Regular readers will know that earlier in the year the TGA had issued a couple of smaller fines and were threatening more robust enforcement. We’d suggest having a new federal government in play has meant that the TGA can now feel more confident in enforcement actions against a range of companies who in the past may have had a few political buffers to help them skirt some aspects of regulation.
Were glad to see that enforcemnt is now being applied equally.
The Guardian reports
Australia’s drugs regulator issues 73 infringement notices over claims prescriptions could treat conditions such as cancer and epilepsy
Medicinal cannabis companies that falsely claimed their prescription products could treat serious conditions, such as cancer and epilepsy, have received a collective fine of almost $1m by Australia’s drugs regulator.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued 73 infringement notices totalling $972,360 between the medicinal cannabis companies MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Cannatrek Ltd and Little Green Pharma Ltd. The infringements were for the alleged unlawful advertising of medicinal cannabis products on websites and social media platforms.
In Australia, promoting prescription medicines to the general public is illegal in order to protect consumers against misleading or false claims and to better ensure medical advice only comes from health professionals who have seen the patient and know their history.
The TGA alleges the companies unlawfully promoted prescription-only medicinal cannabis products, including references on their websites that the products can treat serious diseases or conditions including cancer and epilepsy.
“Further, some advertising allegedly suggested or implied that particular medicinal cannabis products were recommended or approved by a government authority,” the TGA said in a statement.
Three medicinal cannabis companies fined almost $1 million for alleged unlawful advertising
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(Alliance News) – MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Wednesday said it faces 23 infringement notices worth AUD306,960, around GBP185,470, for contravening therapeutic goods advertising laws.
Shares in the Perth, Australia-based medicinal cannabis company were down 6.9% to 0.84 pence each in London on Wednesday around midday.
MGC said that a delegate of the secretary of the Australian Government Department of Health & Aged Care on Tuesday advised the company of a decision to issue 23 infringement notices totalling AUD306,960.
The fine is based on the belief that MGC had contravened therapeutic goods advertising laws in its promotion of medicinal cannabis products on its website and its social media platforms.
MGC said it has fully cooperated with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration to remedy the issues raise. This includes the removal of all posts of concern from its social media channels, some of which were third-party posts, and placing the company’s website into maintenance, it noted.
The company added that the website will be live again in November following a rebranding, with new internal guidelines implement to prevent a repeat.
