Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19956

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: Magazine

Smith P
Drug compang ad rebunked by TGA
Australian Doctor 2004 Aug 133
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/drug-company-ad-rebuked-by-tga

Full text:

A DRUG company accused of using consumer advertisements to scare patients into demanding their GP prescribe them an expensive meningococcal vaccine has been rebuked by the TGA.

Baxter Healthcare published an advertisement in a recent issue of Woman’s Day magazine that showed the feet of a corpse with a mortuary label tied to a toe. Underneath the peel-off label was:
Take this to your GP and ask about vaccination today.”

The advertisment said 20% of adult cases of meningococcal C strain disease resulted in the loss of limbs or fingers and that 10% of patients died but failed to explain there were only 102 confirmed cases in Australia last year, including 57 in over-20s.

The mortuary label used the name “Baxter”, but did not name its product, NeisVac-C.

A spokeswoman for the TGA said it was “very concerned about that advertisement”.

“The fact that it didn’t make reference to a specific drug made it very difficult for the TGA to prosecute,” she said.

“However, the TGA has referred the case to Medicines Australia, which has the power to fine companies that break its advertising codes.”

The case is expected to be considered at Medicines Australia’s code of conduct committee meeting on 20 September. The committee can fine companies up to $200,000 and force them to place new advertisments correcting misleading information.

A spokesman for Baxter said: “Baxter is confident that its community message regarding meningococcal C does not breach [the] Medicines Australia code of conduct.

As a result of this community message program there has been considerable new interest shown by the community in obtaining more information about this potentially serious disease. Baxter is committed to helping improve public awareness about meningococcal C disease.”