Advert - PharmaMar

For promoting Yondelis (trabectedin) for an unlicensed indication, disguising the promotional nature of material, making a misleading comparison and an unsubstantiated claim and failing to certify promotional materials, PharmaMar was ruled in breach of the following clauses of the Code:

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

Clause 3.2 - Promoting a medicine for an unlicensed indication

Clause 7.2 - Making a misleading comparison

Clause 7.4 - Making an unsubstantiated claim

Clause 9.1 - Failing to maintain high standards

Clause 12.1 - Disguising promotional material

Clause 14.1 - Failing to certify promotional material

The Code of Practice Panel reported PharmaMar to the Code of Practice Appeal Board which subsequently publicly reprimanded the company for failing to make any meaningful effort to undertake a thorough investigation and to provide evidence to support its position. Such an approach raised grave concerns about the importance attached by PharmaMar to compliance and self-regulation. The Appeal Board also required PharmaMar to issue a corrective statement.

The interim case report, which includes the wording of the corrective statement, is available at www.pmcpa.org.uk. The public reprimand appears on the front cover of the February Code of Practice Review which is also available on the website.

Advert - February 2018