The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority ruled that Bayer’s advert was misleading, prejudiced patient safety and brought the pharmaceutical industry into disrepute.
The disciplinary action – which carries no fine or penalty other than public criticism – marks the latest sign of scrutiny of Bayer’s promotion of Yasmin round the world, and will provoke fresh concern over the industry’s continued practice of “off label marketing” of drugs beyond the indications for which regulators authorise their use.
While pharmaceutical companies are forbidden from marketing their drugs to the general public within the European Union, they can advertise them to prescribers through specialist journals. But they are only allowed to promote authorised uses of their medicines and must also highlight identified side effects.
In an advert in Pulse at the start of this year with the headline “Contraception and more”, Bayer stated: “Yasmin. It’s for more women than you might imagine.” It said the drug “has also been shown to have a beneficial effect vs baseline on acne, fluid retention, hirsutism and premenstrual symptoms.”
The regulator ruled that the company had also underplayed the side-effects of the drug.
Monday, May 30, 2011
FT.com - Bayer rebuked over misleading Yasmin OC advert
via ft.com
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