Opinion ID: 440186
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Findings Concerning Bayer Aspirin Advertisements

Text: 39
40 The complaint charged Sterling had claimed that Bayer's overall pharmaceutical superiority to other brands had been established and that Bayer's superiority as to certain specific pharmaceutical attributes had also been established. Sterling contended it was entitled to make such claims because of an in-house study it conducted in 1971 that compared Bayer to 220 other brands of plain 5-grain aspirin. The study evaluated thirty pharmaceutical characteristics. Sterling contended the study established both Bayer's overall pharmaceutical superiority to all other brands and its superiority with regard to the four specific attributes listed in the Commission's order. The Commission agreed that the Government had not carried its burden of proof because it did not show the aspirin comparison study was inadequate support for a claim of overall pharmaceutical superiority. However, after analyzing the test results on specific attributes and the expert testimony evaluating those results, the Commission determined the study did not support Sterling's claims as to those individual qualities. 41 Sterling's first argument on this issue is that, viewed as a whole, the advertisements claimed only that Bayer had overall pharmaceutical superiority, but made no specific claim of superior freshness, purity, or stability. It relies on the testimony of its expert, Dr. Miles, who concluded these individual attributes were buried in the advertisements and would not be noticed by consumers. The Commission apparently rejected the expert testimony because it believed the claim of superiority of individual attributes was clear on the face of the advertisements. It cited as an example a print advertisement that stated Bayer tested its aspirin against every other leading brand. For purity, stability, speed of disintegration, Bayer was consistently better. The inference that this advertisement claimed better purity, stability, and speed of disintegration is not unreasonable. The Commission was careful to distinguish advertisements that asserted only overall quality. We therefore reject Sterling's contention. 42 Alternatively, Sterling argues the Commission misconstrued the test results and ignored the testimony of its experts. The Commission's analysis as to each attribute, however, weighs the testimony of the experts and reveals the basis for the Commission's conclusions. This court may not redetermine the weight to be given Sterling's evidence. Corn Products Refining Co. v. F.T.C., 324 U.S. 726, 739, 65 S.Ct. 961, 967, 89 L.Ed. 1320 (1945); Safeway Stores, Inc. v. F.T.C., 366 F.2d 795, 800 (9th Cir.1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 932, 87 S.Ct. 954, 17 L.Ed.2d 805 (1967). We therefore affirm the conclusion that these claims were deceptive. 43
44 The Commission determined that several advertisements for Bayer Aspirin represented the product to be therapeutically superior and claimed that superiority had been scientifically established. Sterling first contends that those advertisements, read as a whole, merely claimed Bayer's pharmaceutical superiority, not its therapeutic superiority. Its second contention is that there was no establishment claim. 45 The Commission's conclusions were based largely on its own reading of the advertisements. It observed that the advertisements referred to the product's quality without limiting or explaining that term. Because the Commission thought that consumers' primary concern was effective pain relief, it assumed that consumers would understand a representation of quality as a promise of therapeutic superiority. [T]he ads speak in such sweeping terms about quality that a consumer could reasonably infer that the [aspirin comparison] tests measured Bayer in all respects, including efficacy. 46 Sterling insists this analysis ignores the findings of the ALJ, who found consumers could distinguish drug quality claims from drug performance claims. The Commission did not reject this finding. However, it held that specific advertisements would lead consumers away from distinguishing pharmaceutical from therapeutic claims because the broad language used suggested that quality included the attribute of effectiveness. This was especially found to be true in advertisements that also referred to pain relief or to speed of disintegration, which consumers might view as a therapeutic attribute. For these reasons, the Commission agreed with the ALJ that the advertisements made therapeutic claims. 47 Sterling claims the Commission improperly rejected the testimony of Dr. Miles, an expert in advertising and marketing. She testified that quality was a concept that was recognizable to consumers and that would not be confused with therapeutic effectiveness. She also stated, however, that consumers did not devote mental energy to interpreting Bayer advertisements and would not rationally process advertising communications. The Commission did not ignore this testimony. Instead, it viewed it as evidence that, given a broad general representation of quality, consumers would not attempt to analyze the components of quality. If the representation were so broad as to include an inference of efficacy, consumers would not consider whether any limitation had been placed on the term. This was particularly true of advertisements that, in addition to claiming quality, claimed aspirin was a superior pain reliever to combination products. 