AUTH/2936/2/17: Health professional consultant v Johnson & Johnson – Online Nicorette advertisement (No breach) | PMCPA Case

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/2936/2/17
Parties	Health professional consultant to a pharmaceutical company v Johnson & Johnson
Product	Nicorette (nicotine)
Material	Online advertisement published in Pulse magazine (February); ref UK/NI/16-7093(1)
Main claims challenged	“Combination NRT is 43% more effective than patch alone”; “nothing beats Nicorette dual support”; headline “How do you empower them to quit for good?”
Main issues	Alleged lack of absolute data; alleged implication of guaranteed success; imagery of an infant
Code year	2016
Clauses considered	Clause 7.2; Clause 9.1
Panel decision	No breach
Complaint received	15 February 2017
Case completed	27 April 2017
Appeal	No appeal
Sanctions	None stated

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

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A health professional (consultant to a pharmaceutical company) complained in a private capacity about an online Nicorette (nicotine) advertisement by Johnson & Johnson, published in Pulse (February).
The ad headline: “How do you empower them to quit for good?” and included claims: “Combination NRT is 43% more effective than patch alone” and “nothing beats Nicorette dual support”.
The ad showed Nicorette patch and Nicorette QuickMist mouth spray, plus a lifestyle image of an adult throwing/catching an infant on a beach.
Allegations: (1) the child pictured was an inappropriate age; (2) the “43% more effective” claim gave no absolute data; (3) the headline could imply quitting “for good” always works.
PMCPA correspondence drew attention to Clauses 7.2 and 9.1.

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