[Med-privacy] Real Age

[peter marshall]

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March 26, 2009

Online Age Quiz Is a Window for Drug Makers
By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD


Americans yearn to be young. So it is little wonder that RealAge, which=20=

promises to help shave years off your age, has become one of the most=20
popular tests on the Internet.

According to RealAge, more than 27 million people have taken the test,=20=

which asks 150 or so questions about lifestyle and family history to=20
assign a =93biological age,=94 how young or old your habits make you. =
Then,=20
RealAge makes recommendations on how to get =93younger,=94 like taking=20=

multivitamins, eating breakfast and flossing your teeth. Nine million=20
of those people have signed up to become RealAge members.

But while RealAge promotes better living through nonmedical solutions,=20=

the site makes its money by selling better living through drugs.

Pharmaceutical companies pay RealAge to compile test results of RealAge=20=

members and send them marketing messages by e-mail. The drug companies=20=

can even use RealAge answers to find people who show symptoms of a=20
disease =97 and begin sending them messages about it even before the=20
people have received a diagnosis from their doctors.

While few people would fill out a detailed questionnaire about their=20
health and hand it over to a drug company looking for suggestions for=20
new medications, that is essentially what RealAge is doing.

The test has received widespread publicity because of its affiliation=20
with Dr. Mehmet Oz, a popular author and regular on =93The Oprah Winfrey=20=

Show.=94 Dr. Oz =97 =93America=92s Doctor,=94 as he is known on Oprah =97 =
is a=20
RealAge spokesman and adviser, and his soothing, simple approach to=20
health is reflected in RealAge=92s message: you can change.

And it has become something of a sensation in the marketing world. Many=20=

marketers, online and off, segment potential consumers within broad=20
categories. But RealAge gathers very specific information and, unlike=20
some sites, it gives its consumers an incentive to tell the truth,=20
namely, a chance to live longer.

  Whether they are attracted by Dr. Oz=92s appeal or by the ads all over=20=

the Internet for the test, people come to the site, then provide an=20
e-mail address to take it. They are asked throughout the test if they=20
would like a free RealAge membership. If people answer yes to any of=20
the prompts, they become RealAge members, and their test results go=20
into a marketing database.

  RealAge allows drug companies to send e-mail messages based on those=20=

test results. It acts as a clearinghouse for drug companies, including=20=

Pfizer, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline, allowing them to use almost any=20
combination of answers from the test to find people to market to,=20
including whether someone is taking antidepressants, how sexually=20
active they are and even if their marriage is happy.

  RealAge sends the selected recipients a series of e-mail messages=20
about a condition they might have, usually sponsored by a drug company=20=

that sells a medication for that condition.

=93Our primary product is an e-mail newsletter series focused on the=20
undiagnosed at-risk patient, so we know the risk factors if someone is=20=

prehypertensive, or for osteoarthritis,=94 said Andy Mikulak, the vice=20=

president for marketing at RealAge. =93At the end of the day, if you =
want=20
to reach males over 60 that are high blood pressure sufferers in=20
northwest Buffalo with under $50,000 household income that also have a=20=

high risk of diabetes, you could,=94 he said.

RealAge=92s privacy policy does not specifically address the firm=92s=20
relationship with drug companies, but does state, in part, =93we will=20
share your personal data with third parties to fulfill the services=20
that you have asked us to provide to you,=94 and it adds test results to=20=

its database only when respondents become RealAge members. Some=20
critics, however, charge that consumers do not have enough information=20=

when they join.

=93Literally millions of people have unknowingly signed up,=94 said =
Peter=20
Lurie, the deputy director of the Health Research Group at Public=20
Citizen, a public interest group in Washington. The company, he said,=20
=93can create a group of people, and hit them up and create anxiety even=20=

though the person does not have a diagnosis.=94

Steve Williamson, an executive at the medical company Hologic, uses=20
RealAge to sell a treatment called NovaSure, which removes the=20
endometrial lining in post-childbearing, premenopausal women who have=20
heavy periods.

With RealAge, he buys lists of women who have answered a test question=20=

by saying they have heavy menstrual bleeding, among other criteria. He=20=

chooses the ones in the 37- to 49-year-old age range, then sends them a=20=

series of e-mail messages. Several of the messages do not mention=20
NovaSure, they just identify heavy bleeding as a problem =97 then, he=20
said, the messages suggest NovaSure as a solution.

=93We=92re trying to get out to those customers right now and let them =
know=20
that it is an option for them,=94 said Mr. Williamson, the vice =
president=20
for sales and marketing for the gynecologic surgical products division=20=

of Hologic. =93A lot of women don=92t know it=92s a problem, and that=92s =
the=20
thing. It=92s not something they necessarily talk about.=94

RealAge acts as the middleman between the drug companies and its=20
members: it sends the e-mail messages from its own address and does not=20=

release members=92 names or e-mail addresses to drug companies. That is=20=

because pharmaceutical advertisers are among =93the most heavily=20
regulated industries in the world, and they don=92t necessarily want=20
those e-mail addresses =97 they like that we=92re a proxy for their=20
messages,=94 Mr. Mikulak said.

