UK MHRA orders stop on Pfizer ad

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has requested global drug behemoth Pfizer to withdraw an advertisement making potentially misleading claims about Zyvox (linezolid), an antibiotic used to treat certain types of serious infection.

The MHRA says it became aware of the advertisement in the British Medical Journal claiming that Zyvox has superior cure rates compared to products containing the active ingredient vancomycin. At the time, Pfizer was in discussion with the MHRA about emerging concerns relating to the efficacy and safety of Zyvox compared to vancomycin in a clinical trial in patients with catheter-related infections.

Pfizer promptly suspended all advertising containing this claim. The MHRA advised the company that it needs to continually review its advertising in the light of current information on the balance of risks and benefits for its products, and take appropriate action if new safety data becomes available. Subsequently, the drugmaker wrote to health care professionals to inform them about new safety restrictions on the use of Zyvox, says the agency.