Yesterday a New York Times story on cholesterol drugs lead off by referencing the failure last year of a cholesterol treatment by Pfizer. It reminded me of Exubera, an inhalable insulin product that Pfizer took off the shelves last month. Pfizer had invested $800 million in the failed cholesterol drug and $2.8 billion (yes, billion) in Exubera.

Both drugs demonstrate just how much money pharmaceutical companies must invest to bring a successful drug to market. Knowing $2.8 billion might be invested in a failed product, it should be simple enough to comprehend why drug manufacturers must charge so much for the successful drugs that do make it to market.

It’s also interesting to note that Pfizer pulled Exubera last month because no one bought it, not because it failed FDA approval. People routinely protest the profusion of drug company ads, complaining that the ads encourage people to take drugs they don’t need and that the cost of such marketing runs up the cost of already expensive drugs. Apparently, common folk and their wishy-washy overprescribing doctors can’t be trusted to think for themselves when it comes to their medication. But, despite a massive ad campaign rolled out last July, sales of Exubera remained too low to keep it on the shelf. Could it be that people and their doctors are not so easily swayed?

There’s actually good reason to think a large dose of drug ads is a healthy thing. Even though drug ads offer little substance, they prompt people to think about their health, which can prompt them to ask more questions at the doctor's office and possibly lead them to take a more active role in managing their health. Studies show that, when people become a part of the decision making process and begin managing their own care, they have healthier outcomes and this is especially true for people with chronic conditions like diabetes. In the case of Exubera, though the product failed to sell, the ads likely prompted a number of diabetics to rethink their treatment and to have fresh conversations with their doctors. Consequently, many diabetics may find themselves living healthier lives all because of an ad for a defunct diabetes product that today is only suitable as a display piece in theMuseum of Questionable Medical Devices.