Drug Repurposing, Illness Severity, and Consumers’ Expectations of Side Effects
(A2023-114042)

AUTHORS

Ozlem Tetik, London Business School; David Faro, London Business School; Simona Botti, London Business School; Monika Heller, UCL

ABSTRACT

The side effects of a drug are determined by factors such as dosage, and the patient’s age and metabolism—not by the illness for which it is used. Counter to this fact, consumers expected more severe side effects when using a drug for a more severe (versus mild) illness. This effect may arise from the lay beliefs of consumers about causes and effects. We further discuss the implications of our findings for consumers’ medical decisions.