Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19238

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: Journal Article

Hawkes N
Four drug companies breach industry’s code of practice
BMJ 2010 Dec 16; 341:
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c7266.extract

Abstract:

Four drug companies have been found guilty of breaching the pharmaceutical industry code of practice and one, Novo Nordisk, has been publicly reprimanded for its behaviour.

The four breaches were deemed serious enough to justify placing advertisements in the BMJ, The Nursing Standard and The Pharmaceutical Journal, an action which is taken when companies are ruled to have reduced confidence in the industry, or are publicly reprimanded.

The four companies involved were Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Grünenthal, and Napp Pharmaceuticals. The code is designed to set standards for the promotion and marketing of drugs and is adjudicated by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority.

Two complaints against Novo Nordisk were considered. In the first, which resulted from a complaint by Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk was found to have promoted a diabetes drug, …