Nurofen painkillers to be pulled in Australia over misleading claims

[webfact]

Nurofen painkillers to be pulled over misleading claims
Patrick Hatch
Reporter for The Age

SYDNEY: -- Some types of Nurofen painkillers will be pulled from sale after claims that they treat specific types of pain were found to be misleading.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser to the Federal Court over products in its Nurofen specific-pain range, which are advertised as being specially formulated to treat back pain, period pain, migraines or tension headaches.

The court found that, in reality, each of the products had exactly the same active ingredient - 342 milligrams of ibuprofen lysine - and that none were any better at treating one type of pain than other products in the range.

"Nurofen specific-pain products were being sold at retail prices almost double that of Nurofen's standard ibuprofen products and the general pain relief products of its competitors," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said.

Full story: http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/nurofen-painkillers-to-be-pulled-over-misleading-claims-20151213-glmo5s.html


-- Sydney Morning Herald 2015-12-14

[mogo51]

Another Corporate rort exposed.

[SunsetT]

..........Even in the UK many idiots pay double for Nurofen than for generic ibuprofen when they are identical.

.....Strangely, Nurofen is actually quite cheap here in Thailand, though most ibuprofen is still cheaper.

[Mot Dang]

I was waiting for this.

Insider information tells me that the same thing will happen in Oz, soon, for a large multi-national paracetamol manufacturer.

I blame this sort of thing squarely on marketing buffoons .......... just getting their rightful market share of course.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Mot Dang

[F4UCorsair]

Establish what profits they made from the false advertising, fine them that amount plus several million $$.

The medical industry is not beyond deception in the name of profits, even though the public would expect better.

[raybal5]

Another Corporate rort exposed.

It was done purely for marketing purposes. Anyone who cared to read the active ingredients panel already knew they were all the same, just with different packaging. But hey, too many dumb people out there!

[raybal5]

Establish what profits they made from the false advertising, fine them that amount plus several million $$.

The medical industry is not beyond deception in the name of profits, even though the public would expect better.

It was hardly deception. They would argue that all they did was make it easier for idiots who can't read or were too lazy to read the active ingredients

[up2u2]

How people can be pushing for less government and less regulations is beyond me. The Therapeutic Goods Administration requested some two years ago that the word 'targeted' be removed as it was deceptive. Quite simply the response from Reckitt was 'up yours'. The TGA has no powers of enforcement. So ACCC has to step in and drag them before the Federal Court no less. Even still the product will remain on shelves for 12 months.

Reckitt has been ordered to pay the ACCC court costs, it has to pay for its own legal costs and faces a fine up to $1.1M. These costs for fraud are simply so low it doesn't even cause a blip on their share price. Until legislation is put in place to remove ALL the profit from the fraudulent product and a fine of equal value and a mandatory 6 months prison term for the CEO big Pharma will continue their fraudulent practices.

Wealthy, powerful corporations just laugh at regulations.

[webfact]

Nurofen pulled from shelves as British maker found cheating in Australia
By Robert Hackwill



"I think consumers will be frankly extremely concerned that a company would make these claims when they're not true"

PARIS: -- A British pharmaceuticals giant has been forced to pull a bestselling product from the shelves in Australia after a court order.

Judges ruled Reckitt Benckiser misled consumers by charging nearly double the price for the Nurofen-branded common painkiller ibuprofen lysine at identical doses for specific pain such as back pain.

“Well I think consumers will be frankly extremely concerned that a company would make these claims when they’re not true. Usually we think of very large companies that are household names, they bring to their label a certain level of trust and I think this is concerning for consumers,” said the head of Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission Rod Sims.

A separate court hearing will determine the fines imposed, and the company has also been hit by a package of penalties and increased scrutiny. More worryingly, where Australia acts others might follow.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-15

[F4UCorsair]

It was hardly deception.

A judge of the Federal Court thought it was!

I would be one of millions who doesn't read the ingredients on almost any items I buy, and why should I. The onus should be, and is, on the manufacturer to make factual statements as to what the product will achieve for the consumer. They haven't done that, even after a warning, and now there will be consequences, although as another poster has said, the fine is such that it probably won't even cause a blip on the share price. A second offence would no doubt be seen more seriously.

Edited December 14, 2015 by F4UCorsair

[BookMan]

How people can be pushing for less government and less regulations is beyond me. The Therapeutic Goods Administration requested some two years ago that the word 'targeted' be removed as it was deceptive. Quite simply the response from Reckitt was 'up yours'. The TGA has no powers of enforcement. So ACCC has to step in and drag them before the Federal Court no less. Even still the product will remain on shelves for 12 months.

Reckitt has been ordered to pay the ACCC court costs, it has to pay for its own legal costs and faces a fine up to $1.1M. These costs for fraud are simply so low it doesn't even cause a blip on their share price. Until legislation is put in place to remove ALL the profit from the fraudulent product and a fine of equal value and a mandatory 6 months prison term for the CEO big Pharma will continue their fraudulent practices.

Wealthy, powerful corporations just laugh at regulations.

Poor publicity might be their biggest punishment, if it leads to mistrust of the brand name or reduced sales

[LukKrueng]

How people can be pushing for less government and less regulations is beyond me. The Therapeutic Goods Administration requested some two years ago that the word 'targeted' be removed as it was deceptive. Quite simply the response from Reckitt was 'up yours'. The TGA has no powers of enforcement. So ACCC has to step in and drag them before the Federal Court no less. Even still the product will remain on shelves for 12 months.

Reckitt has been ordered to pay the ACCC court costs, it has to pay for its own legal costs and faces a fine up to $1.1M. These costs for fraud are simply so low it doesn't even cause a blip on their share price. Until legislation is put in place to remove ALL the profit from the fraudulent product and a fine of equal value and a mandatory 6 months prison term for the CEO big Pharma will continue their fraudulent practices.

Wealthy, powerful corporations just laugh at regulations.

Poor publicity might be their biggest punishment, if it leads to mistrust of the brand name or reduced sales

The problem with poor publicity is that the public tends to forget it very fast

[Baerboxer]

How people can be pushing for less government and less regulations is beyond me. The Therapeutic Goods Administration requested some two years ago that the word 'targeted' be removed as it was deceptive. Quite simply the response from Reckitt was 'up yours'. The TGA has no powers of enforcement. So ACCC has to step in and drag them before the Federal Court no less. Even still the product will remain on shelves for 12 months.

Reckitt has been ordered to pay the ACCC court costs, it has to pay for its own legal costs and faces a fine up to $1.1M. These costs for fraud are simply so low it doesn't even cause a blip on their share price. Until legislation is put in place to remove ALL the profit from the fraudulent product and a fine of equal value and a mandatory 6 months prison term for the CEO big Pharma will continue their fraudulent practices.

Wealthy, powerful corporations just laugh at regulations.

Poor publicity might be their biggest punishment, if it leads to mistrust of the brand name or reduced sales

The problem with poor publicity is that the public tends to forget it very fast

Do they? Ask the Austrian Wine Industry about that one; or Gerald Ratner.