AUTH/3652/5/22: Merck Sharp & Dohme – “Stop the Spots” chickenpox advocacy campaign (no breach) | PMCPA Case

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Key facts

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Case	AUTH/3652/5/22
Company	Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)
Complainant	Named, contactable complainant
Allegation	Disguised promotion of MSD’s chickenpox vaccine via Politico London Playbook and stopthespots.co.uk
Materials	London Playbook (Politico) issue dated 24 May 2022; Stop the Spots microsite (stopthespots.co.uk)
Audience/channel context	London Playbook newsletter (free signup; MSD stated >75,000 subscribers including MPs, civil servants, journalists, public affairs professionals)
Applicable Code	2021
Clauses considered	Clause 3.6; Clause 5.1
Panel decision	No breach of Clause 3.6; No breach of Clause 5.1
Appeal	No appeal
Complaint received	24 May 2022
Case completed	12 June 2023

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

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A named complainant alleged disguised promotion of MSD’s chickenpox vaccine in the Politico London Playbook (issue dated 24 May 2022) and the linked microsite stopthespots.co.uk.
The Playbook carried MSD-sponsored content labelled “A message from MSD” and linked readers to the microsite.
The microsite described itself as a public health campaign to raise awareness for consideration of a chickenpox National Immunisation Programme (NIP) and included a prominent statement: “This website is produced and funded by MSD”.
Neither the Playbook content nor the microsite mentioned a specific MSD vaccine (or any prescription only medicine).
MSD said the campaign was policy advocacy (non-promotional), and it paused the planned social media element after receiving the complaint.

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No breach of Clause 3.6 (disguised promotion) in relation to the 24 May 2022 London Playbook issue and the Stop the Spots microsite.
No breach of Clause 5.1 (high standards).
The Panel’s decision was made on the narrow basis of whether the specific Playbook issue and associated website promoted a prescription only medicine.

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