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The Drug Controller General of India has swung into action against GlaxoSmihKline’s mass media campaign to allegedly create awareness about cervical cancer prevalence in India.
It is alleged that GSK Pharma had undertaken the exercise to promote its cancer vaccine branded Cervarix.

The DCGI is said to have asked the pharmaceutical company to explain why it chose to indirectly advertise for a disease which requires medical supervision and prescriptions from specialist gynaecologists.

On its part GSK says their advertisement —- displayed in prominent national dailies —- was only an attempt to raise awareness among the Indian people. Perhaps, the company’s intention was fair and may have been misconstrued to a destructive extent by vested rivals. It is known that drug companies are trying everything to reach out to newer consumer pockets in order to grow in India and competition is cut-throat.

A few months ago, Cipla and Mankind went berserk advertising their emergency contraceptive pills I-pill and Unwanted 72 respectively on television channels.

After a full review of those advertisements, the regulator under pressure from consumer groups appealed to the companies to stop their campaigns but allowed the products to be considered as over-the-counter.

For cervical cancer vaccine of GSK, the DCGI’s stand appears straightforward. Newspaper reports quoted several doctors and suggest that the advertisements may have created a sense of panic among women who have been queuing up for the vaccine shot. It is in the best interest of consumers to have enough caution and knowledge so that they do not suffer damage while companies attempt to push sales.

India has a vastly diverse population. If the advertisement could allegedly create such near-panic situation in cities, the rural centres will definitely be more indiscriminate in use of ethical drugs. This is in extreme contrast to alert consumers in the United States or Europe, who are well aware of the billions of dollars that Big Pharma spends to promote its drugs.

A search on Youtube throws up a number of stories where patients who took the prophylactic vaccine shots elsewhere in the world may have faced adverse situations with their health due to Gardasil - GSK’s competitor for the same type of vaccine.

Though the the US Food and Drugs Administration clearly found no evidence that links the vaccines with safety issues raised, Indian population could be more gullible to falling prey to advertising hype of companies.

News reports suggest that GSK may have withdrawn the ads following DCGI’s action.

It seems that the DCGI has charged that the company allegedly circumvented the advertising rules for drugs.

Under the rules, select prescription ads may be allowed if and only if the product is for the greater public benefit.

However, certain drugs in the categories of cold and cough or analgesics are deemed OTC and are allowed to be advertised.
The drug industry has been clamoring for long to open up advertising channels so that far-flung places can be reached for awareness.

Those in the industry point out two important issues.
First, while the GSK ads have been running for the past few weeks, the regulator took notice of the alleged flagrant violation of the advertising code too late.

The regulator should be more agile in punishing companies than acting late. Second, Merck had also taken up a major media campaign a few months ago but there was no big move in restricting that company from reaching out directly to people.
In fact Merck’s campaign was more appealing to the masses as it had roped in some film stars who endorsed Gardasil.

Why is there a partisan treatment for two companies violating the same rule?

India is at the cusp of growth for the pharmaceutical industry. The domestic market will reach $20 billion dollars - more than twice of today - in the next six years according to business consultants.
Growth will be mainly driven by spending in newer cities and a leap in rural health infrastructure. Companies like Novartis and Sanofi Aventis are aiming to go big to tap those markets.

The intention is clear. Reach out to newer markets with a combination of products and services, create a new paradigm and then get value from those markets.

Novartis and Sanofi Aventis are not doing anything wrong but their product pricing may not be entirely suitable to Indian pockets. The Plavix brand is sold at nearly three times of the price of an average Indian brand of clopidogrel.

Indian consumers have to be careful, both from companies trying to hype diseases and those who are trying to project a good image but sell products at high prices.

Pillman is an executive closely linked to the global pharma industry.