AUTH/1797/2/06: Editor of a Pharmacy Journal v Bayer (Levitra) — celebrity endorsement complaint (No breach) | PMCPA Case

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/1797/2/06
Complainant	Editor of a pharmacy journal (taken up by the Director)
Company	Bayer plc, Pharmaceutical Division
Medicine	Levitra (vardenafil)
Issue	Appropriateness of celebrity endorsement in online media articles referencing Levitra
Materials	BBC website article; Saga Magazine website article
Related campaign	SortEDin10 (disease awareness programme)
Clauses considered	9.1, 9.2
Decision	No breach of the Code
Complaint received	13 February 2006
Case completed	11 May 2006
Applicable Code year	2003
Appeal	No appeal

Reviewed by Dr Anzal Qurbain (FFPM) — ABPI Final Signatory

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The editor of a pharmacy journal queried whether it was appropriate for a sporting celebrity to appear to endorse Levitra (vardenafil) in two online articles (BBC and Saga Magazine).
The BBC article quoted the celebrity comparing ED medicines and stating Levitra worked “within 15 minutes”.
The Saga article was similar and reported the celebrity describing Levitra as “perfect”.
The celebrity was also a spokesman for Bayer’s “SortEDin10” disease awareness campaign about erectile dysfunction.
The PMCPA Director took the matter up as a complaint under the Code, limited to the issue of celebrity endorsement under Clauses 9.1 and 9.2.

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No breach of the Code was ruled.
No breach of Clause 9.1 (high standards) was ruled.
No breach of Clause 9.2 (special nature of medicines / likely to cause offence) was ruled.

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