Every Afternoon, During the News Hour on the Local CBS Affiliate, [View all]

[MineralMan]

I learn about a treatment for Peyronie's disease. In the ad, you are sent to a website, bentcarrot.com. I have not visited that site.

The ad features a man and his wife. Apparently, his "manhood," as they refer to the penis, has a bend in it. His wife looks very disappointed, and he is clearly distraught with shame.

My wife commented on that ad, the first time she noticed it, saying, "Why are we seeing this ad right now?" I explained that ads like that one run during the late afternoon news because more people have the TV on and tuned to a broadcast network at that time of day. "Oh," she said. "But, is that a common problem for men?" I couldn't answer, so I Googled it.

According to the Mayo Clinic, about 200,000 men in the US a year present with symptoms of Peyronie's Disease. So, not very common. Is it a serious problem? Well, it can be, if it interferes with normal sexual activity, I suppose. Still, though...

The medicine advertised in the ad is XIAFLEX, which is collagenase clostridium histolyticum, derived from a bacterium. According to the ad, you need multiple treatments, and after each treatment, you have to avoid sexual intercourse for four weeks. There are plenty of side-effects, too, including penile fracture, whatever that might be. The pharma company, though, says that might require surgery
to repair.

Why bentcarrot.com? Because the ad has flying bent carrots depicted in it. WTAF?

So, my questions are: If this treats only a small percentage of the male population, has serious possible side effects, and involves avoiding intercourse for a couple of months, how much of this stuff do they think they can sell? The drug costs over $5000 for a single treatment, and you need two treatments at a minimum. That does not include the cost of the urologist who does the treatments. Again, how many men are going to sign up for such a thing?

And then there's the often-asked question: How do I explain this ad to my tween children who are watching the news when this ad runs?

So many questions. So much poor taste in advertising. '

Seems to me that it would be cheaper just to buy another AR-15...