Advert - Astellas UK and Astellas Europe

Astellas UK and Astellas Europe each voluntarily admitted that the prescribing information for a number of their medicines had been incomplete, by the omission of some adverse events and the like, for several years and they were each ruled in breach of the following clauses of the Code:

Clause 2 - Bringing discredit upon, and reducing confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.

Clause 4.1 - Providing incomplete prescribing information.

Clause 9.1 - Failing to maintain high standards.

The Code of Practice Panel reported Astellas UK and Astellas Europe to the Code of Practice Appeal Board, which publicly reprimanded both companies and both were required to be audited. The Appeal Board also reported both companies to the ABPI Board which decided to extend Astellas UK’s current suspension from membership of the ABPI from 24 June 2016 for a further 12 months (subject to review). The interim case reports are available at www.pmcpa.org.uk. The public reprimand appears on the front cover of the PMCPA August Code of Practice Review which is also available at www.pmcpa.org.uk.

Advert - August 2017