48 Among the items of evidence presented to the ALJ were copy tests designed to measure viewer reaction to advertisements. The tests had surveyed viewers of two Bayer advertisements and found 11 percent of the viewers of one advertisement received an efficacy message and 13 percent of the viewers of the second advertisement received such a message. The ALJ partially accepted these test results and held they supported the conclusion that certain Bayer advertisements conveyed a message of therapeutic superiority. The Commission rejected this evidence. It found that the test methodology was flawed, that the percentages were too small to be significant, and that the tests on which the ALJ relied conflicted with other copy test evidence. Sterling now argues the Commission impermissibly ignored this evidence. 49 The Commission can determine whether evidence is reliable and competent. See Resort Car Rental System, Inc. v. F.T.C., 518 F.2d 962, 963 (9th Cir.) (per curiam), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 827, 96 S.Ct. 41, 46 L.Ed.2d 42 (1975). It explained fully why it disagreed with the ALJ's appraisal of this evidence. Cf. Cinderella Career & Finishing Schools, Inc. v. F.T.C., 425 F.2d 583, 589 (D.C.Cir.1970) (Commission may not reverse ALJ's determinations without stating reasons for doing so). We therefore do not agree that this evidence was ignored. 50 The Commission held it did not need to consider whether Sterling had a reasonable basis to claim Bayer was therapeutically superior, since in every case Sterling had also claimed that Bayer's therapeutic superiority was scientifically established. It concluded that Sterling lacked the substantiation to make these establishment claims. The Commission held that establishment claims could be substantiated only if Sterling relied upon two well-controlled clinical studies that indicated Bayer was superior. 2 51 Sterling refutes the conclusion that it made establishment claims, arguing that the text of its advertisements made no explicit assertion that Bayer's therapeutic superiority was established. However, the Commission's conclusions were based upon visual aspects of the advertisements, rather than only on the text. These visual representations included pictures of medical and scientific reports from which consumers could infer that Bayer's effectiveness had been objectively evaluated. The Commission noted that the advertisements conveyed a serious tone or a scientific aura that also implied scientific approval of the product. 52 A determination of false advertising can be based upon deceptive visual representations. Standard Oil Co. of California v. F.T.C., 577 F.2d 653, 659 (9th Cir.1978); see American Home, 695 F.2d at 688. It is within the Commission's expertise to determine what inferences consumers may draw from such representations. See Simeon Management Corp. v. F.T.C., 579 F.2d 1137, 1146 & n. 11 (9th Cir.1978); Resort Car, 518 F.2d at 964. We defer to that expertise and affirm the conclusion that Bayer was advertised to have scientifically established therapeutic superiority. 53 Sterling also challenges the conclusion that its establishment claims were not substantiated. It contends its in-house study comparing aspirin brands established Bayer's superior therapeutic efficacy. It therefore questions the requirement that it rely on two well-controlled clinical tests to support its advertising claims. Sterling concedes that clinical studies are necessary to compare the therapeutic effects of different drugs or of different dosages of the same drug. It argues, however, that physicians and scientists would not require clinical studies to determine the comparative therapeutic efficacy of identical drugs and dosage forms. Sterling maintains that a therapeutic judgment comparing brands of the same drug could be based on pharmaceutical and other non-clinical data. It therefore insists that its aspirin comparison study, which tended to demonstrate Bayer's pharmaceutical superiority, provided a reasonable basis to claim established therapeutic superiority. 54 The ALJ was provided extensive evidence on this issue, including testimony of several experts in various medical and pharmaceutical specialties and scientific literature. He took quite a narrow view of which of these items of evidence were to be accorded substantial weight. He accorded more weight to the testimony of experts specifically experienced in the comparison of mild analgesics. Sterling argues vigorously that the ALJ's evaluation of the evidence ignored substantial portions of the expert testimony. It stresses that a decision that ignores competent evidence cannot be supported by substantial evidence, citing Cinderella Career & Finishing Schools, 425 F.2d at 589. 55 We do not agree that the ALJ ignored Sterling's experts. His voluminous findings summarize each expert's testimony and evaluate the weight to be given it based on its relevance and the expert's experience. The Commission relied on the ALJ's evaluation of the evidence when it held that it is the consensus of the experts with experience in comparing analgesic efficacy who testified in this proceeding that at this time well-controlled clinical tests are necessary to establish the comparative superiority of one brand of aspirin over others. This is not equivalent to a finding that no evidence supported Sterling's position. It merely signifies that the Commission agreed with the ALJ's resolution of the evidentiary conflict. Because we cannot reweigh the evidence, we affirm the Commission's conclusion.