A U.K. industry trade group is due to lift a rare two-year suspension of Novo Nordisk over “serious breaches” promoting an obesity drug, but some academics are raising questions about the extent to which the public will know if the company has substantively changed its business practices.
The suspension was issued on March 16, 2023, by the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry after receiving a complaint alleging the company sponsored courses on weight management on LinkedIn for health professionals, without making clear that it was involved in the sponsorship. Since its Saxenda treatment is a weight loss drug, the LinkedIn post “appeared to be promotional,” the complaint stated.
The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, a self-regulatory body overseen by the trade group, agreed and noted it was “very concerned that Novo Nordisk did not recognize that this was a large-scale Saxenda promotional campaign, which Novo Nordisk knowingly paid for and which was disguised.” As a result, Novo was found to have violated seven voluntary codes of practice and discredited the industry.
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