AstraZeneca ‘Fixing Dad’ HCP webpage ruled promotional in context—missing prescribing information

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Key facts

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Case	AUTH/3034/4/18
Complainant	Anonymous UK health professional
Company	AstraZeneca UK Limited
Material	‘Fixing Dad’ trailer and associated webpage on AstraZeneca UK Medicines website (diabetes section)
Main issue	Promotional classification in context and absence of prescribing information
Panel view on context	Integral part of a promotional HCP medicines portal; accessed via diabetes product navigation and used by field force and at conferences
Breach clauses	Clause 4.1; Clause 4.5
No breach clauses	Clause 9.10
Sanctions	Undertaking received; additional sanctions not stated
Complaint received	25 April 2018
Case completed	4 October 2018
Applicable Code year	2016
Products referenced in site context	Bydureon, Forxiga (dapagliflozin), Onglyza (saxagliptin), QTERN (saxagliptin and dapagliflozin)

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

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An anonymous UK health professional complained about a ‘Fixing Dad’ video trailer embedded on AstraZeneca UK’s Medicines website within the diabetes section.
The page invited HCPs to arrange a meeting with an AstraZeneca representative; the form stated the meeting would be educational but would also include a promotional element about AstraZeneca’s diabetes prescription medicines.
The complainant alleged the webpage was promotional and noted there was no prescribing information for the products that would be promoted.
The trailer stated AstraZeneca funded the project; the complainant said it was unclear who had editorial control.
AstraZeneca argued the page and trailer were non-promotional, educational disease/patient-engagement content with no direct/indirect reference to treatment with an AstraZeneca medicine, and therefore did not require prescribing information.
The Panel considered the broader context: the trailer sat within an HCP medicines portal that included promotional product content and links to prescribing information; the Fixing Dad page was accessible via diabetes product navigation and was also used by representatives (end of promotional calls, follow-up emails) and at conferences.

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Breach of Clause 4.1 (prescribing information required in promotional material).
Breach of Clause 4.5 (how prescribing information must be provided for audio-visual/interactive systems).
No breach of Clause 9.10 (declaration/sponsorship on the trailer was sufficiently clear).

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