Its access to health information has made RealAge valuable. Founded in=20=

1999, it was acquired by Hearst Magazines in 2007 for an estimated $60=20=

million to $70 million. Though its sales =97 and the fees it pays Dr. Oz=20=

=97 are not public, it is profitable, and had about $20 million in=20
revenue when Hearst acquired it.

Annie Tomlin, a 30-year-old Web site editor in San Francisco, is a=20
vegetarian who walks everywhere, one of the healthy consumers that=20
RealAge prides itself on. She first took the test after her mother=20
heard about it on Oprah =97 scoring seven years younger than her actual=20=

age =97 but did not realize the answers were being used by marketers.

=93It bothers me because I=92m not a fan of the drug companies, and I =
don=92t=20
enjoy the idea of me giving them any help in marketing their medicine,=94=20=

she said. =93While it=92s fantastic that we have certain medicines that=20=

help save people=92s lives, there are also a lot of medicines that are=20=

very, very profitable that are pushed on people who don=92t need them.=94

Mr. Mikulak said that RealAge protected privacy: it does not give=20
personally identifiable information to the drug companies and the=20
advertisements in e-mail messages are clearly labeled as such. RealAge=20=

is =93providing value in return for the information,=94 he said.

That is a fair trade-off, some members said. Leslie Swan, 31, a=20
stay-at-home mother and former pharmaceuticals saleswoman in Rancho=20
Cucamonga, Calif., took RealAge after a Dr. Oz appearance on Oprah. She=20=

had not been aware that drug companies had access to her answers, but,=20=

she said, she was not bothered by that.

=93So many patients are so clueless and they count on their doctor to=20
know everything and be right 100 percent of the time and don=92t always=20=

inform themselves, and I think that=92s a huge mistake,=94 Ms. Swan =
said.=20
=93As a patient and a person, you have to take your health into your own=20=

hands.=94



Copyright 2009  The New York Times Company=20=

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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/enriched;
	charset=WINDOWS-1252

<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>

=
</smaller></fontfamily><bold><fontfamily><param>Georgia</param><x-tad-smal=
ler>March
26, 2009


=
</x-tad-smaller></fontfamily></bold><bold><fontfamily><param>Georgia</para=
m><bigger><bigger><bigger><x-tad-bigger>Online
Age Quiz Is a Window for Drug Makers

=
</x-tad-bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></fontfamily></bold><bold><fontf=
amily><param>Georgia</param><x-tad-smaller>By
=
</x-tad-smaller><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-smaller>STEPHAN=
IE
CLIFFORD</x-tad-smaller></color><x-tad-smaller>



=
</x-tad-smaller></fontfamily></bold><fontfamily><param>Georgia</param>Amer=
icans
yearn to be young. So it is little wonder that RealAge, which promises
to help shave years off your age, has become one of the most popular
tests on the Internet.


According to RealAge, more than 27 million people have taken the test,
which asks 150 or so questions about lifestyle and family history to
assign a =93biological age,=94 how young or old your habits make you.
Then, RealAge makes recommendations on how to get =93younger,=94 like
taking multivitamins, eating breakfast and flossing your teeth. Nine
million of those people have signed up to become RealAge members.


But while RealAge promotes better living through nonmedical solutions,
the site makes its money by selling better living through drugs.


Pharmaceutical companies pay RealAge to compile test results of
RealAge members and send them marketing messages by e-mail. The drug
companies can even use RealAge answers to find people who show
symptoms of a disease =97 and begin sending them messages about it even
before the people have received a diagnosis from their doctors.


While few people would fill out a detailed questionnaire about their
health and hand it over to a drug company looking for suggestions for
new medications, that is essentially what RealAge is doing.


The test has received widespread publicity because of its affiliation
with Dr. <color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>Mehmet Oz</color>, a
popular author and regular on =93The
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>Oprah Winfrey</color> Show.=94 Dr.
Oz =97 =93America=92s Doctor,=94 as he is known on Oprah =97 is a =
RealAge
spokesman and adviser, and his soothing, simple approach to health is
reflected in RealAge=92s message: you can change.


And it has become something of a sensation in the marketing world.
Many marketers, online and off, segment potential consumers within
broad categories. But RealAge gathers very specific information and,
unlike some sites, it gives its consumers an incentive to tell the
truth, namely, a chance to live longer.


 Whether they are attracted by Dr. Oz=92s appeal or by the ads all over
the Internet for the test, people come to the site, then provide an
e-mail address to take it. They are asked throughout the test if they
would like a free RealAge membership. If people answer yes to any of
the prompts, they become RealAge members, and their test results go
into a marketing database.


