that in 2024, the pharma industry spent $5B on drugs ads on television alone. It added that in the first three months of 2025, more than $750M was spent on ads for only 10 drugs.

Sanders and King highlight advertising spend for several drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) blockbuster GLP-1 semaglutide, which is marketed as Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for obesity. They say that in 2023, Novo spent $263M on direct-to-consumer ads for Wegovy, and $208 for Ozempic. They added that both drugs are significantly more expensive in the U.S. than in European countries and Canada.

In addition, they say that studies indicate that many ads are false or misleading.

Bill co-sponsors are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

New Zealand is the only other country that allows DTC ads for prescription drugs.