The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent a formal notice to AbbVie, warning the company that their advertisements for the migraine drug Ubrelvy, featuring tennis star Serena Williams, are misleading. The FDA claims that the ads exaggerate the benefits of the drug, making it seem like Williams’ migraines disappear instantly.
In reality, the medicine typically requires multiple doses and takes several hours to provide relief. In the advertisement, the tennis legend claims that with Ubrelvy, there’s another option. One dose works fast to eliminate migraine pain. However, studies show that only about 19% to 22% of users experience complete pain relief within two hours after taking a single dose.
Health care providers, patients, and caregivers should not be misled regarding the benefits that can be expected from acute migraine headache treatments.The FDA wrote in their letter
Williams began working with AbbVie in 2020, sharing that she has suffered from migraines for many years. Despite this, the FDA is taking issue with how the drug’s effectiveness is portrayed in the ad.
Moreover, the use of a celebrity athlete in this TV ad amplifies the misleading representations and suggestions made and increases the potential for audiences to find the misleading promotional communication more believable due to the perceived credibility of the source.The FDA added
The FDA’s letter suggests the agency might be moving towards stricter rules for celebrity endorsements in drug ads. It’s unclear how the FDA plans to enforce this, but the letter hints at a possible shift in policy regarding celebrity involvement in pharmaceutical advertisements.
Serena Williams shares her delight over motherhood life
Serena Williams is overjoyed to be a mother of two! The tennis legend recently expressed her love for her daughters, one-year-old Adira and six-year-old Olympia, whom she shares with her husband, Alexis Ohanian.
Olympia is always there for me. efore having a second child, I always wondered, 'how could I love anything as much as I love @olympiaohanian?Serena Williams wrote on her IG post
In a heartwarming post on Instagram, Williams shared throwback photos from her maternity shoot with Olympia, taken before the arrival of Adira. The post featured the tennis legend and Olympia in a bed of flowers, celebrating Adira’s first birthday.
Then Adira came along … she is so special, so fun, so funny, so loving, so sweet and so strong!!! You see, God makes your heart get bigger. Because my love for Olympia has not dimmed. My heart simply now is doubled the size and I have a greater capacity to love more!Serena Williams continued
Williams retired from professional tennis at the 2022 US Open, but she continues to support athletes and tennis players. She remains active in the sports world, cheering on others.
Recently, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion traveled to the Paris Olympics, where she famously carried the Olympic torch alongside Rafael Nadal in a boat. She also made an appearance at the US Open this year, marking her first appearance since retiring.