Sanofi Violated The Rule: Philippine FDA Ordered To Take Down Dengue Vaccine Ads

There is a law in the Philippines that no ethical drugs or prescriptions should be aired on television or radio for promotional purpose. No drug company can air the ads of their respective brand in the market for promotion.

According to Fox News, a pharmaceutical giant in Philippines Sanofi Pasteur Inc. has violated the law and has been airing ads on television and radio for its new dengue vaccine. The ad was aired for the promotional basis of the new dengue vaccines among the public.

New York Times say, the violation from Sanofi Pasteur Inc. has been reviewed by The Philippine Food and Drug Administration and it has ordered the company to take down the ads as soon as possible as it violates the law which has banned the promotion of prescriptions and drugs with the help of mass media.

The Dengue vaccine for which the ad has been aired on television and radio is Dengvaxia. The Food and Drug Administration apart from ordering Sanofi Pasteur Inc. from taking down the ads, it has also given a written order to various television channels and radio stations not to air the ads for Dengvaxia.

After the order from Philippine Food and Drug Administration, Sanofi commented that the ads are no more being aired and the order from the FDA is being respected. They apologize for the violation. Sanofi Pasteur Inc. also mentioned that the airing of the ads for Dengvaxia was regarding a disease awareness campaign which it was conducting.

Dengvaxia, a dengue vaccine by the Philippine pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur Inc. was available on the market in the year 2016 only and was rolled out in various schools in April 2016. The vaccine can only be dispensed with a valid prescription from a doctor, therefore airing it's ad on television and radio is the direct promotion of the brand, which is already banned as per the law.