P&G Says Pfizer Lying About Mouthwashes

Procter & Gamble says that Pfizer is lying to dentists about the effectiveness of mouthwashes. P&G made the claim in court papers responding in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to a lawsuit brought by Pfizer Inc. over its mouthwash advertising. “P&G doesn’t put products in the market that don’t work or make claims that aren’t true,” company spokeswoman Laura Brinker said, commenting on the papers filed. In its court papers, P&G disputed the claims in the lawsuit filed earlier this month by Pfizer. Pfizer said P&G falsely advertised its Crest Pro-Health mouthwash to gain an unfair advantage over Listerine by claiming that four out of five dentists recommend Crest Pro-Health for reasons related to the product’s efficacy, superiority or other characteristics. It said P&G has no substantiation of its claims. P&G noted that a federal judge in Manhattan last year ruled that Pfizer engaged in false advertising by promoting Listerine as a replacement for dental floss. It said Pfizer is “now engaged in a campaign of disinformation to dental professionals concerning Crest Pro-Health.” P&G said it spent more than $18 million over a dozen years to bring Crest Pro-Health to market in April 2005. Overall, it has spent more than $63 million on marketing and advertising for the product, which has recorded more than $70 million in sales, it said. In its papers, P&G requested unspecified damages, including Pfizer’s profits, gains and advantages from what it said was Pfizer’s “false, misleading and disparaging descriptions and representations.”