(Reuters) -AstraZeneca breached the UK pharmaceutical industry’s code of practice after a website claim incorrectly stated that all newly diagnosed asthma patients aged 12 and above should receive its Symbicort drug as an “as-needed” reliever therapy, the industry self-regulatory body ruled on Friday.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said the claim did not reflect national guidelines, which recommend that highly symptomatic patients or those with severe exacerbations should instead be prescribed a different treatment involving regular daily dosing plus as-needed use.
The drugmaker was found in breach of four clauses of ABPI’s 2024 code, including failing to maintain high standards, making misleading and unsubstantiated claims about Symbicort Turbohaler for anti-inflammatory reliever therapy.
AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. However, in a response to the industry regulator, the company accepted that the claim was misleading, but disputed that patient safety was jeopardized.
The watchdog said the breach raised genuine patient safety concerns as highly symptomatic patients could be inadvertently prescribed unsuitable treatment, potentially resulting in poor symptom control or persistent exacerbations.
AstraZeneca argued that both treatment approaches use the same maximum daily dose of Symbicort and that the website included links to full prescribing information and national guidelines, though it removed and updated the web page immediately after receiving the complaint.
(Reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Janane Venkatraman)
