A Cure for the Heartburn of Internet Advertising

Astra Merck Inc. (AMI) launched a promotional site aimed at helping heartburn
sufferers find appropriate treatment for their symptoms.

The Web site, named the “24 Hour Acid
Control InfoCenter,” supplements the AMI direct-to-consumer advertising
program for Prilosec, the company’s prescription medicine for acid-related
gastrointestinal disorders.

AMI launched its direct-to-consumer print and television advertising program
for Prilosec last spring.

The site provides information and instruction on frequent heartburn which
helps patients determine if symptoms they experience warrant evaluation by a
physician.

Other AMI sites include a Web zine called Between Rounds for physicians and
others in managed care. In addition, as one of the corporate sponsors for
Physicians’ Online, AMI has given an educational grant for that service’s
Gastroenterology Therapy Online (GTO) site; it also is a sponsor of Better Health & Medicine, which was
launched in 1993 as the first consumer oriented interactive online service on
health issues.