Dr Nageen Hashmi Scientific Assessor, Advertising Post-Licensing Division
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane
London SW8 5NQ	10 May 2006

 

Dear Dr Hashmi,

RE: EFEXOR & EFEXOR XL (venlafaxine): PL 00011/0223-0224 & 00011/0199-0201 Advertisement in BMJ of 16 April 2005

You wrote to me six months ago (9 November 2005), telling me that our complaint against Wyeth’s advertising of Efexor XL had been upheld and that the MHRA and Wyeth had agreed to publish a joint statement in the Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal.

Please will you let me know whether and when this statement appeared in the British Medical Journal, and if not why not?

I have been unable to find any reference to it using that journal’s search facility. What I did find was a BMJ news report indicating that Wyeth had been "publicly reprimanded for trying to subvert a safety message issued by UK regulators" for Efexor XL (Eaton L: Drug company is reprimanded by UK regulator, BMJ 2005 330:865 (16 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7496.865-b). Perhaps you would also want to explain the transition from public reprimand to cosy joint statement in this case?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Charles Medawar

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