(News Bulletin 247) – The advertising sector is under pressure on the stock market, while Robert Kennedy Jr, who has just been appointed head of the American Department of Health by Donald Trump, is considering banning television advertising spots for prescription drugs in the United States.

The appointment of Robert Kennedy Jr as head of the Department of Health by Donald Trump is shaking many sectors. The appointment of this notorious vaccinoskeptic puts pharmaceutical groups and biotechs on the stock market in difficulty, and in particular Sanofi, which is heavily exposed to this market and which lost more than 3% this Friday at the close.

The advertising sector could also suffer from the arrival of Robert Kennedy Jr at the head of the Department of Health. Publicis, which was in slight decline, accelerated its decline at the start of the afternoon to close down more than 5%. Its British rival WPP is not spared either and lost 1.9% when its American comparable Omnicom fell by 6.8% on Wall Street.

According to a market specialist, the fall of advertising groups may be linked to the nomination of Robert Francis Kennedy (RFK) Jr by Donald Trump as Secretary of Health.

An exception with New Zealand

“RFK said he was considering banning drug advertising on TV,” explained this specialist to justify the drop in shares in the sector.

According to AP, Robert Kennedy Jr notably pointed out the fact that the United States is the only country besides New Zealand where prescription drugs can be the subject of television advertising spots.

In France, advertising to the public is only possible for medicines not subject to compulsory medical prescription and not reimbursed by compulsory health insurance schemes, explains santé.gouv.fr Medicines intended for smoking cessation benefit from an exemption and may be the subject of advertising campaigns.