Roche found guilty of UK Code violation again

The UK unit of Swiss drug major Roche has been found guilty by the  Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority of violating the  Association of the British Pharmaceutical industry's marketing rules,  only weeks after being re-admitted to the organization following a  six-month membership suspension for unrelated marketing lapses  (Marketletter February 23). The PMCPA found Roche to have breached the  following clauses: 2 "bringing discredit upon and reducing confidence in  the pharmaceutical industry;" 9.1 failing to maintain high standards;  and 20.2 encouraging members of the public to request a specific drug.

Between 2004 and 2007, gift vouchers for retailers, including Toys R  Us, were given to children prescribed Pulmozyme (dornase alfa), an  inhaled cystic fibrosis agent developed by the Swiss firm's US  biotechnology partner Genentech. Roche said: "the intention was to  support patients and help them [take] the medicine appropriately."