Nurofen pills do not target back pain, says ad watchdog
NUROFEN has been banned from claiming its expensive painkillers target specific problems such as joint and back pain.
The landmark ruling has enormous implications for the way big brand painkillers are advertised in the UK.
It means claims that they target problems such as period pain, tension headaches, muscle pain, migraines and sinus pain could also be outlawed. The Advertising Standards Authority has censured a TV commercial for Nurofen Joint & Back Pain Relief, which was shown to target a woman’s back pain.
The advert featured a graphic showing the drug moving down her body to relieve the pain in her back. A voiceover claimed: ‘Just a single dose of Nurofen Joint & Back provides you with constant targeted pain relief for up to eight hours.’ However, the ASA found ‘there was no mechanism by which the product actively sought out the source of pain’.
As a result, the watchdog said the TV commercial and its claims were misleading and should not be repeated. Nurofen, made by Reckitt Benckiser, is sold under a range of names including Nurofen Joint & Back, Nurofen Migraine Pain, Nurofen Express Period Pain, Nurofen Tension Headache, Nurofen Sinus Pain Relief and Nurofen Sinus Pressure & Headache Relief.
The key active ingredient in all of these products is the same – 200mg of ibuprofen, which relieves pain in general rather than specific medical conditions. And they are signifi- cantly more expensive than generic painkillers containing ibuprofen.
For example, a pack of 16 Nurofen Joint & Back Pain Relief costs £3.79. A packet of 16 Boots Value Health ibuprofen tablets costs 35p.
Some Nurofen products contain compounds which are said to help the body absorb the painkiller more quickly.
In December, an Australian court ruled that Reckitt Benckiser misled consumers by marketing almost identical products for different types of pain. The company agreed to amend its packaging there.
The Daily Mail has discovered that the ASA dropped an investigation into claims made for Nurofen Express in another TV ad.
It took the decision in March after the company agreed to halt adverts claiming that the product has a special mechanism to tackle headaches. But as the ASA did not issue a formal ruling, the public did not get to hear about it. The ASA has no power to force Nurofen to change the names of its products which remain, potentially, misleading.
Richard Headland, editor of Which? magazine, said: ‘Many pain-killing medicines have exactly the same active ingredients, despite vastly different marketing, packaging and pricing. Our advice to people is to buy cheaper generic medicines wherever possible and, if in doubt, ask a pharmacist.’
Nurofen said it was ‘disappointed’ at the ASA’s decision and insisted its product names and packaging are not misleading. A spokesman said: ‘Research has shown that nine in ten people search for products to treat specific symptoms, such as joint and back pain, and seven in ten say pain-specific packs help them decide which product is best for their needs.
‘All TV advertising claims made in the UK are supported by robust evidence.’