Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13574

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Eli Lilly blasted over Cialis
Pharmacy Daily (Australia) - registration required 2008 May 2
http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au

Full text:

MELBOURNE academic Ken Harvey has lodged an official complaint with Medicines Australia against Eli Lilly, over the manufacturer’s launch this week of its Cialis Once-A-Day (PD Tue).

Harvey says a press release issued by Eli Lilly was “regrettably …successful in producing a large
number of media articles about this drug which uncritically used the material provided and failed
to disclose sources, conflicts of interest and other issues that should be part of objective
reporting.”

He highlighted some reports in The Sydney Morning Herald and said the Eli Lilly document purports to release as ‘news’ a company commissioned piece of research that “not surprisingly supports the use of this drug.”

Harvey also complained about quotes in the release from Associate Professor Doug Lording, without revealing his association with Eli Lilly.

“In my opinion, this press release is not bona fide news but rather thinly disguised promotion
of the prescription drug Tadalafil to the general public,” he said.

“Eli Lilly have now provided the latest example of how a drug company can undermine quality use of medicines activities.”

Harvey claims Eli Lilly has breached a number of sections of the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct, and the complaint is expected to be reviewed by at a committee meeting on 16 Jun.

If the alleged infringement is determined as a severe breach of the code the committee could impose penalties of up to $200,000 against Eli Lilly.