US drugmakers urge FDA safety logo for Internet

* PhRMA recommends logo ahead of FDA meeting

* FDA looks at how social media promotes drugs, devices

* Agency looking at whether more regulation needed

* Google, Pfizer among those sending representatives

By Deepa Seetharaman

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A drug industry group on Monday urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to adopt a universal safety symbol for Internet content containing FDA-approved information about a medicine or medical device.

The proposal from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which represents some of the biggest drug makers in the world, came ahead of an FDA public meeting this week on how FDA-regulated prescription drugs and medical devices are promoted in social media and on the Internet.

PhRMA said the logo would be coupled with a link leading Web users to FDA-regulated information about the device or drug. Whether that link would go to the FDA's or drug maker's site or another forum is up for debate.

"We're intentionally not filling in all the blanks," said Jeffrey Francer, PhRMA's assistant general counsel, in an interview. "We're introducing a concept."