Watch out! Some Big Pharma heavyweights are turning on themseves.
Procter & Gamble and its marketing partner Sanofi-Aventis on Wednesday said they filed a lawsuit accusing drugmakers Roche and GlaxoSmithKline of exaggerating the benefits of their Boniva osteoporosis treatment.
Procter & Gamble, the U.S. consumer products company that also markets prescription drugs, sells a rival osteoporosis drug, Actonel, in partnership with Sanofi-Aventis.
The companies said they filed suit in Manhattan federal court alleging Boniva advertisements to consumers and doctors falsely claim the recently launched drug has been proven to reduce the risk of nonspinal (nonvertebral) fractures. The suit seeks an injunction to stop the advertisements.
The suit alleges that Boniva, in fact, failed in an important clinical trial to reduce nonspinal fractures in women after 3 years of treatment, compared with those receiving placebos over the same period. Nonspinal fractures include fractures of the wrist, hip, pelvis, leg, forearm and collarbone.
Procter & Gamble and Sanofi said in a joint statement that Actonel, by contrast, had proven effective in trials at reducing the risk of such nonspinal fractures three years after treatment began.
Boniva, a tablet taken once a month, and once-weekly Actonel have both been shown to reduce the risk of fractures to the spine after three years of treatment -- although the drugs have not been tested against each other.
"We believe our advertising has been truthful and accurate," said Glaxo spokeswoman Mary Ann Rhyne, who said she could not comment further because Glaxo has not yet seen the lawsuit.
Roche spokeswoman Maureen Byrne said the advertising "accurately and appropriately reflects findings from our Boniva clinical trials."
Insiders' view: This could get messy. Also, dont forget the added issue of P&G and the Blumsohn affair.
Could he become an expert witness, perhaps?
Source: Reuters
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