ABC News, Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:16 PM

Artificial heart inventor Robert Jarvik is now the center of a congressional investigation into his role as pitchman for the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. In well known commercials, Jarvik says that Lipitor is among the most researched medicines and that "I'm glad I take Lipitor, as a doctor and a dad."





Problem is, Jarvik ended his training after medical school, never completed an internship and is not licensed to practice medicine. "I am a medical scientist not a practical physician," he says in his defense. "I think it's very upfront. I am a doctor. I have long experience with heart disease." He adds that he was taking the stuff even before becoming a paid endorser, and that his real role is to get out the message of heart disease prevention.





But U.S. Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak, both Michigan Democrats, question Jarvik's credibility in a letter to Lipitor-maker Pfizer. And they are seeking records to prove Jarvik took the medication, as he states. "We're looking to see if there is wrongdoing, but also we're looking to see if the law needs to be changed to give us a better level of protection for the consumers," Dingell says.

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