UK's MHRA acts on misleading drug ads

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has taken action to stop misleading advertising of pharmaceutical products to health professionals in a number of recent cases. Where needed, the companies concerned have issued corrective statements to ensure that prescribers can be aware of the facts.

The Agency has upheld a complaint about the promotion of Venofer (intravenous iron sucrose), a prescription-only drug, issued by Syner-Med (Pharmaceutical Products). The MHRA found that its promotional brochure was misleading in that it failed to make clear the potential of the product to cause allergic or other serious adverse reactions. The brochure also failed to include important messages about the safe administration of this product. The company has withdrawn the promotional material and issued a corrective statement.

The MHRA has also taken action against UCB Pharma, a subsidiary of the like-named Belgian group, resulting in the withdrawal of an advertisement and promotional material for Kentera (oxybutynin), a skin patch to control the symptoms of urge incontinence. The advertisement suggested that the side effect of dry mouth was less prominent than in other comparable products. The Agency found that the Summary of Product Characteristics did not support this claim and intervened. UBC has withdrawn the advertisement and promotional material containing the claim.