A migraine medicine once-endorsed by Serena Williams has come under fire amid claims advertisements oversold it’s usefulness.
The 42-year-old recently appeared in an advertisement for AbbVie, an American pharmaceutical giant, promoting Ubrelvy, a medication designed to treat migraines. The ad claims that just “one dose works fast to eliminate migraine pain,” a bold promise that has drawn the ire of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Misleading claims
The FDA has criticized the ad, calling the claim not only misleading but unproven. The agency issued a warning to AbbVie, stating that no clinical trials have confirmed the efficacy of a single dose of Ubrelvy in curing migraines. What’s more, the FDA expressed concern over Williams’ involvement, pointing out that featuring a celebrity of her stature can amplify misleading claims, making them more believable to the public.
The agency highlighted scenes from a commercial that depicted the 23-time Grand Slam champion as suffering from a migraine while in a talk show dressing room. A hallway with glaring lights turns into a blue path that she walks down with ease while holding up a 100 mg packet of the medication.
Williams touted the drug as a source of “relief” as she juggled being a first-time mother to then-toddler daughter Olympia Alexis Ohanian, wife, businesswoman, and navigating the pandemic lockdown.
“I don’t know if I’ve had any migraine attacks since I’ve started taking Ubrelvy, to be honest,” she told People in April 2021. “And thank goodness, because they’re debilitating and it can be really awful to deal with,” she added.
Ubrelvy is taken as a 50 or 100 mg pill. The cost of the drug without insurance would be around $1,000 for ten tablets, but could be less with rebates from AbbVie or insurance coverage. With insurance, Amazon lists the drug price at $35.
This isn’t the first time the FDA has raised concerns about Ubrelvy’s advertising. Back in 2020, when the drug was promoted by Allergan (later acquired by AbbVie), similar issues were brought to light. The FDA has now demanded that AbbVie either discontinue the ad or stop distributing the drug until the claims are corrected.
AbbVie told Bloomberg News that they had stopped airing the advertisement after the first half of the year, and that it is complying with the FDA’s investigation.