FDA Bans Cancer Drug on Facebook

Pharmaceuticals promoting their products through Facebook “Shares” have been warned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)… and they’re apparently heeding that warning.

Pharmaceutical company Novartis removed it’s Facebook Share after receiving a letter from the FDA warning that the Facebook Share button it is using to promote its cancer medication, Tasigna, violates FDA requirements about disclosure of drug information, and that the information is misleading and “implies superiority over other product.”

The July 29 letter is addressed to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and is also posted on the FDA website.

“The shared content is misleading because it makes representations about the efficacy of Tasigna but fails to communicate any risk information associated with the use of this drug. In addition, the shared content inadequately communicates Tasigna’s FDA-approved indication and implies superiority over other products. Thus, the shared content for Tasigna misbrands the drug in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) and FDA implementing regulations…

These statements of Tasigna’s indication are incomplete, and misleadingly imply that the drug is approved to treat all individuals with Ph+ CML, when this is not the case…

It is your responsibility to ensure that your promotional materials for Tasigna comply with each applicable requirement of the Act and FDA implementing regulations.”

“We have addressed its concerns by taking the direct and immediate action of taking down the widget referenced by the FDA,” Business Week quotes the company as saying. “Novartis will continue to have active discussions with the FDA to understand fully all of the concerns. We also will assess all of our Web assets and materials based on these concerns.”

With consumers increasingly getting health information online, it would serve us all well to remember that what we see on a particular website is not necessarily all there is. When it comes to medical information, it is important to practice due diligence: perform thorough research and consult with medical professionals.

Facebook Share
Facebook Share is a convenient and quick way for Facebook users to share content with other users. Visitors to a website can share pages from that website through Facebook by generating a link to the page, including a thumbnail image and a brief description, which is then shared on the user’s home page stream.

Tasigna
TASIGNA (nilotinib) is used to treat a type of leukemia called Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in newly diagnosed adult patients in chronic phase, or adult patients who are no longer benefitting from another treatment. For more information, visit Tasigna.com

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Erin R.

1:00PM PDT on Aug 17, 2010

Thanks for the info.

send a green star

Philippa P.

6:31PM PDT on Aug 15, 2010

Buyer beware when it comes to medicines and treatments. We must be in control of our health management.

Lionel M.

7:59AM PDT on Aug 15, 2010

A forty-year-old friend of mine died recently, not from her cancer but from its treatment. Beware of medical charlatans.

Elena P.

8:11AM PDT on Aug 12, 2010

@ Charles W.

There are very specific rules for drug advertising (designed with the safety of the consumer in mind) and among those rules is one that says that you must disclose the side effects of the drug and another that says that you may not make the claim that your drug is better than other manufacturer's drugs for the same problem. Novartis violated both of those rules. They had the option to either correct their post or take it down; they opted to take it down. They chose to take it down, therefore, no one violated their right to free speech.

Joy W.

3:26AM PDT on Aug 12, 2010

Thanks.

Charles W.

3:45PM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

I don't get why this isn't a violation of free speech. They are not distributing it to the public. You still have to get it from a doctor. Why shouldn't it be known about?

Mike M.

1:45PM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

Don't kid yourself, the FDA makes tons of poor choices.

Heather A.

1:42PM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

It's good to know that the FDA is being thorough.

Bon L.

4:39AM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

Quanta K.

3:38AM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

It's good that the FDA is reining them in.