The Medicines Australia Code of Conduct guides the promotion of prescription products by pharmaceutical companies.1 Each year Medicines Australia publishes a report, from its Code of Conduct Committee, which details all the complaints that have been received about advertising and other promotional activities.
The Table shows the complaints where at least one breach was identified, and more details can be found in the full report.
Table - Breaches of the Code of Conduct July 2013 – June 2014
Company
Brand (generic) name
Material or activity
Sanction
AstraZeneca
Brilinta (ticagrelor)
Promotional material
$10 000 fine
Boehringer Ingelheim
Micardis, Twynsta (telmisartan, telmisartan with amlodipine)
Misleading promotional materials
$50 000 fine
Eli Lilly Australia
Axiron (testosterone)
Promotion to the public
$250 000 fine
Corrective letter
FIT BioCeuticals
D50K (unregistered drug)
Promotion to the public on a website
$150 000 fine reduced on appeal to $25 000
Changes to website
Compliance audit of all promotional activities
Novartis
Lucentis (ranibizumab)
Email to ophthalmologists
$250 000 fine
Materials not to be used again
Corrective letter
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