LinkedIn likes have landed drugmakers in trouble once again. AstraZeneca—a repeat offender—and GSK were the subjects of the investigations under the U.K. marketing code, which found the companies broke the rules on promoting prescription medicines to the public.
Earlier this week, Fierce Pharma reported on three PMCPA cases that looked at the use of LinkedIn by senior AstraZeneca employees in the U.K. In two of the cases, the watchdog ruled the company brought discredit on the industry, in part because of “the impression created by very senior staff acting contrary to the company’s global social media policy” by liking LinkedIn posts.
Another recent investigation looked at a different LinkedIn post that three AstraZeneca employees liked. The post referred to AstraZeneca’s cancer drug Tagrisso. Like other PMCPA cases, the probe stemmed from a complaint by a purported AstraZeneca employee who took issue with its practices.
“This is the latest in a series of similar incidents where AZ senior U.K. based staff have promoted their medicines to the public online,” the complainant said. “The frequency of such offences by AZ staff indicates a company culture of care free attitude towards the code, bringing the pharma industry into disrepute, and discredits AZ and the wider industry.”
PMCPA reached a different conclusion. While the panel ruled AstraZeneca had breached four clauses of the marketing code, it concluded the company had not brought discredit on the pharma industry. The company avoided being found in breach of clause 2 after telling PMCPA about its work—both before and after the complaint—to educate employees about social media.
AstraZeneca was found to have broken the rules on advertising prescription-only medicines to the public, despite the company contending that the post the employees liked was non-promotional. GSK was the subject of a similar investigation after someone claiming to be a former employee told PMCPA about a LinkedIn post.
The post covered a license expansion for the cancer drug Jemperli in the U.S. Multiple U.K. employees liked the post, which predated the licensing of Jemperli in Europe. GSK admitted to breaching the rules on promoting prescription drugs to the public but denied the other allegations. PMCPA largely sided with GSK but did find the company guilty of failing to maintain high standards.