France bans advertising of ibuprofen-based drugs
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The French Medicines Agency bans the advertising of medicines containing 400 mg of ibuprofen, widely consumed to alleviate the symptoms of seasonal ailments. The reason is that marketing encourages the abuse of these substances, as demonstrated by the increase in reports of serious adverse events. (1)
Pharmaceutical marketing and abuse. The case of ibuprofen 400 mg
The prohibition decided byNational Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) starts from 2 April 2024 and concerns every form of communication aimed at the general public conveyed in newspapers, on television, on websites or in any other mainstream media.
Pharmaceutical marketing, explains the French Agency, is related to dangerous pharmacological abuse. The cases of gastro-digestive hemorrhages e kidney damage, serious adverse effects typical of this molecule have increased in parallel with the increase in advertising and sales of drugs containing 400 mg of ibuprofen.
The harmless magic wand illusion
Drugs in the crosshairs of the ANSM are also authorized in Italy, under different names, and are very widespread, advertised and consumed.
Some examples:
– Momentact (Gentilini) for headaches,
– BuscofenAct (Sanofi) for menstrual pain,
– Brufen 400 (Mylan) analgesic,
– Spididol 400 (Zambon) analgesic.
These symptomatic drugs they can be purchased without a prescription and also online. In the advertisements they appear to be new versions of the basic formula (200 mg), but they are simply variants with doubled doses.
Other restrictive measures
Already in the 2019 the ANSM had attempted to stem the excessive consumption of this class of drugs by arranging for them to be stored behind the pharmacist's back in stores, in a position inaccessible to consumers.
'We also added to their instructions a mention that taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) it can mask the symptoms of a bacterial infection and delay diagnosis and treatment', explains the Agency.
All measures adopted so far have been nullified by the massive advertising campaigns promoted by the pharmaceutical industries.
Marta Strinati
Note
(1) Ban on publicity before the general public for ibuprofène 400 mg. Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé. 8.2.24 https://ansm.sante.fr/actualites/interdiction-de-la-publicite-aupres-du-grand-public-pour-libuprofene-400-mg
