AUTH/1863/7/06: Media/Director v Sanofi-Aventis — patient organisation meeting trip to Budapest & Paris (No breach) | PMCPA Case

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Key facts

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Case	AUTH/1863/7/06
Complainant	Media/Director (taken up by the Director following The Observer article)
Company	Sanofi-Aventis
Issue	Alleged inappropriate hospitality/PR influence via an “educational” trip for cancer charity leaders and stakeholders
Event	Trip to Budapest (EACR congress) and Paris (French Cancer Plan meetings/hospital visit)
Dates of trip	1–3 July 2006
Attendees (reported by company)	58 invited; 13 accepted; 2 withdrew; 11 attended; company represented by 3 staff; no sales personnel
Cost per delegate	£1,508 (including EACR registration fee £310; transport/accommodation/subsistence stated as £845 per person)
Clauses considered	2, 9.1, 19.1 and its supplementary information; supplementary information to Clause 20.2
Outcome	No breach of the Code
Complaint received	04 July 2006
Case completed	26 September 2006
Appeal	No appeal
Applicable Code year	2006

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

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The Observer ran an article (“Cancer drug firm’s PR trip sparks a row”) criticising a Sanofi-Aventis organised trip (1–3 July 2006) to Budapest and Paris involving heads of cancer charities and other stakeholders.
The article alleged the trip was a PR exercise, referenced a leaked draft itinerary describing “optional attendance” at EACR lectures, and suggested the trip could influence charities to lobby for access to new cancer medicines.
The Director took up the matter as a complaint under the Code.
Sanofi-Aventis said the trip was purely educational and non-promotional: attendance at the EACR congress in Budapest plus meetings in Paris with French policymakers/patient groups and a hospital visit to understand the French Cancer Plan.
Sanofi-Aventis stated 58 were invited; 13 accepted; 2 withdrew; 11 attended. Sanofi-Aventis had 3 staff present and no sales personnel.
Sanofi-Aventis said the “optional attendance” wording was an ambiguity in an early draft and was corrected in the final programme.

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No breach of Clause 19.1 (hospitality and meetings).
No breach of Clause 9.1 (high standards).
No breach of Clause 2 (discredit to the industry).
The Panel considered the agendas (draft and final) were very full, with little free time; the prime purpose was educational.
The Panel accepted there were valid and cogent reasons to travel: EACR in Budapest and relevant expertise/resources in France for the French Cancer Plan discussions.
The Panel considered the hospitality was secondary to education; hotels were standard business hotels; most meals were working discussions; £1,508 per person was not unreasonable given two destinations and EACR registration fee.

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