 RealAge allows drug companies to send e-mail messages based on those
test results. It acts as a clearinghouse for drug companies, including
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>Pfizer</color>,
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>Novartis</color> and
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>GlaxoSmithKline</color>, allowing
them to use almost any combination of answers from the test to find
people to market to, including whether someone is taking
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>antidepressants</color>, how
sexually active they are and even if their marriage is happy.


 RealAge sends the selected recipients a series of e-mail messages
about a condition they might have, usually sponsored by a drug company
that sells a medication for that condition.


=93Our primary product is an e-mail newsletter series focused on the
undiagnosed at-risk patient, so we know the risk factors if someone is
prehypertensive, or for
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>osteoarthritis</color>,=94 said Andy
Mikulak, the vice president for marketing at RealAge. =93At the end of
the day, if you want to reach males over 60 that are
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>high blood pressure</color>
sufferers in northwest Buffalo with under $50,000 household income
that also have a high risk of
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>diabetes</color>, you could,=94 he
said.


RealAge=92s privacy policy does not specifically address the firm=92s
relationship with drug companies, but does state, in part, =93we will
share your personal data with third parties to fulfill the services
that you have asked us to provide to you,=94 and it adds test results to
its database only when respondents become RealAge members. Some
critics, however, charge that consumers do not have enough information
when they join.


=93Literally millions of people have unknowingly signed up,=94 said =
Peter
Lurie, the deputy director of the Health Research Group at
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>Public Citizen</color>, a public
interest group in Washington. The company, he said, =93can create a
group of people, and hit them up and create
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>anxiety</color> even though the
person does not have a diagnosis.=94


Steve Williamson, an executive at the medical company
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>Hologic</color>, uses RealAge to
sell a treatment called NovaSure, which removes the endometrial lining
in post-childbearing, premenopausal women who have heavy periods.


With RealAge, he buys lists of women who have answered a test question
by saying they have heavy menstrual bleeding, among other criteria. He
chooses the ones in the 37- to 49-year-old age range, then sends them
a series of e-mail messages. Several of the messages do not mention
NovaSure, they just identify heavy bleeding as a problem =97 then, he
said, the messages suggest NovaSure as a solution.


=93We=92re trying to get out to those customers right now and let them
know that it is an option for them,=94 said Mr. Williamson, the vice
president for sales and marketing for the gynecologic surgical
products division of Hologic. =93A lot of women don=92t know it=92s a
problem, and that=92s the thing. It=92s not something they necessarily
talk about.=94


RealAge acts as the middleman between the drug companies and its
members: it sends the e-mail messages from its own address and does
not release members=92 names or e-mail addresses to drug companies. That
is because pharmaceutical advertisers are among =93the most heavily
regulated industries in the world, and they don=92t necessarily want
those e-mail addresses =97 they like that we=92re a proxy for their
messages,=94 Mr. Mikulak said.


Its access to health information has made RealAge valuable. Founded in
1999, it was acquired by Hearst Magazines in 2007 for an estimated $60
million to $70 million. Though its sales =97 and the fees it pays Dr. Oz
=97 are not public, it is profitable, and had about $20 million in
revenue when Hearst acquired it.


Annie Tomlin, a 30-year-old Web site editor in San Francisco, is a
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>vegetarian</color> who walks
everywhere, one of the healthy consumers that RealAge prides itself
on. She first took the test after her mother heard about it on Oprah =97
scoring seven years younger than her actual age =97 but did not realize
the answers were being used by marketers.


=93It bothers me because I=92m not a fan of the drug companies, and I
don=92t enjoy the idea of me giving them any help in marketing their
medicine,=94 she said. =93While it=92s fantastic that we have certain
medicines that help save people=92s lives, there are also a lot of
medicines that are very, very profitable that are pushed on people who
don=92t need them.=94


Mr. Mikulak said that RealAge protected privacy: it does not give
personally identifiable information to the drug companies and the
advertisements in e-mail messages are clearly labeled as such. RealAge
is =93providing value in return for the information,=94 he said.


That is a fair trade-off, some members said. Leslie Swan, 31, a
stay-at-home mother and former
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>pharmaceuticals</color> saleswoman
in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., took RealAge after a Dr. Oz appearance on
Oprah. She had not been aware that drug companies had access to her
answers, but, she said, she was not bothered by that.


=93So many patients are so clueless and they count on their doctor to
know everything and be right 100 percent of the time and don=92t always
inform themselves, and I think that=92s a huge mistake,=94 Ms. Swan =
said.
=93As a patient and a person, you have to take your health into your own
hands.=94




=
</fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><color><param>0000,0000,6666<=
/param><smaller>Copyright
2009</smaller></color><smaller>=20
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>The New York Times Company</color> =
</smaller></fontfamily>=

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