ABPI advertising code breaches by ProStrakan, Cephalon UK and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

Three drugmakers in the UK - ProStrakan Group, Cephalon UK and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare have each been accused of breaching the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry.

To highlight these breaches, all are the subject of advertisements in the medical, pharmaceutical and nursing press. And the following are the charges in brief:

ProStrakan - Case AUTH/2235/5/09
For making claims about Abstral (fentanyl patch) that were misleading and did not comply with a previous undertaking, ProStrakan 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 - Making claims that were inconsistent with the summary of product characteristics.
Clause 7.2 - Making misleading claims.
Clause 9.1 - Failing to maintain high standards.
Clause 25 - Failing to comply with an undertaking.