Lawmakers expand probe to Bayer aspirin adverts

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers are expanding their probe into direct-to-consumer drug advertisements to include Bayer AG's combination aspirin product, according to letters released on Tuesday.

Bayer's marketing of its Aspirin with Heart Advantage, a combination product that includes a dietary supplement, appears to go against a U.S. Food and Drug Administration's request not to advertise such products, said House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell.

Advertising the product to consumers "may mislead the public," Dingell wrote along with Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Bart Stupak.

In the letter to Bayer HealthCare President Gary Balkema, the Michigan Democrats asked whether the company planned to seek FDA approval for the combination product. They also called on the company to provide lawmakers with all related records within two weeks.

In a separate letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, the lawmakers asked whether the FDA or its lawyers were aware of the aspirin marketing or advertisements for any other combination products that include dietary supplements.

Representatives for Bayer and Leavitt could not be immediately reached for comment.

Dingell and Stupak have been investigating whether drug companies have misled the public through consumer-targeted advertisements. Other companies with ads under review include Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co Inc and Schering Plow.

(Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Richard Chang)