Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline admonished for breaching the ABPI Code of Practice

Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline are the subjects of admonishment through advertisements in the medical and pharmaceutical press that highlight breaches of The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's (ABPI) Code of Practice.

Roche has also been admonished through the advertisements following on from a public reprimand from the Code of Practice Appeal Board for failing to provide accurate information to the Code of Practice Panel in a case where no breach of the Code was ruled.

Bayer breached the Code by failing to comply with an undertaking in relation to a leaflet that had already been ruled in breach of the Code. As a result, the company was ruled in breach of the following clauses of the Code:

• Clause 2 - Bringing discredit upon, or reducing confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.
• Clause 9.1 - Failing to maintain a high standard.
• Clause 22 - Failing to comply with an undertaking.

GlaxoSmithKline breached the Code by conducting activities that were deemed to constitute the promotion of a product prior to the grant of its marketing authorisation. As a result, the company was ruled in breach of the following clauses of the Code:

• Clause 2 - Bringing discredit upon, or reducing confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.
• Clause 3.1- Promoting a medicine prior to the grant of the marketing authorisation which permits its sale or supply.

In a case where the Code of Practice Panel ruled no breach of the Code, Roche was publicly reprimanded by the Code of Practice Appeal Board for failing to provide accurate information to the Code of Practice Panel, a matter of utmost seriousness. In addition Roche has been audited in relation to its procedures for compliance with the Code.