LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A major U.S. AIDS healthcare organization said Thursday it has banned Pfizer sales representatives from its health clinics.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is in the midst of a lawsuit against Pfizer, charging that the drug giant has used "questionable marketing tactics" in promoting its erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra. AHF filed the suit two weeks ago.
Against that backdrop, the AIDS group -- which operates free AIDS clinics in the United States, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia -- said it has banned Pfizer's pharmaceutical sales reps from calling on AHF's medical staff at its healthcare centers.
In a letter to the drug company, AHF said, "This letter is to inform you that effective immediately, Pfizer sales representatives are no longer granted access to AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Healthcare Centers."
The group said its decision "reinforces its concern over Pfizer's questionable marketing tactics for Viagra that the Foundation believes encourages the recreational use of the popular ED drug, as well as the Foundation's disappointment over the drug giant's lack of response over the past year to repeated concerns raised by AHF."
AHF operates 13 free AIDS clinics in the United States, located in California and Florida.
